VoIP Phone Systems - Asterisk

• Author: DigitalMind
• Filed under: Techie Toys'n'Games
• Date: Jan 21,2008

For those of you who don’t know, i’m a phone technician in Montreal, Quebec. I install Meridian Norstar Phone systems made by Nortel. I have been installing these for over 10 years. This phone system is a GREAT phone system, however times are changing ; People have remote offices, tele-workers, blackberries etc , and VoIP is looking better and better.

Until now, computer networks and phone systems were two totally different systems. Now, they’re merging into one.

Asterisk, is a FREE, opensource software to make your own phone system. It has been around for many years, and at this point has proven itself to be reliable and flexible. Asterisk allows enterprise level PBX solutions to be available to the average small business at a fraction of the cost of regular proprietary PBX systems that have been available on the market until now.

Here are some of the key features of Asterisk Based phone systems :

1) Automated Attendant with Voicemail boxes for every user.
2) Roaming Extensions : Individuals are given an extension number rather than phones having an extension. A person logs into the phone in the morning (using a PIN) and all calls to their extension are then routed through to that phone.
3) Spell/Say : The ability to have the ‘text’ read or spelt to the caller. E.g. read out an email.
4) Follow-Me : Calls to your extension can first ring your deskphone, then your cell, then your home phone until it “finds you”
5) CTI : Computer Telephony Integration : Receive your voicemail messages by email, use your computer address book to dial your phone, and much much more in this department!

Keep in mind, these are just a FEW of the features that I think are really fun. This system has all the usual things phone systems have : Paging, conference calls, transfers, Music on Hold, Company Directory, etc … Until now, phone systems and voicemail systems were 2 different boxes that worked together, but are sold seperately. For the same price, this system has voicemail built in.

Many people confuse a VoIP Phone system with a VoIP Phone line, or “trunk”. It’s important to understand the difference.

A VoIP Phone Line, or Trunk, (Or any phone LINE) is the equivalent of a phone line from your local phone company in the sense that it connects you to the outside world and to any phone line connected to the worldwide telephone grid. The only difference between a Voip phone line and a regular phone line (in regards to this particular topic that is) is the way it is brought into the building and connected to your phone system.

A VoIP Phone system, (or any phone system) is basically your own private mini phone company box. You don’t supply LINES, you supply SETS, or Extensions to the users. A phone system will allow you to call anyone else connected to that phone system and use a number of features. A Voip Phone system is the same idea as the typical phone systems you see now, except it’s totally computer driven and the phones themselves are essentially mini computers that use IP addresses and all.

You may think i’ve been going on a little much about this, but it’s for a reason. Obviously, all office phone systems need to be connected to phone LINES (from the local telephone company) in order to be able to call any phone that’s not connected to your own system. Voip Phone systems are great. Voip Phone lines however, still leave much to be desired. Most offices computer networks run at ATLEAST 100 m/bits, the actual connection to the internet however is usually 6-7 m/bits. (Small / Medium sized businesses). Since Voip Phone lines are provided via your internet connection, i’ve often noticed it can get choppy during calls if the internet connection is struggling to keep up with other people’s internet traffic. Also, if your internet connection is lost, so are all your phone lines. Business owners tend to frown when that happens.

SO, I say the time for Asterisk is NOW ! If you’re in need of a new phone system, and are ready to go VoiP, I’ve added a link in the Blogroll for a place to go. Tell them TechieNATION sent you. HOWEVER, don’t go Voip for your phone lines. Stick with the typical analog lines from your local telco (Still compatible with Asterisk) or if you have LOTS of lines get PRI’s from the local telephone company. (a PRI is a digital connection from the phone company that is the equivalent of 23 phone lines and has lots of extra features that can be done on them, Like “Virtual phone numbers” for all your internal extensions) Montreal VoiP Knows all of this anyways.

Thanks for reading, please visit Techie Nation . Com for techie articles !

Contact Montreal Voip for sales information on asterisk boxes that have been put together with all the compatible hardware necessary for your system ! (Including the cards for PRI Connections and Analog Lines to connect to the outside, which is one of the trickiest parts!)

Contact TELiNPHO Communications (well, ME) for sales and free tech support for anything Norstar Related. (Feature Codes, programming, troubleshooting, sales, installation, training)

If you have any questions please leave a comment, or email digitalmind @ techienation . com