No such "ready made" plugin / add-on that I know of for Asterisk that
allows you to do this. However the concept of automating and
initiating a blast of calls is easily achievable with *dot call* files
and your preferred scripting/programming language such as perl, php, or
even some intelligently written shell scripts combined with a basic
MySQL database to store the opt-in list. Limiting calls etc, can all
be achieved within the dialplan, script and/or agi. This is relatively
trivial.
Another option is to have ViciDial which has this functionality. With
the ViciDial/Asterisk option, it is assumed that you are importing the
list into a calling campaign and then starting a blast.
Keep in mind the call blast option is illegal in certain states and
provinces regardless of an opt-in list, if the nature of your call is
telemarketing. However for important annoucements etc., this is
perfectly fine. The TDSB already has such features implemented with a
combined / hybrid asterisk system to call parents of students informing
them of parent/teacher meetings and other important announcements. I
don't know of first hand, but I've been told by reliable sources that
some coastal areas in Australia, Florida, certain public schools in the
US closer to the coastal lines and many counties in Califrnia are
actually using Asterisk to blast weather warnings and fire/safety
concerns relating to bush fire etc.
You can also specify in the .call files the total number of times to
retry based on AMD, No Answer, Busy etc. With these .call files and
some basic shell scripts, if you can imagine it, it can easily be built.
/*
Best,
Reza.*/
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TAUG subscriber wrote the following on 2/2/2011 11:35 PM:
Hey does anyone know of an add-on for asterisk that would allow a
pre-recorded audio file to be blasted out to a list of opt-in people by
phone? Clearly it would need to have some type of limits to throttle the
max number of channels it can use, handle ring-no-answer and busy in some
type of retry queue.
Anyone know of such an animal?
Erik.
