Should Asterisk Phone Systems Be Part Of Your Business? | The Communication Blog

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Should Asterisk Phone Systems Be Part Of Your Business?

By Adriana Noton

Saving money is a common goal of many businesses, and telecommunications in all its current facets can become a major expense. From call center operations to PBX telephony setups, Asterisk phone systems can help achieve the goal of economy and versatility. Under development since 1999, open source software from Asterisk fits a variety of applications and services, and transforms an everyday computer into a communications server.

What exactly does the Asterisk system do that other systems can not? This software system is often referred to as a "development platform, " and it can be used to run everything from small business PBX systems to huge media servers. Open source technology, besides being free, is customizable and versatile. The Asterisk system uses Linux, the freely available source code that has challenged other major systems.

Asterisk also can be incorporated into other platforms, including Solaris, Mac OS X, OpenBSD, FreeBSD and NetBSD. It can even be used with Microsoft through a port called Asterisk Win32. Computers running the software can function as conference servers, or VoIP gateways or PBXs. For PBX use, Asterisk incorporates many familiar functions, including voice mail, call distribution, conference calling and phone menu voice response.

Originally written by Mark Spencer of Digium, Inc., the operating code has employed contributions from open-source engineers residing in many countries. Asterisk is not a manufacturer of telephony equipment, but rather a provider of the software building blocks that make such equipment work properly for 21st century business. Because of its structure it can be updated or changed whenever necessary, without waiting for other companies to come out with official fixes.

Asterisk systems are excellent for call-center applications. Around the world, users have made the switch to Asterisk because it readily adapts to such existing features as remote IP agent capabilities, bulk dialing or advanced routing. There is no additional hardware needed for VoIP. The system does require cards and certain hardware devices for some interfaces, such as standard telephony cards. Support and sales of these items are provided by Digium, Inc., the parent company.

Telephony and PBX are enhanced by PTSN and VoIP drivers for those interface cards, which enable handling and routing both inbound and outbound calls. The system allows management control of functions such as record and play, billing call details, and tone generation. It can handle multiple or single party bridging with monitor functions, and can convert from one media format or protocol to another.

Those wishing to set up PBX software can make use of a provided program called AsteriskNOW. When downloaded, this program allows system administrators to create solutions based on their own company needs. An easy to read administrative GUI, or user interface, makes the complexity of Linux and Asterisk easy to interpret. AsteriskNOW helps incorporate services such as VoIP or Skype Gateway, a call center ACD, a Conference Bridge, IP PBX, and others.

Many businesses around the world have made the decision to make use of the open-source technology that asterisk phone systems Toronto can provide. Whether you operate a call center, need a solution to your PBX problems or simply want to make use more efficient software, Asterisk open-source systems successfully integrates traditional PBX or voice systems with advanced VoIP setups for communications solutions both cost-effective and easily updated.

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