Source: www.voip-news.com

Virtual Hosting Blog ranks the top 50 open source VoIP applications . . . Check it out here.

The VoIP Weblog tells us about Qik: a program that lets you upload and stream realtime video from certain phones . . . how cool. And it recently captured a marriage proposal. Find out more here.

The OTHER VoIP News tells us about ShoreTel and IBM collaborating on a unified communications solution. Read about it here.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Virtual Hosting Blog ranks the top 50 open source VoIP apps.

LucaFiligheddu fills us in on Mozilla Messaging and VoIP integration.

And The VoIP Weblog shares 50 Ways to do VoIP Open-Source.

Source: www.virtualhosting.com

For many businesses, open source VoIP programs and apps offer a great way to save thousands of dollars every year in telephony costs. Better yet, open source programs are fully customizable to a business’ specific needs, making them a popular solution that often just can’t be beat. This popularity hasn’t just helped business, but has also driven many open source programs to the forefront of their industry. In fact, it has been speculated that open source VoIP solutions could surpass the popularity of the ubiquitous desktop solution Linux. Here are a few of the open source programs and developers out there that have had loads of success as VoIP and open source solutions for it become more and more common in businesses around the world.

SIP Proxies

SIP Proxies enable service providers to build scalable and reliable VoIP networks that are based on the Session Initiation Protocol. This allows a full array of call routing capabilities that make the most of network performance. Here are some of the most popular and successful SIP proxies on the market.

1. OpenSer: OpenSER has been described as a “mature and flexible” SIP server so it’s no surprise that it’s popular among users. OpenSER development began with FhG FOKUS SIP Express Router, but then diverged into its own feature-laden software package that was released in 2005. Since then it’s been exhibited around the world, and makes a great addition to Linux systems looking to employ VoIP technology.
2. VOCAL: Open source VoIP developers can benefit from the software and tools found in VOCAL. Developed through the Cisco sponsored labs at Vovida, VOCAL is fully customizable to business needs and can provide call routing, billing information, call control and more in an easy to control and maintain Linux based system. It’s been successful due largely in part to its immense capability for adaptation and scalability, and likely will only see further integration into business systems in the future.
3. partySIP: Developed back when VoIP was just starting to take off, partySIP can still be a relevant solution for businesses looking for VoIP today. This lies largely in the modular construction of partySIP, which relies on various plugins to add or remove capabilities. This flexibility allows its users to disable useless functions and enable new ones with very little development, making it easy to use and customize, which is likely the reason for users’ continued interest in the product.
4. SIP Express Router: This high performance SIP product can act as registrar, proxy or redirect server depending on your needs. It’s been widely successful in the VoIP market due to its ability to deal easily with operational problems like broken network components. Another reason it’s loved is its scalability from small office environments to acting as a PBX replacement and can in many cases act as a replacement for the very popular Asterisk system.
5. MjServer: One of the things that makes MjServer so important to the VoIP market is that it works on a variety of platforms, not just Linux, so those who aren’t quite ready to take the fully fledged open source route can ease into it. MjServer is a Java based application that is easily configurable and can act as a registrar, redirect or proxy in your VoIP setup, making it a versatile and useful tool for implementation.
6. OpenSBC: OpenSBC has been in use for over 7 years in both low and high volume applications. In this way, it’s a very reliable system, but also still employs a great deal of possibility for expansion and modification based on personal needs for the program. In fact, like most open source VoIP applications, the developers actively encourage the changing and development of the program to make it better for all users.
7. sipX: Developed by SIPFoundry, sipX is designed to be an incredibly feature rich and standards compliant infrastructure for businesses who want to employ VoIP technology. It is, in fact, one of the most widely used and well respected open source developments out there and feature wise is very similar to Asterisk.

SIP Clients

Session Initiation Protocol is a signaling protocol for Internet conferencing, telephony, presence, events notification and instant messaging, and is fast becoming one of the more popular protocols for VoIP in businesses and homes alike. Here are a few programs that have helped bring SIP to the forefront of the market.

