[Mac-telephony-list] LinuxPPC & * or OpenPBX?

[Benjamin Kowarsch via List]

On Dec 22, 2006, at 12:35 PM, Thoth via List wrote:

> From my standpoint it seems a much more logical route to dedicate a  
> linux
> server to the task of asterisk/pbx.

As for Asterisk, yes I would agree, but for a very different reason:  
Asterisk is Linux centric and all efforts to make it work well on  
other platforms are unofficial, cross-platform is an afterthought.  
For something as mission critical as a phone system, you don't want a  
software which runs on your operating system by way of "assisted  
coincidence".

However, when you look at other telephony engines which are truly  
cross-platform, then Linux isn't necessarily the logical choice  
anymore. And if it is, then it is usually a driver availability issue  
only.

For example, right now, there is quite some effort being made by  
various parties to deliver an open source telephony solution and  
drivers for Solaris on Sun hardware. This is the sort of choice a  
larger enterprise will likely make over Linux.

As for Mac shops, many don't have any IT staff, which pretty much  
rules out Linux to begin with.


> Does anyone see an advantage to running asterisk on OS X, aside  
> from maybe a
> all-in-one secretary's desktop that runs word processing,
> spreadsheeting/databasing, and answers the phone?

The advantage of OSX is that you will not need a Linux geek to look  
after your server. Most of the companies which use Macs as their  
business platforms are small companies without any IT staff  
whatsoever and the owner/principal or the guy who is in charge of  
refilling the coffee machine looks after the Macs.

This is simply not possible to achieve with Linux. You have to have a  
resident Linux geek or pay an outside party to look after the server  
for you. The types of businesses who run their business on Macs do so  
precisely because that is the one thing they don't want to do. And  
this is our target group. This is for whom we wanted and still want  
to deliver a turn key solution.

It hasn't happened yet because Asterisk required so much looking  
after that too much effort was spent on the engine, too little on the  
GUI side. With the switch to a more solid code base I am confident  
that we will be able to refocus on the GUI side and finally do what  
we always wanted to do.

Once we have an integrated solution worthy of OSX, I am pretty sure  
that a question "what is the benefit of running a PBX on OSX, isn't  
it better to use Linux?" will not cross anybody's mind again.


> Add in samba sharing, ldap, openexchange, email, and web services,  
> and a linux server can provide a ton
> of corporate level phunctionality all with no licensing fees.

Nobody in their right mind would want to run a corporate PBX on  
anything but a dedicated-to-telephony-and-nothing-but-telephony-only  
server. Well, perhaps in a mom-and-pop business or a small startup  
short of funding, but certainly not in a corporate environment.

rgds
benjk