There are five different types of VoIP Softswitch solutions available in the VoIP network. Class 4 and class 5 Softswitch solutions are the two most popular solutions and these two also complete the whole VoIP telephony network. They make it possible to offer and enjoy VoIP based telecommunication. In this blog post, we will talk about open source class 5 Softswitch, which is one of the most vital VoIP solutions.
In this article, we will cover detailed information about this retail Softswitch solution and other related points to give you a complete insight into the subject matter:
- What is an open source VoIP solution?
- What is a class 5 VoIP Softswitch solution?
- What is an open source class 5 Softswitch system?
- Key features of open source class 5 Softswitch software
- Major advantages of using an open source class 5 Softswitch
- Concluding notes
As class 5 is a retail switch, it is more widely used among consumers and it has a wider reach in the industry. This makes it a more popular VoIP solution for business communication. Without any further delay, let’s explore the details of this powerful VoIP solution.
1. What is an open source VoIP solution?
Similar to proprietary VoIP solutions, open source VoIP solutions are also VoIP software solutions that provide communication and collaboration related features. The difference between proprietary and open source solutions is that the open source system gives access to the code of the software, which can be used, accessed, and modified for free. The business needs can be met without spending a lot by using an open source VoIP platform.
2. What is a class 5 VoIP Softswitch solution?
It is also known as a residential calling switch because it supports calling and related features for residential users. It supports SIP based voice calling and video calling. Some class 5 Softswitch solutions also support instant messaging to provide unified communication solutions. It is also referred to as DLE in the United Kingdom.
This system connects different devices, networks, and VoIP infrastructure to create a private network of telecommunication. It is usually used by businesses to leverage communication and collaboration features. It is primarily used to meet the communication and collaboration needs of businesses and business users. Thus, it is often used by VoIP service providers to offer business phone services. It can also be used with a mobile SIP dialer or PC dialer to provide added advantages of communication with these SIP Softphone solutions.
As the class 5 Softswitch is used to offer business phone services by VoIP service providers or retail VoIP providers, it would also have an integrated VoIP billing solution.
3. What is an open source class 5 Softswitch system?
An open source class 5 Softswitch is a retail calling switch that is available as an open source VoIP solution. That means it will have all features of the retail VoIP Softswitch, plus, the code of the software would be available for free. The users of this VoIP solution can use and access the code for free under GPL (General Public License). Moreover, they can also modify the code to customize the solution to meet their business needs.
4. Key features of open source class 5 Softswitch software
The functionality of this VoIP Softswitch solution is related to providing communication functionality to businesses. Thus, a majority of features available in this open source system will be related to communication and collaboration. Whether it is an open source or a proprietary solution, the available features depend on the provider. The benefit of using an open source switch is that you can invest in customization and add missing features to the Softswitch to achieve business goals and needs.
Let’s explore the major features of this solution that are available to the providers or end users.
DID number management solution
DID (Direct Inward Dialing) number is used to provide extensions and business numbers to make communication feasible for a business. Thus, this open source VoIP Softswitch solution provides an inbuilt DID number management solution. The provider or admin can assign or revoke direct inward numbers. They can also sell or resell these numbers. The advanced solutions also support locking the number for some time after expiration to let the user reclaim it.
PBX features
As mentioned earlier, this software is used as a private telephone network by businesses to meet their day to day communication and collaboration needs. Therefore, this software is loaded with amazing PBX features that let businesses take advantage of rich communication at lower cost, even for international calls:
- Auto attendant
- IVR
- Dashboard
- Call forwarding
- Blind call transfer
- Attendant call transfer
- Voicemail
- Callback
- Find me, Follow me
- Caller ID
- Blacklist
- Whitelist
- Ring group
- Call distribution
- Call queues
- Hunt group
- Emergency number support
- Speed dial support
- Barge-in
- Whisper
- Conference calling
- Voice calls
- Video calls
- Instant messaging
- Reports
- And more
These features may vary from one open source system to another. However, these are common and must have features in this Softswitch solution.
Reporting
As businesses use this solution to strengthen internal and business communication, reports are often considered a major feature of this VoIP software. In general, call detail reports (CDR) are available within the software without a miss. Some advanced systems also provide more KPI (Key Performance Indicator) based features to benefit businesses. In addition to that, providers can invest in customization of this software with support services offered by the open source provider or by any other VoIP development company to add real time monitoring and reporting features.
Invoicing and billing
This is a provider specific feature. It is a must have feature to make invoicing and billing processes easier and faster. If the class 5 Softswitch does not contain these features as inbuilt features, then it becomes necessary to integrate an open source VoIP billing solution into the software to achieve it.
5. Major advantages of using an open source class 5 Softswitch
There are several advantages of using an open source retail Softswitch solution. The major ones are explained briefly hereunder:
Save money
It is a software solution so it does not need a huge investment for setting up the system. The open source solution can be downloaded, installed, and used for free. This saves the upfront money of a provider. The open source community often releases different versions of the software, which helps providers to keep their software in an advanced and up-to-date state. They can use the latest technology, features, and enhancements for free.
On the other hand, the business users that use these services or solutions can also leverage the advantage of open source by having a free solution. Moreover, they can reduce the cost per call as extension calling and chatting is free with this software, and SIP calling makes call cost cheaper.
Advanced communication features
One of the fascinating advantages of using this retail Softswitch is that it provides wide ranging communication features. In the conventional system, either it is not possible to achieve all these features or it can get too expensive to use these features. But, this software provides all major features for free. Businesses can strengthen their business telecommunication network to support uninterruptible collaboration and communication.
No vendor dependency
As an open source retail VoIP Softswitch solution does not belong to any company, there is no vendor dependency. If your team does not have the technical expertise to manage this switch, then you can take advantage of the on-demand technical support service offered by the open source community. This is the most reliable option to receive technical help related to this software. However, if for any reason, the business does not want to take help from the community, then it can use services offered by other businesses or freelancers. In a nutshell, there is no vendor dependency to use this software or manage and maintain it.
Concluding notes
Any open source VoIP solution has plenty of advantages to offer, which makes them the best tools for businesses. Likewise, class 5 Softswitch solutions have their own advantages to offer. The open source retail calling switch amalgamates the advantages of open source and class 5 switch by offering an open source class 5 Softswitch. Both retail service providers and businesses can use this software to leverage the advantage of this powerful tool.
We have been in the open source VoIP industry for several years and our open source smart telephony platform, ASTPP has been empowering thousands of businesses. We also provide the best class 4 and class 5 Softswitch solutions along with several other VoIP solutions. To discuss your questions or queries related to our open source smart telephony platform and its add-ons, you can contact us and our team would be happy to assist you.