8. Linphone: Linphone is promoted as a solution to help users communicate more freely over the Internet using voice, video and text messaging. Recent updates to the program have made it even better, solving many compilation issues while adding improved interoperability and new features. While currently only stable on Linux systems, development is under way for a Windows version as well.
9. PhoneGaim: If you haven’t heard of PhoneGaim you’ve likely heard of its proprietary counterpart Gizmo Project. While it doesn’t have the instant name recognition of its VoIP cousin Gizmo, PhoneGaim is still a product to take note of. Developed in an attempt to challenge Skype, the program is loaded with integrated features that help make the VoIP experience rewarding, even for those just using the software at home.
10. OpenWengo: Started and developed by the French company, Wengo, OpenWengo is a great, and popular, open source choice for anyone looking for simple and easy-to-use VoIP software. This softphone program allows users to call between computers and phones, and has additional instant messaging and contact management capabilities. The recent development of a Firefox plugin that allows users to make calls quickly and simply from their browsers is just one example of the continued innovation and popularity of this multi-featured program.
11. Cockatoo: Users of Thunderbird have Cockatoo to thank for simple VoIP integration with their email. The program allows users to make a call simply by clicking on entries in their address book. It’s simplicity and aim to make VoIP more fully integrated into business systems has made it a popular addition to business and personal computers.
12. Minisip: Minsip is an Internet based phone that can be used to make phone calls, instant message and video call to anyone connected to the same SIP network. Developed by PhD and masters students at Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Minisip is a simple by highly functional VoIP phone. Users can even make calls from PDAs or pocket PCs running Windows or Linux, making VoIP on the road easy and cheap.
13. OpenZoep: Developed by Voipster, OpenZoep is a popular client-side VoIP choice, providing the ability to both make calls and send and receive instant messages. Since its release, developers have continually added new features, especially from users in Europe, where the product was first developed. Continued changes and a responsive market have made OpenZoep a popular solution both here and abroad.
14. Shtoom: Shtoom is a open-source, cross-platform VoIP softphone, implemented in Python which also includes an application called doug which can be used to write and modify VoIP applications. This built-in framework for modification encourages customization, one of the reasons open source software is so popular.
15. Twinkle: Linux users have embraced the softphone Twinkle for making VoIP calls through an SIP protocol. Twinkle is a great solution for many users as it provides many, if not more, of the features found in regular telephony including custom ring tones, voice mail, conference calling, and multiple lines. These features, in addition to its open source usability, make Twinkle a popular choice among Linux users.
16. YeaPhone: YeaPhone is unique among open source VoIP systems in that it hopes to take the computer monitor and keyboard completely out of the picture when making VoIP calls, opting instead to use the Yealink USB headset. This makes it more similar to many commercially available phone systems, and a popular choice among users searching for an open source alternative to those systems.

H.323 Clients

H.323 is the traditional protocol for most VoIP systems which has been continually refined with new elements to help improve voice and video quality. These popular VoIP clients make the most of what H.323 is capable of.

17. YATE: The YATE system relies on its ability to adapt to the conditions in which it’s being used. A flexible routing engine allows communications to be made efficiently and cheaply, both often big concerns to businesses when choosing VoIP platforms. It’s easily combined and expanded with other services making it an incredible versatile and successful tool in the VoIP market.
18. FreeSWITCH: FreeSWITCH is “an open source telephony platform designed to facilitate the creation of voice and chat driven products scaling from a soft-phone up to a soft-switch.” This ability to work both as a soft phone and a soft switch depending on the needs of the users makes it an attractive and intriguing option for many searching for VoIP technology. It’s even been touted as a viable alternative to using Asterisk, as many plugins and modules are available that don’t require reworking the main program code.
19. Eikga: Formerly known as GnomeMeeting, Ekiga is an open source VoIP and video conferencing program that was developed for the Linux GNOME platform. It has a relatively simple interface, but gains one major advantage with users in that it works with both the H.323 protocol as well as with SIP, giving it double the functionality for users.
20. OpenPhone: The original goal of OpenPhone was to enable every computer on the planet with phone capabilities. While this lofty goal may still be a ways off from completion, the OpenPhone software is still making strides in that direction. With an active development community, OpenPhone is a great place to find open source inspiration and functionality.
21. XMeeting: Mac users need not despair, there are great open source alternatives for you as well, like XMeeting. XMeeting is the first H.323 compatible video conferencing client for Mac OS X, and not only supports H.323 but SIP as well. This functional versatility has made it a great solution for businesses primarily using Macs but also wanting to make the most of VoIP technology.

