"I predict that over next three years, VoIP using an open-source solution, such as Asterisk, will generate more business than the entire Linux marketplace today," said Hall.
Halls explained that the open-source project Asterisk provides a cheaper alternative to proprietary PBX solutions, which are used by many companies today to provide telephone services.
"Today's PBX solutions are incredibly expensive, closed source and proprietary. Asterisk is approximately one-tenth of the price of a proprietary PBX system," claimed Hall.
According to the Asterisk Web site, the software can interoperate with almost all standards-based telephony equipment using relatively inexpensive hardware and provides features such as voicemail services, call conferencing and call queuing.
Hall said to ZDNet UK that he expects numerous companies to start providing services for Asterisk, including installation, support and third-party applications.
Hall is not the first to predict a bright future for VoIP. Michael Robertson, the founder of SIPphone, which specialises in Internet telephony, said last week that he believes that VoIP will grow much faster than Linux, although he did not mention the role that open -source could play.
ZDNet UK's Ingrid Marson reported from London. For more coverage from ZDNet UK, click here.
This is to announce that VMukti has been nominated for the CCA 2008.
Haven’t used VMukti yet? Well I bet you have a need for it already. VMukti is a Free, innovative, multi-point total communications, collaboration and conferencing engine with built-in support for access to platform features through Personal Customizable Web Interface, Widgets for 3rd party websites, Desktops, and PSTN/ Mobile/ IP Phones. VMukti has been nominated for CCA 2008.
Help VMukti get the support they need from the user community to continue developing such a great project. You can show your support by recognizing this software in the SourceForge.net 2008 Community Choice Awards. This recognition will help ensure that their software gets the attention it needs to continue to provide a great set of features to the software community.
You can vote for the software on SourceForge.net by going here:
http://www.vmukti.com/latest-news/vmukti-calls-on-community-to-win-prestigious-award.html
Winning this award would mean big things for all the users at VMukti.