Developer Tools and Software for PBX Systems

Businesses and providers alike now have two options when choosing tools and software for their phone system. Just to note, different application and software developer tools now fall in two categories: Asterisk and Non-Asterisk.

Asterisk-Based:
Asterisk is considered as the best software for PBX systems because of its free nature and rich features. The following lists are few of the add-ons and tools that can be utilized together with Asterisk.

• Asterisk-Perl Modules – modules in the form of Perl scripts are widely supported on Asterisk and developed by the Open Source community.
• AstLinux – a Gentoo Linux flavored OS (Operating System) with pre-installed Asterisk.
• AstWind – a Windows version of Asterisk implemented only for evaluation.
• AMP (Asterisk Management Portal) – a PHP/Perl and web-based PBX phone system interface for Asterisk utilizing MySQL database.
• JAsterisk – is a Java-based phone system interface for Asterisk.
• LDAPGet (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol Get) – these are modules that can be customized and configured for multi-server setups, lookups, dial-plans, etc.
• TAFM (The Asterisk Fax Manager) – a fax add-on that making use of Python scripts.

Non-Asterisk Based:
These are add-ons and tools that can be used in other platforms like MacOS X, Solaris, etc.

• Bayonne – a GNU (GNU is Not Unix) telecommunication server.
• Envox – commercial tools using Intel’s telephony products.
• IDP (Intel Diagnostic Products) – are gateways and interface cards for telephony applications.
• Open H.323 – an open-source version of the protocols recommended by the ITU (International Telecommunication Union).
• SER (Session Initiation Protocol Express Router) – another open-source server from IPTel.
• VOCAL (Vovida Open Community Application Library) – are open-source modules use for building telephony frameworks for IP PBX, virtual PBX or VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol).
• VOCP (VoiceXML Open Core Protocol) – Perl-based modules for adding IVR (Interactive Voice Response), fax and messaging functions.

A Glossary of the Most Common Virtual PBX System Features

Planning to acquire a virtual PBX system is a nice decision to help the business provide better customer service and support. To help the subscriber better understand the PBX system jargon below is a list of the most common features that are most likely to be encountered:

Auto-Attendant – automatically redirect a caller to an extension without the intervention of a human operator.

Call Blocking – allows a user to block any phone number.

Call Forwarding – redirect a caller to another destination if the called party is unavailable or otherwise unattended.

Call Screening – a process for evaluating an incoming call before actually answering it.

Call Transfer – enables the relocation of an ongoing call to another number or extension.

Caller ID – provides caller information (name, number or location) to the called party's device display.

Click to Call – converts web traffic into phone calls by embedding the phone number to a web page link that a visitor can click.

Custom Greeting – a message or music that is used in a voicemail, on-hold message, etc.

Dial by Name  – a system that announces a menu of directory extensions to the caller. Often associated with an auto-attendant.

Fax on Demand – a computer-based voice and fax service that lets callers retrieve hardcopy of documents easily.

Internet Fax – a new method of sending and receiving a facsimile via the internet.

Message Alerts – provides alerts via SMS or e-mail whenever new messages arrives.

Music on Hold – a feature that plays a music or message to a caller while waiting on hold.

Online Management – a management system included with a hosted PBX system for easy online configuration.

Voice mail – a feature for recording messages on a centralized system for later retrieval.

The Online Business Plus – a Complete Hosted PBX System

With today's advanced phone and fax systems, a business can be readily equipped to have an intelligent telecommunication. With affordable pricing, a feature-packed hosted PBX system also eliminates the need to purchase additional telecommunication hardware or equipments.

This modern PBX system, also called an IP phone system, is a phone system that a business can lease or rent, from a hosting provider, on a contractual basis. In short all the necessary components resides on the hosting provider's premise. What the subscriber's needs to do is simply focus on its business operation.

A hosted PBX solution has more advantage than a hardware based PBX system. Being hosted means that every communication is routed to and from the subscriber and hosting provider. In terms of cost and benefits this system is cheaper to operate, easy to install and quick up time.

In addition to the cost and benefits, different hosted PBX providers even packed their system plans with far more features that will truly benefit a business. One plan that is worthy to mention is the Online Business Plus plan from a top caliber provider. At $24.99 per month a business can enjoy the included 500 minutes with ten extensions. Excess minutes are then charged at 5.99 cents each minute. A program included also acts as the control center for accessing all the telecommunication features via the computer thus making it a complete system suitable to any business.

Hosted systems maybe advantageous, flexible and cheaper to operate but as the numbers of users grows the cost advantages may disappear as well.