IAX Clients

IAX stands for inter-Asterisk exchange and programs using this protocol are used to enable VoIP connections between servers as well as to facilitate client-server communication. Here are a few of the most popular of these applications.

22. IAXComm: IAXComm is a multi-platform softphone that works with Asterisk to allow users to place and receive VoIP calls. With features like music on hold and speakerphone, it is a great addition to an Asterisk system for businesses looking for VoIP technology.
23. Kiax: Kiax relies on the IAX protocol to help it make it friendlier to users behind a NAT, or a router system that rewrites the source and/or destination IP addresses of IP packets as they pass through. Kiax maintains a simple interface that allows users to make calls to an Asterisk server quickly and easily, helping speed the spread of VoIP implementation both in homes and businesses.
24. YakaPhone: YakaPhone is a simple and skinnable softphone. It is often a great solution for businesses looking for VoIP technology that is relatively simple but also easy to customize and use for day to day business. Businesses can even customize the phone skins to reflect company logos and branding, making it a more personalized experience.
25. SFLPhone: For those with busy or especially large offices, SFLPhone is often one of the best IAX options as it was designed to handle high loads of daily phone calls. New partnerships should take it even further into the enterprise sector, as it has been announced that video conferencing is in the works.

PBX and IVR Platforms

PBX, or private branch exchange refers to a the telephone operating systems of a business or office, rather than those established for public use. Part of those systems might include Interactive Voice Response, which allows the computer to detect voice and touch tones to route phone calls to the appropriate menus or locations. These VoIP programs have taken the lead in those technologies.

26. Asterisk: Asterisk is perhaps the greatest open source VoIP success story of them all. It is the leading open source telephony engine and tool kit and is used in thousands of servers and VoIP setups all over the world. What makes it so great? The standard system supports many features available in proprietary PBX system like voice mail, conference calling, interactive voice response, and automatic call distribution but also has the versatility to be adapted and personalized based on business or individual needs.
27. OpenPBX: Developed by Australian company Voicetronix, OpenPBX is a popular solution both with small offices and with large call centers. With features like unlimited voicemail, auto-attendant, automatic call distribution, music on hold and call parking it’s easy to see why. It also has the advantage of highly compact Perl code, meaning it’s very easy to customize and extend.
28. GNU Bayonne: An integral part of GNU telephony, Bayonne offers users technology that is not only free but scalable and customizable as well. Working with the complete suite of GNU enterprise solutions, Bayonne can be an easy way for users to integrate with telephony and provides a great VoIP solution for many.
29. CT Server: CT Server is based on the ccscript language developed by David Sugar for the IVR server Bayonne as well as Perl for other tasks like database lookup. CT Server has been great resource for developers looking for framework for customizing or creating their own PBX quickly and creatively.
30. sipX PBX: One of the main competitors to Asterisk, the sipX PBX and Asterisk are often compared. In contrast with Asterisk’s complete open source approach, sipX has a bit more of a commercial flair, as additional support and plugins can be purchased from the developers website. But sipX, once installed on your system, can provide much of the same functionality and in some cases might even be easier to use.
31. Trixbox: Fast becoming one of the most popular Asterisk based PBX phone systems, Trixbox has seen loads of success in the past few years from businesses and enterprises searching for a VoIP solution. Designed for businesses with anywhere from 2 to 500 employees, the product comes in a few different versions.
32. Evolution PBX: Evolution is another, more commercial application based on the open source server Asterisk. Basic editions of the software are free, however, and can be downloaded from the developers site. Evolution has been instrumental in helping solve one of the major obstacles to many businesses implementing VoIP as it makes integrating existing phone systems with newer VoIP systems easier, making the change much more cost effective for businesses, a key selling point for any VoIP product.
33. CallWeaver: Originally derived from Asterisk, CallWeaver works on many different platforms and with new versions being released regularly it has a growing list of features. CallWeaver was developed as an alternative form of Asterisk that encourages community involvement and employs multiple vendors who drive the project rather than just one working for a single interest. This open-minded approach to open source VoIP has won the program many fans who believe that it’s already better than other versions of Asterisk.

