A Prelude

                “Asterisk” is “Open Source PBX” telecommunication software, which is supple and can run on various operating systems, for instance, Mac OS X, Open BSD, Windows, and Linux etc. “Asterisk” works with VoIP using four kinds of protocols that in turn, supports almost all the telephone equipments. “Asterisk” has proved to be the “actual” standard for “Voice Switching” along with the “PBX Functions” in “open source” space.
Let us now, discuss the features of the “Asterisk” software.

The pros of “Asterisk”

               “Asterisk” is wrapped up with many remarkable features, which has made it so popular in the industry. The key features of “Asterisk” include the call conferencing; call queuing, voicemail service with directory, the interactive voice response and the caller id facility. The “voice conferencing” of the “Asterisk” allow more than two people to communicate with each other at the same time. To avail all these facilities “Asterisk” requires no additional hardware; rather it only needs a “software driver” to implement the old hardware, and to make it work as a “non-portable” timing system.
            
                  “Asterisk” consents its users to take control of their “phone system”, and that to at very low costs. You can integrate “Asterisk” with business systems or existing PBX with a comfortable development environment. “Asterisk” is not coupled with the “proprietary systems”, which makes it a powerful and flexible “dial plan”.

                  Two versions of the “Asterisk” are available in the market, the “Open Source Edition” and the “Business Edition”.The “Open Source” version comprises of functions, such as, packet data or bridge- switched voice mail, unlimited side conference, VOIP Solution capability and “SIP and IAX” support and many more.The “Business Edition” affixes various other facilities to the “Open Source” version. The Quick-Start Guide, 240 Simultaneous Calls, “Asterisk” Technical Manual Guide, “Commercial License” with Legal Protection, Tech Support for Install and Bug Resolution, Access to Business Edition Portal for One Year, , Free Upgrades and Tech Support for One Year and some special offers for the partner products.

Where withal’s looked-for “Asterisk”

                     To deploy the “Asterisk” in your business environment, you need to know some resources that are required to implement the “Asterisk”. Let us discuss the necessary resources needed for “Asterisk”:

                      To implement a new “Asterisk PBX”, you should first set up a test lab. Second basic need is a strong knowledge of basic networking and the “LINUX System Administration”. Apart from this the other resources required for a minimal setup are:

•  The “Asterisk” server, you need a non-sharable computer with a Pentium III processor or equivalent, a network interface card, a 10 GB hard drive as well as a 256 MB RAM.
•  Two PCs working as Client computers equipped with soft phones, network cards, speakers and microphones or headsets and the sound cards.
•  A switch or else a hub are required to connect the 3 computers, i.e., the server and the 2 client PCs.
•  Maintain a backup of the required data, as the installation of “Asterisk” will entirely overwrite the hard drive.
•  You may try for the hardware, for instance, the analog phone adapters, IP phones or any other type of server interfaces.
•  Apart from the hardware, you also need software. “Asterisk@Home” is one of the latest versions of “Asterisk” software that is perfect for the corporate environment. The “Asterisk@Home” superfluities some of the features-
        -> “Asterisk PBX”
        ->“Asterisk Management Panel”, a web-based graphical interface that contains numerous configuration files, which in turn will save the time and intelligence largely.
        -> “Flash Operator Panel” is a “Flash-based” real-time monitor, for examining as well as administrating all the “PBX” activities.

                   The “Asterisk@Home” is yet to strip-down for the domestic users. Its available features are best suited to solve the industry purposes.    

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