Today was quite a day. Costco came in to provide free food - not the 'good for you' kind but it was good with a strong cup of coffee from Aroma's, the coffee shop at Digium.
We had our usual meetings and then we discussed some new programs we are planning and getting ready for promoting Switchvox, an Asterisk-based powerful business phone system. This SOHO and SMB VoIP product family is unreal. It's now our standard business IP PBX at Digium. We each use the Switchboard, which provides an interface directly to Salesforce.com and Googlemaps, so when a call comes in thats in my data base it brings up their record plus places a pin on Google maps from caller id location. Check it out - here are some screenshots: http://www.switchvox.com/sv?cmd=screenshots. here is a presence based receptionist screen: http://www.switchvox.com/sv?cmd=screenshots. And many user and admin screens are located at this URL.
There is also a free version to try - enjoy: http://www.switchvox.com/sv?page=free_edition
This new article talks about an Asterisk-based PBX, but this customer is talking about his Switchvox system: http://vonmag.com/editorial/whatworks/grinding-out-a-phone-solution
Enjoy reading the information at the above links. This system deserves your attention. Powerful, advanced web 2.0 mashups, and a great business phone system based on Asterisk and IP.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Calling All Asterisk Appliances
It is pretty amazing how many people and companies have created Asterisk-based appliances since Digium created the Asterisk Appliance, currently named the AA50. The first of many Digium appliances, some solid state and some purpose-built server appliances, the AA50 set the bar in which everyone chases. Some are bigger, some are smaller, some have analog ports for gateway functionality to PSTNs and some are pure IP. It does not matter what they have but the SMB consumer gains choices based on open source Asterisk.
As the global leader in open source telephony, we pave the way for others to follow and proliferate the market along with Digium allowing customers freedom of choice.
A recent Network World blog written by Matthew Nickasch and entitled, "Appliances Run Amok" (http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/25408) explored the Appliance concept. Check out this highly electrified thread.
Back from Vacation
Hello all, it's been a while as I took some time in Thailand on vacation before getting back into it all. You may have seen some blog action this week and I will address that in a follow-on piece. If you've never been to Thailand, you're missing some very interesting experiences:
- great people
- great hosts
- outstanding golf
- food out of this word!
- terrific real estate
In Udon Thani near the Laos border, seen with wife and friends (I have the coffee in hand) we found beer, ice cream and coffee. The trip was terrific. Udon, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai were on the agenda and we visited the Grand Palace, the Summer Palace, many shopping places where you can also see the Thai people make silver, lacquerware, jewelry, silk and several things. A group of over 20 of us celebrated our friend's 40th wedding anniversary. The top picture is the scene of the anniversary party at our friends' village. Once in a lifetime trip!
Getting back this week was great and we are now readying Digium Asterisk World at VON in San Jose and VoiceCon in Orlando.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Quite a Week thanks to Google
As I sit here watching the Patriots-Chargers game, I reflect this past week. I can tell you I am proud to be part of the Digium executive team. We had the Google AdWord debacle this week. Read more at http://blogs.digium.com. If you are on the asterisk-biz mailing list you'd have seen the unforeseen issues caused by the approach Digium took that had to be changed a day or two later. Danny Windham, our CEO, published our relaxed policy Friday night and Saturday I posted a FAQ for further details and clarification of the most anticipated questions.
Our listening to the Asterisk community combined with our sense of urgency to do the right thing makes Digium the leader it is in both open source and VoIP.
This past week has got me thinking just how powerful Google has become. Although many of us use Google for searches every day, and use Google for marketing campaigns this has really shown us how much power has moved to Google's business model. We learned how effective their AdWords can be and how ineffective their internal process is to handle it. The reason why? Because their is so much going on with these types of situations everywhere. That is why they could not commit to turn-around time even though they say they understand our sense of urgency. Imagine how much money they actually make on AdWords. We knew there was a lot of business use/and misuse or our marks, but were truly blown away at the end of the day how many folks purchased AdWords.
Does this Google power bother anyone? If businesses go to Google to become their corporate email/calendaring system, what happens when you have a problem, will this also be ineffective? It certainly brings up a comparison of the effectiveness of customer support for Google's good products. Will it always be slow support and/or lack of sense of urgency for business? I don't know yet. But I would be concerned. We will see how fast they follow through with our current request. I will keep you all updated here as many of us do care. Maybe tomorrow it's fixed. Maybe next week. Who knows.
This is just food for thought. Nothing more, nothing less, but since we learned from this why not more of us learn from it. Happy surfing and will see you at IT Expo this week. Know what time it is? Patriots 14, Chargers 6.
Our listening to the Asterisk community combined with our sense of urgency to do the right thing makes Digium the leader it is in both open source and VoIP.
This past week has got me thinking just how powerful Google has become. Although many of us use Google for searches every day, and use Google for marketing campaigns this has really shown us how much power has moved to Google's business model. We learned how effective their AdWords can be and how ineffective their internal process is to handle it. The reason why? Because their is so much going on with these types of situations everywhere. That is why they could not commit to turn-around time even though they say they understand our sense of urgency. Imagine how much money they actually make on AdWords. We knew there was a lot of business use/and misuse or our marks, but were truly blown away at the end of the day how many folks purchased AdWords.
