> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: October 5, 2006 11:03 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: [on-asterisk] TAUG Podcast > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > I finally managed to find the time to get thru Jim's podcast > > > presentation on VOIP enabling a legacy PBX. Unfortunately it > > > doesn't apply to our situation (our PBX is prehistoric so > I'm hoping > > > to do an outright * replacement), but the presentation is still > > > great information. Much appreciated. > > > > Thanks much. What kind of PBX do you have? > > Have you ever heard of TASCOM from Alston Tascom? Well, we > have one of the originals. How would you like your answering > service to depend on a > 48 volt buss backplane system that has to have two working 71 > MB MFM drives (one as backup) to be up and running. Sure it > does screen pops and handles DID lines, but that's about all > that it does. The voice greetings comes from a custom > Dialogic server and voicemail is not even in the vocabulary. > This thing probably should be keeping me up late at night, > but its really not my problem. The funny part is I am being > laid off at the end of the month so I don't know where that > leaves things. I was thinking of going into business for > myself. That way if things blow up (as they eventually will) > I can charge some serious money for a change. > > Ah the joys. > > > > Are the telcos really running Asterisk on their test benches and > > > getting worried? > > > > They are running it, but mostly because they have folks > working there > > who are geeks just like us. They are generally worried > about a lot of > > things; I won't claim that this is what is keeping them up > at night, > > but they do understand that emerging telephony represents a > threat to > > their traditional way of doing business. > > > > > I wonder what the chances are of them having a > competitive product > > > any > > time soon. Probably not.... > > > > I know many individuals at Telcos who "get it", even at fairly high > > levels, but for them to implement would be very tough because large > > companies generally lack the entrepreneurial spirit > necessary for this kind of stuff. > > Not to say it can't happen (as I said, they have people who > understand > > the signifigance of this), but I don't believe they 'll be > putting any > > of us out of business any time soon. In fact, if you > produce a product > > that addresses a need they have, and can get it in front of > the right > > people, with proper support (i.e. backed by a company that > has a track > > record they can get comfortable with), you might be > surprised at their > > level of interest. At worst I think you would find that > this stuff is > > at least not a dirty word to them. Linux paved the way for all of > > this, by legitimizing open source software. What telcos are > probably > > going to be looking for are developed, supported products > that do not > > require a software development team to support. > > Ya, that makes sense. They are already reselling a number of > products at Aliant/Bell as it is. If I can get some Asterisk > installs done well, I should start bugging some contacts. Do > you think that "brick" servers are the way to go to enhance > customer confidence?
Not sure I know what brick is in this context. For example, if you "brick" an electronic device (such as something you are trying to load a hacked firmare onto), the term generally means that you have rendered it about as useful as a brick. I can't imagine that's what you mean! Jim
