Web Resource: Open Source Software

This section of my blog is dedicated to Open source applications over the next few weeks I'll be adding lots of interesting links to various categories of open source software. I realize this may be duplication of services that already exist however I'm keen to keep as many interesting programs together.

In this first article lets introduce you to a brilliant application, Asterisk! Now I realize that this is not aimed at the general public and the software may require some specialist knowledge however there are a few distributions directed at the small business or home user.

Asterisk is the worlds most popular open source IP telephone system, that contains many features that would be expected from high costs proprietary business systems.  Asterisk  is completely free and works on Linux. AsteriskNOW is a lighter distribution that includes everything you will need to get your basic network setup.

Call features

ADSI On-Screen Menu System
Alarm Receiver
Append Message
Authentication
Automated Attendant
Blacklists
Blind Transfer
Call Detail Records
Call Forward on Busy
Call Forward on No Answer
Call Forward Variable
Call Monitoring
Call Parking
Call Queuing
Call Recording
Call Retrieval
Call Routing (DID & ANI)
Call Snooping
Call Transfer
Call Waiting
Caller ID
Caller ID Blocking
Caller ID on Call Waiting
Calling Cards
Conference Bridging
Database Store / Retrieve
Database Integration
Dial by Name
Direct Inward System Access
Distinctive Ring
Distributed Universal Number Discovery (DUNDi™)
Do Not Disturb
E911
ENUM
Fax Transmit and Receive (3rd Party OSS Package)
Flexible Extension Logic
Interactive Directory Listing
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Local and Remote Call Agents
Macros
Music On Hold
Music On Transfer:
- Flexible Mp3-based System
- Random or Linear Play
- Volume Control

Call features

Predictive Dialer
Privacy
Open Settlement Protocol (OSP)
Overhead Paging
Protocol Conversion
Remote Call Pickup
Remote Office Support
Roaming Extensions
Route by Caller ID
SMS Messaging
Spell / Say
Streaming Media Access
Supervised Transfer
Talk Detection
Text-to-Speech (via Festival)
Three-way Calling
Time and Date
Transcoding
Trunking
VoIP Gateways
Voicemail:
- Visual Indicator for Message Waiting
- Stutter Dialtone for Message Waiting
- Voicemail to email
- Voicemail Groups
- Web Voicemail Interface
Zapateller

Computer-Telephony Integration

AGI (Asterisk Gateway Interface)
Graphical Call Manager
Outbound Call Spooling
Predictive Dialer
TCP/IP Management Interface

Scalability

TDMoE (Time Division Multiplex over Ethernet)
Allows direct connection of Asterisk PBX
Zero latency
Uses commodity Ethernet hardware
Voice-over IP
Allows for integration of physically separate installations
Uses commonly deployed data connections
Allows a unified dialplan across multiple offices

Codecs

ADPCM
G.711 (A-Law & μ-Law)
G.722
G.723.1 (pass through)
G.726
G.729 (through purchase of a commercial license)
GSM
iLBC
Linear
LPC-10
Speex

Protocols

IAX™ (Inter-Asterisk Exchange)
H.323
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)
MGCP (Media Gateway Control Protocol
SCCP (Cisco® Skinny®)

Traditional Telephony Interoperability

E&M
E&M Wink
Feature Group D
FXS
FXO
GR-303
Loopstart
Groundstart
Kewlstart
MF and DTMF support
Robbed-bit Signaling (RBS) Types
MFC-R2 (Not supported. However, a patch is available)

PRI Protocols

4ESS
BRI (ISDN4Linux)
DMS100
EuroISDN
Lucent 5E
National ISDN2
NFAS

If you into VoIP this is a must. Visit their site read the technical Specifications,they have a huge volume of help and many other sites give help as well.