"While Asterisk and the SIP protocol lack some of the more extensive features on the Cisco CallManager..."
This may be true for vanilla Asterisk, but there is an extensive community adding a wide range of additional features and services to Asterisk. For example, <plug>our Enswitch product</plug> provides a layer of billing and commercial services on top of Asterisk and SIP Express Router. Having work extensively with both Asterisk and CCM, I would claim that with Asterisk plus all the applications that work with it already surpasses the features of CCM, and Asterisk has the momentum behind it. Over the next few years, CCM will fall further behind, and before long Asterisk will be the dominant telephony platform in the same way Apache is the dominant web server platform now.
This is exactly what my company does for VoIP, including Asterisk and SER. Our customers are mostly ISPs and companies replacing PBXs. It can be a tough sell at times, but getting easier as these products mature and more and more ISPs want to offer VoIP to their customers.
However, we still have a quite a customers who want something commercial, such as Cisco Call Manager.
The voice data can be from two sources (or a mixture of both):
In.wav files referenced by the VoiceXML document.
Generated on a Text to Speech Server, accessed by a protocol such as MRCP (Media Resource Control Protocol).
TTS is usable for situations where callers are tolerant of voice quality. For instance, a caredit card company's IVR could play most of it's voice from.wav file, but the list of recent transactions (which will contain vendors' names) from TTS
Voice recognition is usable if you have a carefully defined grammar, with a concise list of words to recognise. Training the grammar can help a lot.
What's particularly interesting with this product is that it includes a VoiceXML browser.
For those who aren't aware, VoiceXML is a cross platform markup language, visually similar to HTML, for writing IVR applications. VoiceXML pages can be served from any web server, and converted to voice on an VoiceXML browser. It interfaces seamlessly to Text To Speech and Voice Recognition servers.
My company, Integrics Ltd, does Asterisk, Cisco Call Manager, and SER installations. Up to now, we've done IVRs using Asterisk AGI for smaller systems, and VoiceXML on Cisco 2800 routers for larger systems. Being able to run VoiceXML on a free platform on Linux is going to be very interesting our customers. Needless to say, we're getting up to speed on sipX, and will be offering installation and development services as soon as it's mature.
Are you perhaps falling into the trap of doing fixed price work that takes many more hours than expected? There's no faster way to bring your effective rate down...
What percentage of the time do you have work? Are you always marketing, especially building contacts? Having a wide range of contacts is the surest way to a steady revenue stream.
Are you underselling your skills? Remember the old marketing adage: Never compete on price. Instead compete on features and service. As any retailer will tell you, the top end of the market is a much more pleasant place than the bottom, simply because the margins are so much better. Only Wal-Mart can compete at the bottom. If you don't have the skills or experience to compete at the top end of the market, get them!
Blatent plug: I run Integrics Ltd, doing software consulting, mostly VoIP and databases. If you're looking for Cisco Call Manager / Asterisk / PostgreSQL / MySQL skills, remote or onsite worldwide, give me a call.
This is a translation by Thomas Roessler, roessler@guug.de, as posted to the ukcrypto mailing list. Many thanks to him.
1. The Federal Government does not plan to limit the free availability of encryption products in Germany. It considers the application of secure encryption to be a crucial requirement for the citizens' privacy, for the development of electronic commerce, and for the protection of business secrets. The Federal Government will therfore actively support the distribution of secure encryption. This includes in particular increasing the security consciousness of citizens, business, and administration.
2. The Federal Government strives for strengthening users' trust in the security of encryption. It will therefore take measures to create a framework for trustworthy secure encryption, in particular by improving the possibilities for reviewing encryption products for their security, and by recommending the use of reviewed products.
3. For reasons of national security, and the security of business and society, the Federal Government considers the ability of German manufacturers to develop and manufacture secure and efficient encryption products indispensible. It will take measures to strenghten the international competitiveness of this sector.
4. The spreading of strong encryption must not undermine the legal possibilities of prosecution and security authorities [police and intelligence communities may be a better translation]. The responsible Federal Ministries will cautiously watch the development and present a report after two years. Additionally, the Federal Government will work on improving the technical skills of prosecution and security authorities.
5. The Federal Government attaches importance to international cooperation on encryption policy. It encourages market-driven, open standards and interoperable systems and will work to strengthen multilateral and bilateral cooperation.
Slashdot Mirror
From the article:
"While Asterisk and the SIP protocol lack some of the more extensive features on the Cisco CallManager..."
