By samdizzy

Digium is finally promoting a hosted PBX service based on Asterisk, the open source IP PBX. The cloud-based phone system costs $35 per user per month. But who’s actually hosting the service? Plus, can Digium’s channel partners — resellers, VARs and distributors — generate recurring revenues from this hosted offering?

Digium is the leading promoter of Asterisk, much in the way that Red Hat is a top promoter of commercial Linux offerings. Similar to how Linux disrupted the Unix market, Asterisk has been disrupting portions of the traditional PBX phone system market.

In many cases Digium itself has been succeeding. The company’s Switchvox phone system is quite popular with small business resellers that focus on unified communications, VoIP and phone systems.

But Talkin’ Cloud has always wondered when Digium would start to focus on cloud computing. After all, hosted PBX services are gaining popularity. Back in 2011, Digium CEO Danny Windham told Talkin’ Cloud he was monitoring the hosted PBX market for potential opportunities. 

Here It Comes

Fast forward to the present and Digium is making its move. The company’s new Switchvox Cloud Service sounds like it’s ready for deployment. But who’s actually hosting the service and will channel partners have a role in this effort?

The bottom of the Swtichvox Cloud Service webpage says: 

**Note, Digium’s Hosted PBX offering is based on Digium developed software. Digium has partnered with a recognized leader in the hosted services market; this third party will deliver, bill and support the Digium’s hosted PBX offering.

In essence that means a channel partner — in the hosting market — is running the service for Digium. The big questions:

Stay tuned. We’re checking.

Note: Special thanks to a reader who tipped us off on this new service.