| Voice Over IP or VoIP is the latest buzz word on | | | | users so for a 10 user office you need to secure five |
| everyone's lips. VoIP literally takes your calls and | | | | phone lines which means your system will need to be |
| places them over the internet instead of the traditional | | | | able to support ten concurrent phone lines or VoIP |
| analogue phone network. As a Linux consultant it is my | | | | channels. |
| job to stay up to date on the latest open-source | | | | For a simple 10 user system, with voicemail, an IVR |
| technology, as a VoIP consultant its my job to also | | | | (automated attendant), call conferencing, call |
| stay up to date on the latest commercial and | | | | forwarding, music-on-hold, ring groups, and call queues |
| open-source applications available for my customers. | | | | it is recommended that you use atleast the following |
| Enter the world of Asterisk the open-source PBX by | | | | hardware configuration: |
| Digium, the fastest growing VoIP PBX available for | | | | -AMD 64bit 3800%2B |
| EVERYONE. | | | | -512MB Ram |
| The power of Asterisk is that it can run on common | | | | -250g Drive |
| hardware for a fraction of the cost of a proprietary | | | | As you can see a simple Asterisk system running |
| system. The one drawback link most Linux | | | | Trixbox which will support 10 users requires very |
| open-source applications is that if you aren't a | | | | low-end hardware. Now you need what is called a SIP |
| command line guru and if you don't want to spend | | | | provider, this is a company that will provide you with a |
| hours learning the complicated configuration files an | | | | DID (phone number), and with virtual lines for your |
| Asterisk configuration can be tricky to say the least, | | | | incoming and outgoing phone calls. There are two |
| this is where Trixbox comes to the rescue. | | | | types of VoIP providers on the market today |
| Trixbox, formerly known as the Asterisk@home | | | | "wholesale" and "commercial". A wholesale provider will |
| project makes it possible for anyone to setup and | | | | generally give you a lot of lines 10-100 lines and ONLY |
| configure their very own Asterisk pbx system even if | | | | charge you per minute for the calls you make. |
| they have never installed Linux before. A single CD | | | | This can be a good solution if your 10 users are on the |
| can boot you hardware and install virtually everything | | | | phone all the time making outbound sales calls, the |
| you need to get started with this great application | | | | second type of provider a commercial provider, will |
| including the main feature a web configuration GUI. Not | | | | generally charge you a monthly rate for a specific |
| only are all the tools available to get the system up | | | | number of virtual phone lines. The decision of which |
| and running but a full update engine is included which | | | | type of provider to use really depends on your |
| will allow you to keep your system updated with the | | | | monthly usage, if you make a lot of long distance calls |
| click of a button. | | | | and have employees on the phone all day then a |
| So what exactly do you need to get a Trixbox | | | | wholesale provider might offer the best overall rate for |
| system installed? For the sake of this document we | | | | you, if your employees are only on the phone for a |
| will assume that you need a system that can support | | | | few hours per day then a commercial provider is |
| up to 10 users. First as a general rule, it is | | | | perfect for you. |
| recommended that you secure a ratio of 1:2 lines to | | | | |