Open Source > VoIPEssentials

Move over proprietary telephony systems. Australian engineer David Rowe started the Free Telephony Project three years ago to build an affordable IP-PABX system out of free hardware and software. That’s right, the design of the Free Telephony Project IP-PABX is open for any interested person to review and improve. With the first Free Telephony Project products now available and in use world-wide, Rowe hopes it will go along way to improving the availability of voice services in developing nations. In this edition of Open Source Identity, TechWorld interviews Rowe to uncover the burgeoning business of open product development.

When TV production company FremantleMedia Australia had an opportunity to move to IP telephony during an office refurbishment, the open source Asterisk proved itself to offer everything required and more for the 150-plus handset deployment.

Despite building a working IP telephony system based on the open source Asterisk PABX, a Sydney marketing company recommends staying clear of the 'immature' technology for at least another year.

Linux and open source IP telephony system, trixbox Pro, is now available in Australia and New Zealand and is being touted as an enterprise-grade phone system for between five and 500 extensions.

When three ISPs in South Australia were looking to add voice services to their portfolio and reduce running costs, they embarked on a VoIP infrastructure project using open source software.

Telephony has at last become an IT product, claimed Nortel as it announced SCS500, an open source-based unified communications suite for small and mid-sized businesses.