The Asterisk Revolution
Concept Change
Probably the most important fact about Asterisk is that it is not a black box phone system. It is a server based communications platform. This fact does not simply change the way we think about phone systems, but most importantly, it delivers an impressive list of benefits.
Flexibility and Customization
An Asterisk installation can be designed, configured, connected and installed in virtually million different ways, which makes it a universal solution for all needs.
- Asterisk can handle local phones, but also extensions which connect from across the world and become part of your office phone network.
- Asterisk can interface with analog, digital (ISDN) or IP signalling.
- Asterisk can work equally well with old-time analog phones, with IP phones or with soft phones, which are in fact a piece of software on your PC.
Scalability
Asterisk is a suitable PBX solution for a small office with 2 or 3 internal extension with 1 outgoing line, but it is equally great as an enterprise grade unified communications platform with 900 IP phones, hundreds of simultaneous calls and several ISDN PRI trunks.
For Asterisk the size does not matter -- at no extra cost even the smallest installation can enjoy all advanced telephony features such as IVR, voicemail and multi-party conference room which until recently were available only to large entreprises.
It is important to keep in mind that Asterisk can grow with your needs in a linear way. You need one more phone for the office? No problem -- just buy the phone and that's all you have to invest in -- no upgrade in hardware or software licenses or step costs you have to justify with your finance department.
Integration
Asterisk can be integrated with other IT systems in the organization and in this way create incremental value via new and/or improved business processes.
Here are a couple of very simple examples which illustrate the incremental business value of integration between the telecom and other IT systems.
Example 1: Medical Practice - Call-out Reminder
For a medical practice where patient visits are scheduled for weeks and even months ahead, it is not uncommon that people will forget about their appointment. A no-show means that the medical practice will forego the revenue for the day and the salaried medical staff will most probably experience some idle time.
To improve the operational and financial performance, the medical practice can install an Asterisk based phone system, which after integration with the appointment system will know the schedule of visits and will call the patient the day before with a prerecorded standard reminder text. In this way the practice protects revenues and increases productivity.
Example 2: Telemarketing Call Center - Integration with CRM
Telemarketing call centers will call a list of target phone numbers and make an offer in an attempt to sell a product or service. Usually leads are loaded in customer relationship management (CRM) software.
It is only natural that the CRM system speaks to the communication system in order to take advantage of a number of possible improvements:
- automatic call out -- the agents can just click the phone number on their screen and the system will call the number
- call registration -- the communication system may generate an automatic entry for the call as part of the history with the client
- focus on target -- the communication system may be made to dial during business hours only numbers on the lead list, ensuring that employees will not make personal calls
This integration generates more productivity by speeding up work and by focusing agents on the task at hand. It also decreases non-business related costs.
Example 3: Tourist Agency -- Self Service
A tourist agency organizes flights, hotel stays and tours for its clients. Especially in fast-moving environments, e.g. short excusions, business travel - cancellations and order changes are a daily part of life. What happens if a cancellation needs to be made after hours? What happens in there is a peak in incoming calls?
By integrating the communication system with the reservation system, clients may call in and change or cancel their reservation using the interactive menus. Thus the tourist agency will be able to optimise its operating costs and costs related with suppliers - hotels and transport companies.
Functionality
Asterisk is a flexible server-based communications platform. This means that anything can be developed in order to meet a specific need. Just as an illustration below is a quick list of features. For more detailed explanation or a more extensive list, please contact us and we will be happy to provide this additional information.
| Basic Features | Advanced Features |
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About Asterisk
You can find more information about Asterisk by visiting www.asterisk.org or the website of the company which develops, supports and promotes it - Digium (www.digium.com). Lexatel is a sellect reseller of Digium products.