PBX software Asterisk goes mainstream

Open source private branch exchange (PBX) software Asterisk is moving into the mainstream. The platform is great for businesses looking for free phone upgrades, and telephony suppliers are now cashing in on its popularity, selling Asterisk professional services, peripherals and software extensions at prices as low as one-tenth of the cost of equipment sold by major vendors such as Avaya, Cisco, Nortel, NEC, and Siemens.

The company that owns Asterisk, Digium, plans to release a new version of the software later this year. This upgrade will support much larger deployments.

Digium promises to become a far more influential player this year, as 3Com is making Asterisk available on blade for its multifunction branch-office routers, whilst Japanese company NTT Software is preparing PBX appliances of its own based on Asterisk.

An online Asterisk superstore has also appeared on the scene recently. The VOIP Connection sells Asterisk appliances, phones, headsets, gateways, and other add-ons that are required to set up an Asterisk network.