The VAR Guy

Open source software companies continue to strengthen their channel partner programs. The latest example involves SugarCRM’s new Open+ Partner Program. But SugarCRM isn’t alone. The VAR Guy has a hunch that several open source partner program announcements will surface this week. Here are the details.

Digium Asterisk, the open source IP PBX platform, just received a major vote of confidence from a key channel partner. Synnex Corp., a distributor that supplies more than 15,000 resellers in North America, has agreed to promote Digium’s Switchvox to channel partners. Here are the implications for the unified communications market and the emerging open source IT channel.

It has been about a month since Digium launched the Asterisk Exchange — an online marketplace to help VARs and customers piece together telephony solutions based upon the open source IP PBX. It’s an intriguing concept — similar to Red Hat’s failed Red Hat Exchange efforts. So can Digium succeed where Red Hat failed? Yes. Here’s why.

At this week’s AsteriskWorld conference, Digium will officially launched Asterisk Exchange — an online marketplace that allows customers and channel partners to piece together solutions involving Asterisk (the open source IP PBX). If successful, Asterisk Exchange could expand the ecosystem for alternative VoIP and unified communication solutions. Here’s the scoop, including a FastChat video with Digium CEO Danny Windham.

Two separate invites arrived within hours of one another. Adtran and Digium — two networking companies in Huntsville, Alabama — invited The VAR Guy and other members of the media to swing by for separate updates and briefings this week. Alas, The VAR Guy couldn’t make the trip. But the Adtran and Digium stories are worth sharing from afar. Here’s why.

Digium is expanding its channel partner program — potentially engaging more resellers that want to embrace Asterisk, the open source IP PBX. Digium has been particularly active with channel partners in recent months. Here’s the scoop.

Some critics say Asterisk — the open source IP PBX — is for hackers rather than real telephony customers. EUS Networks begs to differ. The New York-based solutions provider, which works closely with Digium, has launched an Asterisk-based IP telephony solution for a hedge fund client’s trading room floors. Here’s the scoop.

Asterisk — the open source IP PBX — has dialed up another opportunity in the IT channel. This one involves Computer Troubleshooters, a major channel player that has more than 200 U.S. solution provider franchises. The VAR Guy hears Computer Troubleshooters will increasingly promote Fonality’s IP PBX solution. Here’s the scoop.

The VAR Guy has spent plenty of time covering Asterisk — the open source IP PBX — in recent weeks. But a few solutions providers are telling our resident blogger to give equal time to 3CX, which develops a software PBX for Windows. What’s the story?  You’re about to find out.

Digium — which promotes Asterisk, the open source IP PBX — is gathering data to help accelerate the company’s push into corporate enterprises. The effort includes a comprehensive survey, conducted with the 451 Group, about the potential financial benefits of open source. Here’s the scoop.

Sure, IBM partnered up with Canonical this week to promote Ubuntu Linux and open source desktops against Windows 7. But Big Blue’s other big open source move — a growing relationship with Digium — has caught The VAR Guy’s attention. Here’s why.

Digium CEO Danny Windham has a message for networking VARs seeking a new opportunity in the IT channel: Digium — the provider of Asterisk, the open source IP PBX — is profitable, growing and seeking talented solutions providers. Here are more thoughts from Windham and the Digium executive team.

Has Google embraced Digium’s Asterisk, the open source IP PBX? Google Open Source Programs Manager Chris DiBona (pictured) provides some answers during the AstriCon conference in Glendale, Ariz. The VAR Guy captured DiBona’s thoughts in this FastChat video…

At the Astricon conference in Arizona, Digium announced the AsteriskExchange application store, an overhauled Asterisk.org community site and AsteriskForge for software developers. The three moves potentially solidify Asterisk and Digium as a disruptive force in the IP PBX market and the channel. Digium Founder and CTO Mark Spencer explained the strategy to The VAR Guy.

Asterisk, the open source IP PBX, is turning 10 years old. And Digium, the fast-growing provider of commercial Asterisk solutions, is hosting the Astricon conference this week. All sounds well. But The VAR Guy will raise seven key questions when he speaks with Digium officials later today. Here they are.

When the Astricon conference kicks off Oct. 13 in Glendale, Ariz., The VAR Guy will be checking to see if Asterisk — the open source IP PBX — is ready for mainstream VARs and solutions providers. Actually, The VAR Guy thinks he already knows the answer to that question. Here’s why.

The latest word from Digium involves speech recognition for Asterisk, the open source IP PBX. The effort involves a growing relationship with Incendonet, which specializes in — you guessed it — speech recognition. Here’s some analysis from The VAR Guy.

Now that eBay has sold most of Skype to private investors, some pundits may wonder what markets Skype should tackle next. Actually, the answer has already emerged — and it involves Skype plugging into Asterisk, the open source IP PBX. Here’s the scoop and the implications for solutions providers.

At a time when Cisco Systems has aggressively reduced its face-to-face event spending and travel budget, the networking giant has signed on to become a visionary sponsor for the Red Hat Summit (Sept. 1-4, Chicago). And Cisco isn’t alone. IBM, Dell and Hewlett-Packard are also getting cozy with Red Hat at the summit. Here’s why.

Alas, Red Hat is the only publicly held open source company that’s consistently profitable. Finding privately held, profitable open source companies is like searching for the proverbial needle in the… well, you get the picture. But during a July 7 conference call, The VAR Guy stumbled onto a profitable, channel-driven open source company that’s making the leap from Europe to North America. Here’s the scoop.

The sleeping giant has awakened. It looks like Cisco Systems is addressing the potential Asterisk open source IP PBX threat — and opportunity. Here’s the scoop from The VAR Guy at Cisco Partner Summit.

Isn’t it ironic: Microsoft (the king of independent software vendor relations) is mulling the fate of Response Point VoIP for small business. Meanwhile, Digium (the upstart company known for Asterisk) is building an online community for ISVs and partners that want to write unified communication applications. Hmmm. How will this story play out?

Sometimes when you compete in a marathon, you forget the basics — such as tying your shoes. That’s the case at Digium, which faces fierce competition in the IP PBX market — and is only now introducing Fax for Asterisk. Why did it take Digium so long to bring this solution to market? If you’re distracted by that question you’re missing the bigger picture: Fax for Asterisk is another sign that Digium is growing up.