[Asterisk-Users] Is Asterisk ready for "real" use?

[Troy Settle]

What I'm currently working on, is setting up a pair of * servers to:

 - trunk calls over IP from the CO (where I'm colo'ed) to my office
 - sit between the PSTN and my existing system (lucent partner)
 - provide AA and VM functions
 - provide VOIP extensions
 - other things I've not thought of yet

It bugs me not having intercom/paging features.  It also bugs me not
being able to look at my phones to see who's on/off.

On the partner system, and other low-end phone systems, it bugs me that
there's no support for VOIP, call queues, or advanced IVR functions.

So deciding between a $15k phone system (Avaya IP Office, 3Com NBX, etc)
and rolling my own system for under $5k?  I'll take the $5k system that
I have to roll myself.

--
  Troy Settle
  Pulaski Networks
  http://www.psknet.com
  540.994.4254 ~ 866.477.5638
  Pulaski Chamber 2002 Small Business Of The Year
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com 
> [mailto:asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of 
> James H. Thompson
> Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2003 5:37 AM
> To: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
> Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] Is Asterisk ready for "real" use?
> 
> 
> One thing that PBX systems do well that VOIP systems mostly 
> don't do at all well is support
> handsfree intercom/paging  functions.   Some phone systems 
> will even let you page to an in-use
> extentsion.  So if you depend on these kinds of functions, it 
> may be hard to replace them with
> current VOIP systems.
> 
> Jim
> 
> James H. Thompson
> jht at lava.net
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Ciholas" <mikec at ciholas.com>
> To: <asterisk-users at lists.digium.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 5:42 AM
> Subject: [Asterisk-Users] Is Asterisk ready for "real" use?
> 
> 
> >
> > Okay,
> >
> > I am facing a move in two months to newly renovated space.  I
> > have to decide *this week* between:
> >
> > A) Pull LAN and phone cables, prepare to move and expand our
> > "traditional" PBX (Panasonic KX-TD1232 and VPS200).
> >
> > or
> >
> > B) Pull only LAN cables, go VoIP, use Asterisk as PBX.
> >
> > It is *not* an option to purchase a VoIP system package from
> > Cisco, 3com, etc.  Installers are getting an enormous premium for
> > this now (rough estimate, 20 extensions $40K (!)).
> >
> > I am "this close" to committing to a solution based on Asterisk
> > PBX, PoE LAN switches, and VoIP phones.  I am absolutely sure it
> > is the right *long term* solution, but I don't know if it is
> > "ready" for reliable daily usage.
> >
> > I've literally read the last year's worth of posts to
> > asterisk-users to get a "feel" for the situation.  Since you
> > don't see posts of the form "installed it, just working, no
> > problems" very often, you could get the opinion that everyone has
> > problems since that is what the mailing list is for.
> >
> > So, I would like to hear from those out there that have a system
> > as I've described above and tell me if I'm insane to commit this
> > direction or whether it makes sense.
> >
> > For those of you who have done it, how much time did it take you
> > to get the system running smoothly?
> >
> > PS: In case it matters, we're extremely Linux capable (we use it
> > for our file serving, networking, and we built our own custom ERP
> > on perl and mySQL, we also do embedded Linux in custom military
> > robot controllers).
> >
> > --
> > Mike Ciholas                            (812) 476-2721 voice
> > CIHOLAS Enterprises                     (812) 476-2881 fax
> > 2626 Kotter Ave, Unit D                 mikec at ciholas.com
> > Evansville, IN 47715                    http://www.ciholas.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Asterisk-Users mailing list
> > Asterisk-Users at lists.digium.com
> > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
> >
> >
> 
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