System information

The Asterisk Documentation Project
The Asterisk Documentation Project was started by Leif Madsen and Jared Smith, but
several people in the community have contributed.
The goal of the documentation project is to provide a structured repository of written
work on Asterisk. In contrast with the flexible and ad hoc nature of the Wiki, the
Docs project is passionate about building a more focused approach to various
Asterisk-related subjects.
As part of the efforts of the Asterisk Docs project to make documentation available
online, this book is available at the http://www.asteriskdocs.org website, under a Cre-
ative Commons license.
The Business Case
It is very rare to find businesses these days that do not have to reinvent themselves every
few years. It is equally rare to find a business that can afford to replace its communi-
cations infrastructure each time it goes in a new direction. Today’s businesses need
extreme flexibility in all of their technology, including telecom.
In his book Crossing the Chasm (HarperBusiness), Geoffrey Moore opines, “The idea
that the value of the system will be discovered rather than known at the time of instal-
lation implies, in turn, that product flexibility and adaptability, as well as ongoing
account service, should be critical components of any buyer’s evaluation checklist.”
What this means, in part, is that the true value of a technology is often not known until
it has been deployed.
How compelling, then, to have a system that holds at its very heart the concept of
openness and the value of continuous innovation.
Conclusion
So where to begin? Well, when it comes to Asterisk, there is far more to talk about than
we can fit into one book. This book can only lay down the basics, but from this foun-
dation you will be able to come to an understanding of the concept of Asterisk—and
from that, who knows what you will build?
8 | Chapter 1: A Telephony Revolution