Does this Google power bother anyone? If businesses go to Google to become their corporate email/calendaring system, what happens when you have a problem, will this also be ineffective? It certainly brings up a comparison of the effectiveness of customer support for Google's good products. Will it always be slow support and/or lack of sense of urgency for business? I don't know yet. But I would be concerned. We will see how fast they follow through with our current request. I will keep you all updated here as many of us do care. Maybe tomorrow it's fixed. Maybe next week. Who knows.
This is just food for thought. Nothing more, nothing less, but since we learned from this why not more of us learn from it. Happy surfing and will see you at IT Expo this week. Know what time it is? Patriots 14, Chargers 6.
Monday, January 14, 2008
IT Expo in Miami, FL
We are getting ready to go to IT Expo. It's been relatively easy this time around as we have a small group attending and working our booth; our goals are to continue to show how great Switchvox SOHO and SMB solutions are and we will have the AA50 Asterisk Appliance to show those who like this form factor in small business and remote office situations.
We will show off some new products so stop by and visit us.
Digium and 3Com are on a panel together Wednesday 1/25 at 11:00 AM to update the audience on the state of open source; the presentation will show the "big picture" of complete open source infrastructure solutions and Asterisk IP Telephony as the voice application. It will be informative.
Miami is also a lot warmer than the Northeast. Of course parts of the NE are hot - especially New England where the Patriots are blazing new trails in uncharted territory - 17 and 0 and counting; to go for yet another record!
Many of us watched the entertaining NFL playoffs this past weekend. Yes, there are football fans aplenty in Huntsville. Now we have an AFC Championship game between the Pats (my hometown) and San Diego (Switchvox's home)! No one seemed to care about the Packers and Giants. Maybe I just don't see it.
Check our corporate blog this week for new product information.
http://blogs.digium.com/
................bill
We will show off some new products so stop by and visit us.
Digium and 3Com are on a panel together Wednesday 1/25 at 11:00 AM to update the audience on the state of open source; the presentation will show the "big picture" of complete open source infrastructure solutions and Asterisk IP Telephony as the voice application. It will be informative.
Miami is also a lot warmer than the Northeast. Of course parts of the NE are hot - especially New England where the Patriots are blazing new trails in uncharted territory - 17 and 0 and counting; to go for yet another record!
Many of us watched the entertaining NFL playoffs this past weekend. Yes, there are football fans aplenty in Huntsville. Now we have an AFC Championship game between the Pats (my hometown) and San Diego (Switchvox's home)! No one seemed to care about the Packers and Giants. Maybe I just don't see it.
Check our corporate blog this week for new product information.
http://blogs.digium.com/
................bill
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Happy Holidays and Get Ready for More Exciting Times
As the year comes to an end, the open source world of IP Telephony is booming and making a move on traditional suppliers. Open source Asterisk is not alone in this mission. As we move into 2008, you will see other new players in telephony. What will we experience a year from now? Will people be running their mission critical phone systems on Microsoft or open source Asterisk from Digium or some other Asterisk-based distribution? Will it be Google? Yahoo? Will they continue to select traditional solutions from traditional telephony players? Can consumer VoIP move into the higher demands of business?
Welcome to the 2008 emerging market changes and battlefield. Is your phone system like your search engine? Is it like your home page? What drives your decisions, price - features - simplicity - brand? Do you even care?
Think about it - Who would have predicted YouTube? Facebook? Myspace? IM? Texting? Twitter? Get with it - the business telephony world is changing. It's going to take longer than a consumer movement, but it is in the process of happening. Over the year we will discuss this more.
Welcome to the 2008 emerging market changes and battlefield. Is your phone system like your search engine? Is it like your home page? What drives your decisions, price - features - simplicity - brand? Do you even care?
Think about it - Who would have predicted YouTube? Facebook? Myspace? IM? Texting? Twitter? Get with it - the business telephony world is changing. It's going to take longer than a consumer movement, but it is in the process of happening. Over the year we will discuss this more.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
YCMTSU
One of my favorite sayings. At Digium this week is our NYU guest following a trip to NYU by Mark Spencer and some of the key developers. Soon, you will see a new element of Asterisk you have not seen ever before. The developers are actually using the new Digium building as a backdrop.
Trust me, this falls into the category of "You Can't Make This Stuff Up!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fun Days at Digium.
Oh, and I caught Mark in his hammock in his office today! He had to move while Jeffrey installed a new shelf to house all his junk. Mark just has so much fun!!!!!!!!
Trust me, this falls into the category of "You Can't Make This Stuff Up!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fun Days at Digium.
Oh, and I caught Mark in his hammock in his office today! He had to move while Jeffrey installed a new shelf to house all his junk. Mark just has so much fun!!!!!!!!
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