Stacks and Libraries

Stacks and libraries are an integral part of what makes open source such powerful technology. Using these resources, businesses or individuals can develop and refine VoIP systems that work best for their business. These are just a few of these such resources that have had a big impact on VoIP development.

34. OpenSIPStack: OpenSIPStack provides developers with a platform agnostic stack implementation of RFC 3261 so that development can be done in Linux, Solaris, BSD, Darwin and Windows. This versatility has made it an ideal choice for developers wanting to work in a variety of platforms.
35. The GNU oSIP Library: Developers wanting to work with SIP have found just about everything they need in this library. Described as having the aim to “provide multimedia and telecom software developers an easy and powerful interface to initiate and control SIP based sessions in their applications” the GNU oSIP Library can do just that as it includes not only a library but examples of programs that use the oSIP protocol to operate.
36. Twisted: Twisted comes from Twisted Matrix Laboratories and is an “event driven networking engine written in Python.” It supports a variety of protocols ((including HTTP, NNTP, IMAP, SSH, IRC, and FTP) and also has support for SIP, making it ideal for VoIP development.
37. Verona: The Verona Project is an open source VoIP toolkit based on a phone API called Phapi and a minimal user agent called aptly miniua. It is similar to the toolset used in the highly successful OpenWengo software but is modified to reduce dependence on certain libraries, allowing users reliable building blocks for constructing their own VoIP programs.
38. PJSIP: Written in C, PJSIP is an open source protocol stack for SIP. Due to its small footprint, high portability, customizability, and loads of other features its become a popular choice among SIP developers.
39. eXosip: The eXosip library is a common choice among those who want to take the complexity of using the SIP protocol for multimedia session establishment down a notch. eXosip hides it, and makes implementing SIP easier whether you’re using it for VoIP or for something like multiplayer gaming.
40. Vovida SIP: Vovida is a hugely popular place to get VoIP software both to use as is and like this protocol stack, to be used more commonly in further development of VoIP programs. This SIP stack is popular with Linux based developers wanting to embrace this protocol.
41. reSIProcate: Part of SIPFoundry, reSIProcate works in a variety of operating systems including Unix, Windows, Mac OS X and more. The application is well suited and widely used in companies wishing to implement phones, softphones, gateways, proxies, or instant messaging.

Developers

While anyone is able to edit and create parts of open source software, the original programming has to come from somewhere. These are a few developers that have had great success in creating and releasing many of the most popular and widely used VoIP technologies in the open source field today.

