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you have the time and technical savvy, you stand to save a lot of money initially deploying the system. Over time you can save even more if you have the wherewithal to maintain the system, update it and modify it to your needs. Even with the hardware thrown in, the cost savings can be significant, as much as 90% off the price of a commercially available PBX.

That being said, there are potential downsides, the main one being support. For businesses the size that Asterisk can serve -- up to several hundred -- telecom staff may be lacking. It may be necessary to use professional help no matter what phone system they choose.

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Posted by crouse

The main reason is price -- zero for the software. If you have the time and technical savvy, you stand to save a lot of money initially deploying the system. Over time you can save even more if you have the wherewithal to maintain the system, update it and modify it to your needs. Even with the hardware thrown in, the cost savings can be significant, as much as 90% off the price of a commercially available PBX.

That being said, there are potential downsides, the main one being support. For businesses the size that Asterisk can serve -- up to several hundred -- telecom staff may be lacking. It may be necessary to use professional help no matter what phone system they choose.

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Posted by sagitraz

The main reason is price -- zero for the software. If you have the time and technical savvy, you stand to save a lot of money initially deploying the system. Over time you can save even more if you have the wherewithal to maintain the system, update it and modify it to your needs. Even with the hardware thrown in, the cost savings can be significant, as much as 90% off the price of a commercially available PBX.

That being said, there are potential downsides, the main one being support. For businesses the size that Asterisk can serve -- up to several hundred -- telecom staff may be lacking. It may be necessary to use professional help no matter what phone system they choose.

This can be addressed by using one of the many integrators that specialize in Asterisk deployments, opting for a simplified or preconfigured Asterisk package available from certain vendors and buckling down to Asterisk support groups with members on call to help each other out.

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Posted by Gkkrishna