You're probably wondering what exactly Asterisk is . This open-source project is being talked about by companies of all sizes, as well as some government agencies and call centers for telecommunications companies.
And the truth is that its popularity is totally justified, even more so in times of pandemic, since it can provide many benefits in exchange for nothing , as it is completely free and open source.
What is an IP PBX?
Before explaining what Asterisk is and what it's used for, you should first understand what a telephone exchange is if you don't already know. A telephone exchange is simply a set of hardware and software devices used to centralize all the telephones in an office, building, or area, establishing connections with different users.
In the case of an IP PBX , it's essentially the same, but it uses LAN and WAN networks, employing IP protocols to establish connections. In other words, instead of using traditional telephone networks, it uses VoIP services over the internet.
You've probably had to call government offices, healthcare providers, or companies more than once, only to be put on hold until an agent became available. Or perhaps you've answered a few questions for a virtual assistant that then transferred you to the appropriate department based on your needs. Well, that system is precisely what a telephone switchboard is…
What is Asterisk?
Asterisk is a free and open-source software designed to create communications applications, such as IP telephony systems, VoIP gateways, conference servers, and other custom solutions for your business or organization. That's why it's so widely used by numerous agencies, governments, and companies.
It is under constant development, therefore it is a very dynamic project with ongoing updates and solutions . For all these reasons, it has established itself as one of the leading engines for IP-based PBX systems worldwide.
Although initially created as PBX software, Asterisk later incorporated other components necessary to form a complete and powerful communications system. Furthermore, Asterisk is scalable , another of its strengths if you plan to adapt it to organizations of all sizes, from SMEs needing a simple solution to coordinate incoming and outgoing calls to the most complex call centers.
Unlike traditional telephone systems, it doesn't require upgrading expensive hardware installations . Furthermore, its developers introduce improvements every year to ensure the system requires minimal maintenance and is as stable as possible.
Why is it the world's leading platform?
Asterisk isn't just any platform; it's one of the leaders, as I mentioned earlier. It allows you to create a fully functional PBX based on this project. Furthermore, it has features that set it apart from other similar services:
- Automatic or on-demand call recording function, with advanced voicemail functions.
- Ability for local and remote agents to establish their customer service center anywhere on the planet.
- Automatic attendant for the reception and management of incoming calls.
- System to make and manage call queues effectively between available agents, putting customers on hold and keeping them on hold.
Undoubtedly a great alternative to 3CX in terms of PBX telephony systems.
More information – Official Asterisk website
How can Asterisk help your business?
Asterisk is a very interesting technology for businesses, even if you're self-employed. This is especially true during a pandemic, as it can offer many advantages for adapting to new circumstances and continuing to operate normally. With it, you can transform your PC into a sophisticated VoIP communications server to facilitate telephone support for your customers.
As I mentioned earlier, Asterisk is used in all types of businesses and organizations. From freelancers who already use IP PBXs , to large companies like IBM, Google, governments, etc. In fact, it already has an 18% market share, since it is open source, free, and very powerful.
Asterisk is one of the most feature-rich, scalable, and stable systems available. Best of all, it's available for multiple platforms : GNU/Linux, macOS, BSD, and Windows.
Advantages of Asterisk
When we talk about an IP phone system, or IP PBX, we're referring to one or more SIP phones (clients) and a server, which you can set up with Asterisk on your PC. In other words, the system consists of these two parts: the software and the terminals.
What for? It's quite simple: this allows you to make internal calls using a directory of phones/users on your internal network, or route external calls via VoIP. This way, you can set up your own call center to serve your customers, divide incoming calls by department or employee, and so on.
The advantages of this system implemented by Astreisk are:
- Te will facilitate installation and configuration of your own telephone switchboard, since it is implemented by software, instead of expensive and complex hardware systems.
- Asterisk also allows a easy administration due to its simple and intuitive interface.
- Important savings by using VoIP telephony instead of having to contract expensive conventional telephone services where long distance or international calls are often expensive.
- You will not need to make modifications in your home, in your new position for teleworking, or in your office, since no need for special wiring.
- Being scalable, you can gradually add clients (telephones) so that more departments or operators join the assistance network.
- As it makes your work much easier and allows you to channel calls, route them to the operator that is free at all times, etc., it will save you from having to manually transfer the call and it will greatly improve productivity.
- Asterisk allows the use of SIP phones, which improves the usability.