This may be true for vanilla Asterisk, but there is an extensive community adding a wide range of additional features and services to Asterisk. For example, <plug>our Enswitch product</plug> provides a layer of billing and commercial services on top of Asterisk and SIP Express Router. Having work extensively with both Asterisk and CCM, I would claim that with Asterisk plus all the applications that work with it already surpasses the features of CCM, and Asterisk has the momentum behind it. Over the next few years, CCM will fall further behind, and before long Asterisk will be the dominant telephony platform in the same way Apache is the dominant web server platform now.
For those who are interested in VoIP for business, I've written some online guides:
VoIP for business
How ISPs can sell VoIP services to their customers
This is exactly what my company does for VoIP, including Asterisk and SER. Our customers are mostly ISPs and companies replacing PBXs. It can be a tough sell at times, but getting easier as these products mature and more and more ISPs want to offer VoIP to their customers.
However, we still have a quite a customers who want something commercial, such as Cisco Call Manager.
The voice data can be from two sources (or a mixture of both):
TTS is usable for situations where callers are tolerant of voice quality. For instance, a caredit card company's IVR could play most of it's voice from .wav file, but the list of recent transactions (which will contain vendors' names) from TTS
Voice recognition is usable if you have a carefully defined grammar, with a concise list of words to recognise. Training the grammar can help a lot.
What's particularly interesting with this product is that it includes a VoiceXML browser.
For those who aren't aware, VoiceXML is a cross platform markup language, visually similar to HTML, for writing IVR applications. VoiceXML pages can be served from any web server, and converted to voice on an VoiceXML browser. It interfaces seamlessly to Text To Speech and Voice Recognition servers.
My company, Integrics Ltd, does Asterisk, Cisco Call Manager, and SER installations. Up to now, we've done IVRs using Asterisk AGI for smaller systems, and VoiceXML on Cisco 2800 routers for larger systems. Being able to run VoiceXML on a free platform on Linux is going to be very interesting our customers. Needless to say, we're getting up to speed on sipX, and will be offering installation and development services as soon as it's mature.
Are you perhaps falling into the trap of doing fixed price work that takes many more hours than expected? There's no faster way to bring your effective rate down...
What percentage of the time do you have work? Are you always marketing, especially building contacts? Having a wide range of contacts is the surest way to a steady revenue stream.
Are you underselling your skills? Remember the old marketing adage: Never compete on price. Instead compete on features and service. As any retailer will tell you, the top end of the market is a much more pleasant place than the bottom, simply because the margins are so much better. Only Wal-Mart can compete at the bottom. If you don't have the skills or experience to compete at the top end of the market, get them!
Blatent plug: I run Integrics Ltd, doing software consulting, mostly VoIP and databases. If you're looking for Cisco Call Manager / Asterisk / PostgreSQL / MySQL skills, remote or onsite worldwide, give me a call.
This is a translation by Thomas Roessler, roessler@guug.de, as posted to the ukcrypto mailing list. Many thanks to him.
1. The Federal Government does not plan to limit the free
availability of encryption products in Germany. It considers the
application of secure encryption to be a crucial requirement for
the citizens' privacy, for the development of electronic
commerce, and for the protection of business secrets. The
Federal Government will therfore actively support the
distribution of secure encryption. This includes in particular
increasing the security consciousness of citizens, business, and
administration.
2. The Federal Government strives for strengthening users' trust in
the security of encryption. It will therefore take measures to
create a framework for trustworthy secure encryption, in
particular by improving the possibilities for reviewing
encryption products for their security, and by recommending the
use of reviewed products.
3. For reasons of national security, and the security of business
and society, the Federal Government considers the ability of
German manufacturers to develop and manufacture secure and
efficient encryption products indispensible. It will take
measures to strenghten the international competitiveness of this
sector.
4. The spreading of strong encryption must not undermine the legal
possibilities of prosecution and security authorities [police and
intelligence communities may be a better translation]. The
responsible Federal Ministries will cautiously watch the
development and present a report after two years. Additionally,
the Federal Government will work on improving the technical
skills of prosecution and security authorities.
5. The Federal Government attaches importance to international
cooperation on encryption policy. It encourages market-driven,
open standards and interoperable systems and will work to
strengthen multilateral and bilateral cooperation.
I had this problem.
If you have your mouse set to 'Microsoft' in your XF86Config, turn off both 'ChordMiddle' and 'Emulate3Buttons', and restart X.