[Asterisk-biz] Epygi PBX and Asterisk

[Dan Iordanescu]

Alex,

For RRP USD595 I get an Epygi 4 extensions box (no telephones included)
with all Asterisk PBX features plus a broadband router with firewall and
IPSec. Anything beats this?
For USD1695 you get a box with 8 extensions and all the rest.
And now the important bit: all you do is take it out of the box, point a
browser to it and configure the dial plan, subscribers and WAN/LAN
details (if needed). That's all. Nothing else. No CVS, installations,
compilations, file editing etc. 30 minutes max and it works.

I use and work with Asterisk for more than 2 years. I have tried so many
things... Somebody tell me about a better box than Epygi
(price/features/ease of installation and use) and I'll switch to it. If
you'll tell me buy a computer, download this and install that, it's
already too expensive. Time is most expensive.

Dan.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alex Epshteyn" <alex at thirdlane.com>
To: "Commercial and Business-Oriented Asterisk Discussion"
<asterisk-biz at lists.digium.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 7:00 PM
Subject: RE: [Asterisk-biz] Epygi PBX and Asterisk


> Hello,
>
> If you are looking for an admin GUI for Astetrisk, I suggest you to
give
> Asterisk PBX Manager a try.
>
> It is a Webmin module geared towards management of small/medium office
PBXs,
> has a simple and intuitive (or so we belive:) ) GUI, and comes with
basic
> configuration files that can be used as a starting point for a PBX.
>
> Here are some screenshots http://www.thirdlane.com/screenshots.htm,
you can
> contact sales at thirdlane.com regarding pricing, demo, etc.
>
> Thanks, Alex
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: asterisk-biz-bounces at lists.digium.com
> > [mailto:asterisk-biz-bounces at lists.digium.com]On Behalf Of Dan
> > Iordanescu
> > Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 2:15 PM
> > To: Commercial and Business-Oriented Asterisk Discussion
> > Subject: [Asterisk-biz] Epygi PBX and Asterisk
> >
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have recently started to work with a new company in the area of IP
> > PBX. I am deeply impressed and I would like to let everybody know.
The
> > company is called Epygi, www.epygi.com. They sell special boxes,
which
> > deserve a detailed look. Like me, I'm sure business-oriented
Asterisk
> > people will be impressed.
> >
> > My business is selling, installing, maintaining etc IP PBXs on
business
> > premises. We all know how hard it is: first to educate people on the
> > concept and limitless capabilities of such a system (see the earlier
> > post VoIP Guide for Business People) and second the lack of a fully
> > featured, user/admin friendly product. I sympathise with all people
at
> > the bleeding edge in this industry; when I hear their stories my
scars
> > itch.
> >
> > Epygi solves the CPE problem for an IP PBX system. Their boxes are
fully
> > featured (by Asterisk standards) and even more. Anybody tried the
paging
> > feature with Asterisk? Remember, we are only talking PBX
functionality
> > on customer premises here. Asterisk is an incredible system. If you
are
> > looking for billing, CDR processing, IAX/H323/SIP/ADSI conversion or
> > database interfacing, Epygi is not the product for you. At some
point I
> > made plans to develop a user/admin interface for Asterisk, but it's
not
> > easy to do a commercial product. I tried others recommended on
Asterisk
> > lists, but for various reasons none of them was good enough.
> >
> > Epygi expands a lot on the concept started by Talkswitch. Just
reading
> > the Epygi website does no justice to the box. You have to either
play
> > with one or speak with an Epygi guy. The concept is having one or
more
> > boxes residing on customer premises. It can be controlled with a
browser
> > either from the LAN or Internet (IPSec tunnels for security). Epygi
> > boxes connect either to the LAN or to the Internet. They have FXO or
> > ISDN ports for the PSTN and FXS ports for POTS phones. SIP phones
are
> > obvious. On the Internet side they act as a full-blown broadband
router
> > (ADSL, G.SHDSL or Ethernet ports) doing statefull firewall, NAT, VPN
> > IPSec tunnels etc.
> > On the VoIP PBX side, if you install the Epygi box behind another
NAT
> > router it has STUN capability and the Outbound Proxy feature (used
by
> > FWD with the Jasomi solution). STUN doesn't always work from behind
some
> > symmetrical NAT routers, but the Jasomi solution works in all cases.
> > As PBX features, you'll be blown away. There was nothing I could do
with
> > Asterisk that I can't do with this box; with no development work.
> > Including fancy Voice Mail notification/checking and registration
with
> > multiple SIP services.
> >
> > Now let me point just a couple of more things that I found very
> > important:
> > 1. It comes with 3 detailed manuals: installation manual,
administration
> > manual and users manual. The users can drive it from either their
phones
> > or with the web browser (logging as their extension).
> > 2. The product and distribution is designed with the international
> > market in mind. There is a way to translate the voice prompts into
any
> > language (now available in English, German, French and Spanish).
There
> > is a support/training network which covers most countries. With
> > Asterisk, I had customers in Europe reluctant to English voice
prompts;
> > not anymore.
> > 3. Pricing? It's great. They have a choice of 5 boxes (including a
SIP
> > Conference Server) with different capabilities and upgrades. The
> > cheapest RRP is USD595 for a box with 4 extensions and most
expensive is
> > RRP USD4295 for 64 extensions. The reseller/distributor discounts
are
> > pretty good too.
> >
> > As you can imagine I bought a box, played with it and loved it. Then
I
> > got involved in distribution in regions covered by my business. I
now
> > use Epygi boxes as CPEs. Asterisk server is in collocation sites for
> > protocol conversion, billing or the other things where constant
tweaking
> > or customer access is not necessary.
> > As SIP service, I use SipPhone, www.sipphone.com, which has free
> > unlimited calls to PSTN in Australia and 5 calls, 5 minutes each,
every
> > day in 30 other countries (and growing). Good A-Z rates as well.
> >
> > If you want to know more either contact Epygi or I can give you
details
> > for who to contact in your area.
> >
> > Sorry for the long post. I hope you'll benefit from it as much as I
did,
> > Dan.
> >
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> >
>
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