[asterisk-biz] Virtual PBX / online IVRS solution for end customers

[Checkov, Andrew]

Hello Sam,

Wednesday, February 14, 2007, 10:26:35 AM, you wrote:

ST> Hello all
ST> I am wondering anyone would have a software similar to the one used by 
ST> Virtualpbx.com or so 
ST> Where end customer can setup their virtual switchboard online and pay for it
ST> without any work from ourside?
ST> Sam
You can setup similar service with Thirdlane PBX Manager Multi-Tenant
version. Administrator of this box can setup new tenant PBX with
specific limitations on quantity of extensions, mail-boxes, Voice
Menues and other resourses. Later this virtual PBX can be totally
managed by Tenant admin. This virtual PBX can be created empty or generated according to
selected template - this way you can setup some default dialplan
patterns etc.

PBX Manager has a Bulk Generator (you will have to specify extensions
range or upload CSV file with extensions list and it's Names) which
will generate extensions, SIP friends, mailboxes, client's logins etc
at one click.

You can define some outbound routes which can be shared between tenants.
Every tenant can setup it's own routes - both incoming and outgoing -
which will not be viewable by others. Outbound routes can be arranged
by few classes of service - local and emergency, restricted and
unrestricted. This way you can limit every extension which places it
will be allowed to dial.

This product is a Webmin module - famous linux administration
software. It allows you to sctrictly control access rights of system
users. For example you can create few admins for one tenant - one will
have access to all settings of it's virtual PBX, and second will have
access only to extensions settings.

Each extension of tenant PBX has a separate login to access the User Portal
where he can control settings of it's own extension  - call forwarding,
follow-me, call screening, call recording etc...

All actions in the system are processed by built-in scripts written on
generic asterisk dialplan commands.

You can create your own script (or clone and modify built-in script)
and assign it so some new action or override default action - e.g. how to
process incoming call to exact extension or
how to process some feature extension say *89. Those scripts are defined
with parameters, their types and descriptions. This way when you select
some script for some action you will have to fill form fields of those parameters.
In case when parameter has type of extension, you will see current list of defined
extensions and will have to make a selection from this list. This way
you will have much less chanses for wrong action.

Unfortunatelly at current stage this software store all config files
as usual asterisk *.conf files. As I know DB-based realtime configuration
will be available soon.

Another disadvantage is luck of any billing software - so you can bill
customers only at flat rate like for virtual web-server hosting.

I can't say that it a solution for big ITSP - mainly due to lack of
realtime configuration. We use it in our business - currently we has
few dozends virtual PBXs per one box - each with 10-30 extensions.
I beliabe when PBX Manager will be switched to realtime config we
can greatly increase quantity of virtual PBXs per box and will have
much more flexible solution.

-- 
Best regards,
 Andrew                            mailto:acheck at astelnet.net