System information

Complexity
Open systems require new approaches to solution design. Just because the hardware
and software are cheap doesn’t mean the solution will be. Asterisk does not come out
of the box ready to run; an Asterisk system has to be designed and built, and then
maintained. While the base software is free, and the hardware costs will be based on
commodity pricing, it is fair to say that the configuration costs for a highly customized
system will be a sizable part of the overall solution cost. In fact, in many cases, because
of Asterisk’s high degree of complexity and configurability, the cost will be more than
would be expected with a traditional PBX.
The rule of thumb is generally considered to be something like this: if it can be done
in the dialplan, the system design will be roughly the same as for any similarly featured
traditional PBX. Beyond that, only experience will allow one to accurately estimate the
time required to build a system.
There is much to learn.
Opportunities
Open source telephony creates limitless opportunities. Here are some of the more
compelling ones.
Tailor-made private telecommunications networks
Some people will tell you that price is the key, but we believe that the real reason Asterisk
will succeed is because it is now possible to build a telephone system as one would a
website: with complete, total customization of each and every facet of the system. Cus-
tomers have wanted this for years. Only Asterisk can deliver.
Low barrier to entry
Anyone can contribute to the future of communicating. It is now possible for someone
with an old $200 PC to develop a communications system that has the intelligence to
rival the most expensive proprietary systems. Granted, the hardware would not be
production-ready, but there is no reason the software couldn’t be. This is one of the
reasons why closed systems will have a hard time competing. The sheer number of
people who have access to the required equipment is impossible to equal in a
closed shop.
Hosted solutions of similar complexity to corporate websites
The design of a PBX was always a kind of art form, but before Asterisk, the art lay in
finding creative ways to overcome the limitations of the technology. With limitless
technology, those same creative skills can now be properly applied to the task of com-
pletely answering the needs of the customer. Open source telephony engines such as
Asterisk will enable this. Telecom designers will dance for joy, as their considerable
594 | Chapter 27: Asterisk: A Future for Telephony