42. SIPFoundry: SIPFoundry is a not for profit open source community that aims to support the development and adoption of the SIP protocol. It’s also the home of much of the development of the sipX PBX for Linux, an award winning open source PBX program. The success of the sipX project as well as the increasing popularity of SIP have brought the SIPFoundry to the forefront of the VoIP community.
43. Pingtel: Pingtel’s unique approach to the VoIP market may have a lot to do with their success. Using a system that runs using Linux and the sipX, Pingtel hopes to give business more control over how VoIP is built and used within their communications, something that proprietary software often can’t offer. The company also prides itself on providing reliable support and service for their products, making many business more willing to use them as there is less risk if something goes wrong.
44. Vovida: Vovida is home to numerous SIP protocol stacks to help developers create and innovate new VoIP technologies and programs. Acquired in late 2000 by Cisco systems, this company’s work is well funded and its VOCAL tools and software have helped push VoIP development forward.
45. Sangoma: Sangoma is a Canadian based company that develops both hardware and software based on the open source model, especially that having to do with telephony. While popular in North America, Sangoma is capitalizing on the hotbed of tech activity in Asia by forming a partnership with Vietnamese telephone distributor Dinh Quang. Their extension of open source VoIP software into new and widely used markets made them one of the most successful VoIP open source developers of 2007.
46. Digium: With over a million downloads, Digium is one of the leading providers of Asterisk’s open source PBX software and has been the recipient of several awards for best open source software. With continued growth, and the acquisition of smaller VoIP players like Switchvox, Digium continues to add to its VoIP arsenal and likely will remain at the forefront of VoIP developers in years to come.

Miscellaneous

VoIP provides an opportunity for many different types of open source development to improve and refine systems. Here are a few miscellaneous programs that aren’t directly providing VoIP service, but are having an impact on the technologynonetheless.

47. SIP Thor: SIP Thor is based on P2PSIP technology, and is built so that there is no single point of failure despite a large amount of scalability. With these features as well as quick disaster recovery and reliable service, those looking to start a VoIP reselling venture have found SIP Thor to be a great choice.
48. MobiCents: MobiCents is billed as “the most popular Open Source Service Logic Execution Environment (JSLEE) and SIP Application Server for the Java platform.” MobiCents facilitates the creation of new services, enabling the development of a market oriented and cost effective platform, all the while encouraging developers to continue coming up with new and better ideas.
49. Aradial: For business needing a means to bill minutes used with VoIP Aradial provides a viable open source solution. It’s easy to use servers are highly scalable and feature a plug-in architecture for quicker upgrades. Its low cost and easy adaptability make profit margins higher for businesses reselling VoIP and make it a popular solution.
50. Lintad: Lintad is helping to make VoIP more than just a voice technology. The program provides both fax and voicemail support for VoIP phone systems. While voicemail is nothing new, the fax capabilities are nice addition and one that makes switching to VoIP much less painful for businesses.

Source: andyabramson.blogs.com

A really comprehensive list of what has been tabbed the Top 50 Open Source VoIP applications has been assembled and posted.

In reading through the list I’m amazed at the familiarity I have with many of the applications, including many of which some of my agency’s clients have worked with, or in the case of one, has actually been a client, VoIPster just before their acquisition.

Source: gigaom.com

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

IDG’s InfoWorld Recognize Digium’s Asterisk 1.4 as a 2008 Technology of the Year.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. –(Business Wire)– Digium(R), Inc., the Asterisk(R) Company, today announced that IDG’s InfoWorld has recognized Asterisk 1.4 as a 2008 Technology of the Year. Selected by InfoWorld Test Center editors and reviewers, the annual awards, presented this year on January 8, identify the best and most innovative products on the IT landscape. Asterisk is the most widely used open source telephony software with more than one million downloads in 2007 and more than 100 million users worldwide.
InfoWorld reports, "a complete IP PBX released as open source under the GNU Public License, Asterisk is built to run on commodity hardware, providing considerable cost savings when compared with commercial alternatives, and it leverages the open source community for additional testing, bug fixes, and feature development." For a full list of award recipients, see www.infoworld.com.

"InfoWorld tests upwards of 200 IT products every year, and we see many, many good ones," said Doug Dineley, InfoWorld’s Test Center executive editor. "Our Technology of the Year award winners represent not only the cream of the crop, but the best products in the most important product categories. From the top AJAX development tools and SOA middleware to the best blade servers and VoIP systems, these are the products at the leading edge of IT."
Mark Spencer, creator of Asterisk and Digium’s chief technology officer, commented: "The InfoWorld Technology of the Year 2008 award is an enormous acknowledgement of the work and success of the worldwide Asterisk community. Asterisk wouldn’t be in a position to rival some of the biggest vendors of proprietary voice technology today if it weren’t for the inherent strength of open source and dedication of the community of developers."

