"VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) is being heavily hyped these days. Systems come in various sizes, supporting anywhere from 25 to 1,200 users across multiple locations, time zones, and continents, and open source products are available across the spectrum. The reason for adopting VoIP is simple: the cost savings involved with putting voice and data on the same network. The argument for open source in VoIP is similarly simple: solutions that make use of open source software are less expensive than traditional PBX or Centrex systems and proprietary VoIP solutions.
"Until recently, open source VoIP was seen as a low-end (less than 25 extensions) solution. For high-end uses, there were only proprietary products. But according to Rick Segrist, spokesperson for Digium, a VoIP hardware manufacturer, interest is increasing in open source solutions, mainly from call centers looking to save money. 'I can think of three or four big ones--thousands of people people each,' says Segrist, regarding call centers that have installed open source-based VoIP systems in the last year..."
