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Open Source VoIP Solution: Pros and Cons

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  • September 24, 2019

Voice over Internet Protocol better known as VoIP is becoming standard for voice communications in large and small businesses. There are many benefits associated with VoIP, including cost savings, media sharing, and real-time conferencing with live streaming video as part of a single transmission, and enhanced remote operation. The open source smart telephony application has now opened lots of opportunities in the VoIP industry. Besides lots of features, VoIP solution comes with some limitations as well.

A complete list of VoIP pros and cons are discussed here below:

Cost Saving

It is not completely free as this software needs hardware or server to run. The open source VoIP solution may require Digital T1 cards or telephony PSTN to get connected with the outside world. Most commercialized VoIP solutions require a concurrent call license fee, user license fee, phone license fee and so on. Besides that, on top, it may require the purchase of support contracts and maintenance contracts. None of any of these fees required with open source VoIP applications. Users are free to do, anything just like ASTPP open source version, with their system. If users need any type of support both, paid and free options are available.

Flexible

Asterisk, FreeSWITCH, or any other VoIP technology based open source VoIP solution can be used in numerous communication applications. IVR server, Voice mail server, VoIP gateway, Call center, IP PBX, Softswitch and Conference Bridge are the things that can be built with open source VoIP technologies. The VoIP solutions developed using open source such as smart VoIP software solutions are easy to integrate. This makes it easier to connect telecommunications products.

Customization

Mobile phone systems are IP based that is why users can integrate applications such as CRM tools, click to dial, database, email, presence application, mobile SIP Dialer, or any application or program integrated with the open source VoIP solution. Administrators can access the GUI and command-line interfaces with most of these customizations configured in a typical open source distribution.

Durability

The VoIP open source solutions such as ASTPP have never looked back, since its creation. Open source VoIP solution is constantly updated with the latest feature sets mainly to improve its performance and fix all the earlier found issues. The source code of open source solutions such as ASTPP constantly upgraded and enhanced. This solution has been fully tested and is constantly being updated with the latest features and bug fixes. Asterisk based open source automatically gets updated freely bypassing the maintenance and update packages which are usually required for proprietary and commercial VoIP.

Easy to Use

The open source VoIP solution is completely free for use under the terms of the GNU or GPL license. There are no licensing fees, vendor lockouts, and upgrade fees for features and users. This allows Asterisk to be an easy and cost-effective telephony platform that can improve communication in the business.

As every coin has two sides, the open-source phone system also comes with some limitations. This phone system requires technical knowledge, i.e., novice users will unable to handle its problem and fix it just like an expert open source VoIP developer does. Besides that, it is advised to test the open source VoIP solution before using this system. While building own server, there is a need to check whether it is meeting the required need or not.

Generally, the open source solution providers also provide technical support or premium modules that help in wiping off all cons it comes with. ASTPP is a complete smart telephony software which is available in open source and enterprise firms. Contact us to know more about it.