About Digium

Digium(R), Inc., the Asterisk(R) Company, created, owns and is the innovative force behind Asterisk, the most widely used open source telephony software. Since its founding in 1999, Digium has grown to become the open source alternative to the traditional communication providers, with offerings that cost as much as 80 percent less than proprietary voice communication platforms. Digium makes Asterisk available to the open source community under the GNU General Public License (GPL) and uses business-class Asterisk to power a broad family of products for small, medium and large businesses. The company’s product line also includes a wide range of hardware to enable resellers and customers to design their own voice over IP (VoIP) systems. This year alone, more than six billion minutes of calls will be made using Asterisk. More information is available at www.digium.com.

The Digium logo, Digium, Asterisk, Asterisk Business Edition, AsteriskNOW, Asterisk Appliance and the Asterisk logo are trademarks of Digium, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Update: It has already been invented, I meant the iGPhone! See below for the Photo and connection! PS watch out for lead paint.

Even though the gPhone is yet to emerge, discussions about security and other aspects of the phones.
Some are concerned about openness of gPhone without realizing the roots of MAC OX X and that the code is somewhat open!;
"As the first major computer company to make Open Source development a key part of its ongoing software strategy, Apple remains committed to the Open Source development model. Major components of Mac OS X, including the UNIX-based core, are made available under Apple’s Open Source license, allowing developers and students to view source code, learn from it and submit suggestions and modifications. In addition, Apple uses software created by the Open Source community, such as the HTML rendering engine for Safari, and returns its enhancements to the community."
According to Apple itself.
So the pundits, change the course, find some thing else to argue about and attract media attention. Because Open Source vs Closed Source does not work here.
Penny for a thoughts; Apple iPhone operates in a root environment (with admin rights, to Microsoft people) and I am almost ready to bet my bad writing on gPhone will run with root permissions! ;).
So there goes iPhone could join the " Open Handset Alliance " (gPhone) or create iGPhone (i God Phone) doing away with Jesus Phone.
News com discuss the issue. http://igphone.zhongsou.com/igphone/register.jsp

Source: voipcentral.org

Fonality has introduced a free phone system, tribox Pro for the business enterprises. It is a downloadable software enabling small and medium business enterprises to make free VoIP calls.

The tribox Pro possesses traditional phone dialing and PBX system features. It provides a host of services to business enterprises including conferencing calling, unified messaging between voicemail and email, employee presence management.

The tribox Pro customers can also enjoy trixNet service. The trixNet is a free in-network calling service that enables trixbox Pro user to call their fellow tribox Pro friends using their regular phone numbers. Fonality plans to provide its free trixNet calling services to Google Talk users next year.

The trixbox is a business class IP PBX system based on Digum’s Asterisk Open Source PBX. open source PBX application platform system. It is available as free downloadable software. It can be installed on a local computer and local IP phones.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

If you played around with Asterisk, then you know her voice. Even if you have not come near an Asterisk server, you may still have heard her voice, I have, So if you are curious about this voice behind many interactive applications, head over to Ronald Lewis’ Pod Cast. You will be able to hear her.
Thank you Allison, thank you Lewis.

Links
Ronald Lewis podcast of Allison Smith interview
Interviews Podcast: Interview with Allison Smith, North America’s Leading Voice Over Artist

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Open source SIP stack OpenSIPStack has been rereleased under a triple licensing scheme to ensure that it can be used by the largest possible number of individuals and development communities. This tri-license aims to address the perceived incompatibilities between Mozilla Public License (MPL), GNU General public license (GPL) and GNU Lesser Public License (LGPL). The stack was previously distributed under MPL 1.0.

