The VAR Guy

Digium Asterisk, the open source IP PBX, seems to be building momentum with some channel partners and customers. But can Asterisk become a mainstream IP telephony platform — much in the way that Linux became a mainstream server operating system? Hmmm… Perhaps The VAR Guy will find the answer to that question at this week’s Digium Asterisk World — part of the larger IT Expo East conference — in Miami Beach, Fla. Here’s the update.

No doubt, Digium has it’s share of fans. Digium estimates that more than one million servers run Asterisk to handle billions of minutes of phone calls worldwide. Predictably, hardware and software providers want a piece of that action. More than 50 partners participate in the Digium AsteriskExchange — which serves as a marketing vehicle that promotes Asterisk solutions to channel partners and end-customers.

Digium‘s channel partner program has been in growth mode and ranks near the top of The Open Source 50, which tracks the most successful open source channel partner programs. In fact, partners now drive nearly 70 percent of Digium’s revenue.

Still, Digium’s channel team has been pretty quiet since launching a Digium Channel Certification program in June 2010. The program recognizes partners for their specializations in Digium’s Switchvox unified communications offering and/or Asterisk telephony solutions, according to the company.

The VAR Guy wonders: Will Digium CEO Danny Windham reveal any surprises during his Feb. 2 keynote at Asterisk World? Hmmm… The VAR Guy has reached out to his sources inside the walls of Digium, hoping for a reply.

But perhaps the surprises will come from Digium Community Director Bryan Johns, who is set to participate in an Asterisk World panel. The topic: PBX in the cloud or in the closet? The VAR Guy’s spin: For more and more SMB customers, the vote is cloud.

Still, Digium needs to do a better job describing its cloud strategy to partners. Perhaps Windham and Johns will deliver the goods at AsteriskWorld. The VAR Guy will be watching and listening closely for answers.

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