[Asterisk-Users] Presence (was FW: pda skype)

[Steven Sokol]

Dean Collins just sent out a message a second ago (responding to an earlier
posting regarding the new Skype PDA client).  He said:

"Presence based information is the biggest 'seller' in the IP PBX market at
the moment, being able to tell what/where a person is certainly driving a
lot of sales through my door."

I would like to take a moment to second his message.  Every presentation at
the VON show concurs with his opinion.

PRESENCE IS LIKELY THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE ADDITION TO ASTERISK THAT COULD
BE MADE AT THIS TIME.

I know there are people out there working on or waiting for all kinds of
features.  And I understand that all of them are important in one way or
another.  But THE feature that turns up time and again on RFPs for VoIP
phone systems is PRESENCE.  Like it or not, managers like to know where
their people are.  Friends like knowing where their friends are.  Everybody
likes being able to communicate how they want, when they want.

This is the next step beyond the follow-me/find me applications.  Beyond the
basics of VoIP.  And this step is driving people to deploy VoIP systems
(including Asterisk).

Perhaps the gory details of implementation are best reserved for the
Developer list, but I think everybody out there can comment on the ideas:

HOW DO YOU SEE PRESENCE INTEGRATING WITH ASTERISK?

Thanks,

Steve

Steven Sokol
Owner/Manager
Sokol & Associates, LLC

Phone:  816.822.1807
IaxTel: 700.613.9004
Web:    http://www.sokol-associates.com