Open Source SIP project, openSBC is based on the OpenSIPStack, a fully compliant (RFC 3261) SIP stack designed for stability and scalability, and with a heritage of commercial usage. The project currently contains reference implementations of a session border controller (OpenSBC), Yeya and several components that are useful to developers wishing to use Solegy’s service deployment platform.
OpenSBC

OpenSBC is a reference implementation of a hybrid SIP proxy and B2BUA (back to back user agent) created from the Open SIP Stack core. It is well suited for a number of VoIP implementations. Among other things, it can be used as a Registrar for SIP endpoints, as an entry/egress point for SIP trunking applications, or as a far-end NAT traversal solution.

OpenSBC has been designed for scalability and flexibility. Deployments can grow incrementally with traffic needs because a primary instance can be configured to load balnce sessions across other instances. Each instance may be run on separate servers, or multiple instances may be run on a single server.

OpenSBC can perform the following functions:

Session Border Controller: Full back-to-back user agent (B2BUA) hides network topology with:
- Integrated web UI for basic configuration tasks
- far-end NAT traversal with RTP proxy
- Complete transparency for end-nodes with support for pass-thru of non-standard SDPs,
- Routing using static rules, ENUM or Solegy RTBE
- Comprehensive logs using syslog server
- Encryption of SIP and RTP packets with simple hash

Registrar: Fully standards-compliant with support for pass-through registrations (also referred to as upper registration) and integrated support for presence using SIP/SIMPLE or XMPP.

Proxy: Fully standard-compliant with multi-protocol support (UDP, TCP, TLS*), processing and relaying signals from remote (SIP) and local endpoints.

Presence: Compliant with SIP/SIMPLE and XMPP standards with support for PUBLISH as well as SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY events.

Event Packages: Support for message-summary information about waiting messages (voicemail) and presence

Solegy™ Offers Free VoIP Softphone for Microsoft Windows — Customized Softphones Available to Service Providers with a Full Range of Calling Features and Back-Office Functionality in a Hosted Environment.

Links;
Open Source Sip website
OpenSIPStack web site
Solegy website

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

I think it is as important as explaining GPL v.2.0 or GPL 3.0, to explain to people that open source is a also a business model. In a business people expect to make money with the products/services they provide.
But when it came to Asteisk, which I have known since it’s humble beginning. I met Mark Spenser, the creator of this project, once at a Linux world expo, a long time ago. I am sorry to say that not many people were around the booth but Mark was pretty enthusiastic and carried me through all the details. He had it all together with all the hardware and software running, allowing to make demo calls through a real life PBX.
One interesting thing about trademark was, There was a fork of Asterisk at that time, Asterisk-NG if I recall right. I asked about it from Mark, and his answer was a shake of his shoulders and said "yeah, I heard about it". I think it was appropriate response at that time, as he was paying more attention to the project/product than to business and copy rights or trademarks.
But now Asterisk is vastly different. It is a business and as with any business, you start hiring lawyers, and lawyers will always find things to do. And somethings are not pleasant but you got to do it.
Last week I read a few articles about asterisk@home. and one esteemed writer that I read regularly, referring to the matter as "dark side of Asterisk". Smith on VOIP got most of it right. But if he had referred to recent DIGG and DIGGAME saga, he would have understood the legal process.
I am not a lawyer (IANAL) and what I understood is that if you do not try to protect even attempt to protect your copyrights or trademarks, you might loose them, in a court, in the future. You have to show evidence that you did take steps to protect your trademark.
So Asterisk@home, a super project, that I use day to day, happened to be the target. It has a name too close to Asterisk, if asked from any one not familiar of the projects they might think Asterisk@home is a subproject of Asterisk.
I think it is right for Asterisk / Digium to go after Asterisk@home although not pleasant, the new name, Trixbox seem to be doing fine and the same following that Smith mentioned Asterisk@home, welcomed and enveloped the TrixBox.

