TMCnet News

Asterisk Users to Get Free Call Management App from Fonality
[March 16, 2006]

Asterisk Users to Get Free Call Management App from Fonality


TMCnet Contributing Editor
 
IP-PBX phone systems provider Fonality announced this week the introduction of Heads-Up Display (HUD), a new call management application that provides businesses with real-time, easy-to-use call control and management features. HUD comes in two versions, the HUDlite, which is a free call management application for the Asterisk Open Source PBX; and the HUDpro, which is an advanced call management application that enhances PBXtra, the company's IP-PBX platform.


 
About Asterisk

 
Asterisk is a complete PBX in software form originally written by Mark Spencer of Digium Inc. The software runs on Linux, BSD and MacOSX and provides all of the features you would expect from a PBX and more. The software does VoIP in many protocols, and can interoperate with almost all standards-based telephony equipment using relatively inexpensive hardware.
 
The software provides voicemail services with directory, call conferencing, interactive voice response and call queuing. It has support for three-way calling, caller ID services, ADSI, SIP and H.323 (as both client and gateway).
 
Asterisk users do not need additional hardware for VoIP.  For interconnection with digital and analog telephony equipment, Asterisk supports a number of hardware devices, most notably all of the hardware manufactured by Asterisk's sponsor Digium. Digium has single and quad span T1 and E1 interfaces for interconnection to PRI lines and channel banks, as well as a single port FXO card and one to four-port modular FXS and FXO card. Also supported are the Internet Line Jack and Internet Phone Jack products from Quicknet.
 
Asterisk also supports a range TDM protocols for the handling and transmission of voice over traditional telephony interfaces. The software supports US and European standard signaling types used in standard business phone systems, allowing it to be the glue that links next generation voice-data integrated networks with existing infrastructure.
 
"The Digium-Fonality relationship is an important one to us," said Spencer. "Fonality's new HUD application provides Asterisk users with an innovative and extremely productive way to improve their operations with call presence awareness and call management." 
 
The HUD seems to be like a presence monitor. Through a color-coded desktop interface, HUD lets employees see when others in the office are on a call, to whom they are talking to and whether calls are internal, external or in a queue. HUDlite, available next month, provides drag-and-drop calling and call controls, call monitoring and barging and on-the-fly recording. HUDpro is currently available and it provides additional features, including advanced multihierarchical permission systems, enterprise-class secure instant messaging (IM), complete integration with PBXtra and configuration and support from Fonality.
 
"We are excited to offer HUDlite to the Asterisk ecosystem in an effort to make their deployments more powerful and user friendly," noted Chris Lyman, Fonality's founder and CEO. "HUDpro provides PBXtra customers with a fully supported version that gives them even greater call management and communications capabilities."
 
HUDlite for the Asterisk Open Source PBX phone system will be available for free in April. It will support Windows XP, Macintosh and Linux desktop operating systems. HUDpro for PBXtra is currently available for $995 for an unlimited seat license that includes full support and configuration. It will be available for Windows XP desktops.
 
Fonality made news back in December when it introduced the PBXtra Softphone, the company's softphone and chat client priced at $49, which includes a bundled Plantronics headset. PBXtra Softphone extends Fonality's suite of mobility features, which currently includes telecommuting, free 4-digit dialing from anywhere in the world and deployment of distributed call centers.
 
PBXtra's suite of mobility features allows small businesses to connect their headquarters with disparate branches and home offices. This will allow local workers, telecommuters and mobile workers to communicate with each other free via 4-digit dialing on the same phone system. Remote users will be able to benefit from features such as unified messaging, caller ID and teleconferencing as if they were in the office. Call forwarding and follow-me services allow calls to be redirected to extensions, pagers, cell phones or other remote phone numbers.
 
PBXtra and PBXtra Softphone are currently available from Fonality or through Fonality resellers. The PBXtra Softphone is currently available for $49 and includes a Plantronics headset. Pricing starts at $995 for the PBXtra Standard Edition server with unlimited licenses and $2,935 for ten phones.
 
Asterisk
Fonality
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Johanne Torres is contributing editor for TMCnet and Internet Telephony magazine. To see more articles by Johanne Torres, please visit Johanne Torres' columnist page.

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