[Freeswitch-users] Olly olly oxen FreeSWITCH!

[Sean P Devoy]

I am going to layout MY OPIONS on this subject and just HOPE I do not offend
anyone.  Some of this may be incorrect based on my limited understanding of
FS.  I hope nobody takes offense, I truly LOVE THIS PRODUCT.

 

First, about me and how I came to these opinions.  I am a Managing Partner
in an internet business services firm.  Our name basically says what we do:
Business Focused Internet Systems, LLC.  We have several major areas we
focus on.  They are Campus Private Debit Card systems, Standard Services
that fall under the umbrella of "eCommerce," and Event Signup Internet
Service (Primarily used by Swim Schools to sell their Classes).  The firm's
name and business model has changed several times as we grew, but we have
essentially been together since 1996.

 

We always look at what "Businesses" want their ideal computer based products
to be: SIMPLE, FAST, RELIABLE and CHEAP.  You get 10 out of 10 for CHEAP.
You get 9 out of 10 for FAST, and that is only based on my personal
experience with a small single processor server in my early testing days.
Everything I have read from people whose opinions I trust says that should
be 10 out of 10.  Simple and Reliable are two areas you do not score so high
in, but with a little focus on the right things there could be huge
improvements.

 

I started looking into VOIP as a way to appear more professional from a
group of home office folks.  I think we started with PHONE.COM and a
"Virtual Office" setup.  It seemed cheap until we added all the actual
pieces we needed and saw it was a couple of hundred a month.  So I started
researching the DIY approach.  I found the Asterisk "Play Me" CD.

 

I am referring to the distro from asterisk where you boot this CD in a spare
(usually old) PC, answer a few questions and in MINUTES, poof you have your
own server.  That demo then explains how to load Voip software on your PC or
configure your local VOIP phone. In less than an hour, using hardware I had
on hand, I had a working INTERNAL ONLY phone switch.  In the grand scheme of
things, not all that useful, but it makes a serious WOW demonstration.  Yes
it ignores the complexities of VOIP Providers, Gateways, DIDs, Termination
and above all NAT, but it shows a working demo to someone with NO experience
in an hour.  I will revisit this when I talk about FS "SIMPLE" needs below.

 

With regard to reliable, my experience has been 3 out of 10.  We were
completely unprepared for all the nagging issues of phones behind NAT
firewall/routers.  I know LOTS of people will say "That is not a FS problem
though."  I say if you are trying to land business customers and it makes FS
NOT work for them, it is YOUR problem.  The other reason for my (nasty) low
rating was my last update on the STABLE branch left me with a
non-functioning FS server for 3 clients after hours on Friday.  That simply
CANNOT happen.

 

So, now that I have made lots of people mad because of my own shortcomings
in SIP, NAT and FS, here is what I need to really market this as a Business
End User Maintained Solution:

1.   A SIMPLE "Play Me" CD that installs fixed version of UNIX and FS with
limited functions THAT WORK out of the box on a LOCAL LAN.
(This is really just a user interactive Commercial to lead them to you).

2.   A really kick butt "Let's Build MY FreeSwitch" CD, possibly in
different "flavors" for the UNIX build of your choice.

a.   This Could/Should include prompting for:

                                         i.    What demo Gateway (VOIP
Provider) from our list?
(With Click here to sign-up and deposit $5)

                                        ii.    What Model Phones will be
demoed?
(Dare I ask for provisioning, or at least a printable config guide for MY
phones?)

                                      iii.    Extension #s desired

                                      iv.    Maybe a checkbox list of
desired features - INCLUDING Multitenant config.

                                       v.    Anything else we need to make
this a DROP IN, fully functional working Phone Switch

3.   A similarly simple means to Add or Delete Features or at least DIDs,
Gateways and Extensions would be a knock out.

4.   An upgrade path that really works.  Even when I run it successfully, at
a minimum I have to go back in and reset the Multitenant settings.

 

I am admittedly from a Windows background, but I don't understand why I
can't just "download the binaries" like I can for say MySQL?  Granted for
different hardware cards more is needed.  But for the basic IP BASED
everything "Vanilla" build, we should be able to provide those.

 

So, there you have it!  Long Winded, Opinionated and Inaccurate - it is just
one of the many services I provide.  BUT .

"If you build it, they will come."

 

Of course Option 2 would be "Fill out this Questionnaire", pay the minimal
fee ($50? $100? $250?) and we will send you an install CD/DVD specific to
your design including a working Gateway with $5 of call credits.  That adds
the touch of Professional Oversight of the build, but lacks serious pizzazz
for the "Show me NOW" internet user.

 

 

Sean

 

-----Original Message-----
From: freeswitch-users-bounces at lists.freeswitch.org
[mailto:freeswitch-users-bounces at lists.freeswitch.org] On Behalf Of Brian
West
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 2:11 PM
To: FreeSWITCH Users Help
Subject: [Freeswitch-users] Olly olly oxen FreeSWITCH!

 

FreeSWITCHers,

        Many commercial companies are very secretive that they use
FreeSWITCH in their infrastructure,  What can we do as a community to
welcome larger commercial involvement in FreeSWITCH as a community?  I would
love to broaden our community out reach if possible.

 

What does everyone else think?

 

Also don't forget to follow us on @freeswitch on twitter now!  ;)  PRETTY
PLEASE!!!!!

 

--

Brian West

 <mailto:brian at freeswitch.org> brian at freeswitch.org

FreeSWITCH Solutions, LLC

PO BOX 2531

Brookfield, WI 53008-2531

Twitter: @FreeSWITCH , @briankwest

 <http://www.freeswitchbook.com> http://www.freeswitchbook.com

 <http://www.freeswitchcookbook.com> http://www.freeswitchcookbook.com

 

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(AB93356707C76CED)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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