I really do not see Smiths arguments but all I can say is open source projects are run by living people, who like money like Smith do. If his idea is only to write and inform people of VOIP, why Google ads and sponsored ads on his site? Because they make money and if Smith can earn some money while enjoying his writing all the better.
Asterisk / Digium did nothing much different, monetize their ideas. If Smith sees one of his articles copied word by word by a spam blog, I can only guess how he would feel. May be asterisk thought the same way.
Has Asterisk / Digium gone after OpenPBX? although it is based on Asterisk and does some aspects better than Asterisk, I don’t see Asterisk going after them legally or otherwise.
I prefer the writing on the subject by Alec Saunders, he sees the same issue as Smith does, but Alec’s article is more pleasant and to the point. Tom Keating also speaks of the same matter, and much closer to Smiths thinking.
Also remember that trixbox is under the arms of Fonality and Fonality is a direct competitor to Asterisk. Many analysts and writers have said that fonality might do better than Digium in the SMB IP PBX space, using Asterisk itself!

So you want the best answer! Ask yourself what would you do if you were Asterisk /Digium ? that is the best answer, whether it is right or wrong.
By the way people who feel sorry for Trixbox, write Trixbox (formally Asterisk@home), I do where ever it deems necessary it might help to let people know.

Another thing is selecting well known well used words as trademarks is not a good idea. Why do you think Microsoft settled with Lindows? food for your thoughts.

Links;
SmithonVOIP the darker side of digium
Alec Saunders Protecting tha Asterisk Brand
Tom Keating Who is redirecting trixbox web traffic

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Since VOIP is all about communication medium, many a solutions like call center, VVOIP, Video conferencing are growing around the core VOIP solutions. A few such applications I already covered such as lightspeed, 1bizcom.

There is another aspect to this, web conferencing. There are many a solutions that aid and provide web conferencing. I like the all aspects of remote communications. Video, telephone and web has bought all of us lot closer than ever before. Other than the social aspects of communications NG (New generation) there is also a business aspects to all these. We do not have to run to Tokyo to have a meeting but combined Voice Video will bring us as close as possible.

The reason I spoke of web conferencing is that I would like to bring to you knowledge a web conferencing product, DIMDIM. Although I support all types of products that bring us a better communication mediums, I have a soft spot for Open Source Products. Some of them may as successful as Digium’s Asterisk and some of them might be just emerging from enclaves that they thought bout and built. If not for OpenH323 and OpenGK, I would have never gotten in to VOIP, almost a decade ago.

So what is this DIMDIM thing? Of all things, it does not dim any thing. One thing is sure it will light up some lives and people and of course some business meetings.
So how does DIMDIM do it? Well look at it’s feature and versions should give you a picture.

DIMDIM current Features;
* Presentation and Document sharing: Interactive real-time Collaboration over documents and presentations allows enhanced expression and exchange of ideas.
* Audio and video sharing: High-quality multi-party video and audio sharing can be used to personalize meetings with a face-to-face approach.
* Application sharing: Full screen as well as specific application sharing from a Presenter’s computer can be used to show and educate even a novice audience. This is in keeping with the "show, don’t tell" principle.
* White board and Annotations: Realistic interactive collaboration which involves a lot of annotations, corrections, group drawing (and doodles in the margin) is enabled through digital whiteboard and annotations feature of Dimdim. These features are possible on existing documents too leading to seamless distributed brainstorming.
* Chat: As in any real world meeting there will be sub-groups of people engaged in conversation and exchange of ideas (some serious ones others more like “kicks under the table”) within the larger assembly in a web conference. This is facilitated through the multi-user chat feature.
* Polls: Polls enable the presenter to gauge the mood of the participants and to take decisions considering the opinions of many.
* Question manager: Question manager which is like a moderated Q&A setup enables the presenter to better manage the interaction.
* Record and Archive: All the interaction is recorded and archived for sharing with non-attendees and to reach a broader audience.
* E-Learning: Teachers can conduct classes as web conferences so that physical presence of the teacher as well as students is not necessary. Also the archived sessions can be used by students for later reference as well by the teacher as a teaching tool.

There are more to the features and editions. I think in order to get an idea what DIMDIM is really like, follow the links below.

Links;
DIMDIM Home
DIMDIM feature Matrix
DIMDIM at Sourceforge