“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…”