Digium’s First IP Phones and Asterisk: A Perfect Combo?
Digium is best known for promoting Asterisk, the open source IP PBX. Now, Digium is pushing out to network endpoints and introducing its first IP phones. The potential upside: channel partners can now promote complete unified communications systems from Digium — assuming the IP phones work as advertised.
According to Digium:
“With Digium technology on both the server and the phone, users will benefit from the best possible performance, unprecedented integration and a uniquely customizable phone system.”
Digium will promote the IP phones for Asterisk servers as well as Switchvox, Digium’s fully built out IP PBX and phone system for SMB customers.
In some was, Asterisk is disrupting the traditional IP PBX market the same way that Linux disrupted the traditional closed-source server market. More than 80,000 users and developers now create apps for solutions for Asterisk, according to a recent statement from Mark Spencer, founder and CTO of Digium.
Digium Channel Partner Program
When it comes to channel-centric news, Digium has been somewhat quiet in recent months. But if you listen closely enough you’ll hear some channel milestones. In December 2011, for instance, Digium said Switchvox sales grew 40 percent in 2011. During the same period, Switchvox nearly doubled its number of worldwide channel partners — though The VAR Guy doesn’t know the actual partner count.
Aiming to build on that momentum, Digium has unveiled three IP-based phones:
- D40: An entry-level HD IP phone with 2-line keys ($129).
- D50: A mid-level HD IP phone with 4-line keys and 10 rapid dial/busy lamp field (BLF) keys with an easy to print paper label strip for the user’s most important contacts ($179).
- D70: An executive-level HD IP phone with 6-line keys and 10 rapid dial/busy lamp field (BLF) keys and real-time status information displayed on an additional LCD screen ($279).
The big question from The VAR Guy: Can Digium maintain close relationships with other IP Phone handset makers even as Digium launches its own handsets?
