Switchvox joining Digium family

Thursday, September 27, 2007

By GINA HANNAH

Times Business Writer gina.hannah@htimes.com

Purchase expands business market for VoIP software

Huntsville-based Digium Inc. has purchased Switchvox, a San Diego-based company that develops private branch exchange, or PBX, phone systems for small and midsize businesses.

The acquisition will help business customers use phone systems based on Digium's Asterisk, the open-platform software for voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, telephone service. Switchvox has developed a graphic interface to make Asterisk easier to use, said Bill Miller, Digium's vice president of product management.

"We want to make Asterisk the easiest product to use in the world for the mass market," Miller said. "We want to expand our reach globally."

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Switchvox's 15 employees will remain in San Diego; that office will become Digium's first regional sales office, Miller said.

"Switchvox has been a partner for several years," he said. Its graphic interface will allow companies to integrate customer calls with geographic and other data by using Google map and other software packages, he said.

The company has 1,400 systems installed, including more than 66,500 phones, Miller said. Most customers are in the United States, but Switchvox also has clients in Australia and other nations, and Digium's acquisition will expand that, Miller said.

"It leapfrogs Digium as a major player in the small- to medium-business market for IP telephony. And they provide us a great foundation to build our unified communications strategy."

The acquisition will boost Digium's work force to 120, Miller said. Digium will move to its new headquarters in Cummings Research Park next week.

"The entire Switchvox team is excited to become part of the Digium family as it continues to gain momentum and win market share from traditional phone system vendors," Joshua Stephens, CEO of Switchvox, said in a news release.

Asterisk has an estimated 3.5 million servers worldwide providing VoIP calls for businesses and residential users. On Tuesday, the company announced a new hardware and software product package designed to improve the sound quality of VoIP calls and reduce infrastructure costs.



Switchvox joining Digium family Thursday, September 27, 2007 By GINA HANNAH Times Business Writer gina.hannah@htimes.com Purchase expands business market for VoIP software Huntsville-based Digium Inc. has purchased Switchvox, a San Diego-based company that develops private branch exchange, or PBX, phone systems for small and midsize businesses. The acquisition will help business customers use phone systems based on Digium's Asterisk, the open-platform software for voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, telephone service. Switchvox has developed a graphic interface to make Asterisk easier to use, said Bill Miller, Digium's vice president of product management. "We want to make Asterisk the easiest product to use in the world for the mass market," Miller said. "We want to expand our reach globally." Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Switchvox's 15 employees will remain in San Diego; that office will become Digium's first regional sales office, Miller said. "Switchvox has been a partner for several years," he said. Its graphic interface will allow companies to integrate customer calls with geographic and other data by using Google map and other software packages, he said. The company has 1,400 systems installed, including more than 66,500 phones, Miller said. Most customers are in the United States, but Switchvox also has clients in Australia and other nations, and Digium's acquisition will expand that, Miller said. "It leapfrogs Digium as a major player in the small- to medium-business market for IP telephony. And they provide us a great foundation to build our unified communications strategy." The acquisition will boost Digium's work force to 120, Miller said. Digium will move to its new headquarters in Cummings Research Park next week. "The entire Switchvox team is excited to become part of the Digium family as it continues to gain momentum and win market share from traditional phone system vendors," Joshua Stephens, CEO of Switchvox, said in a news release. Asterisk has an estimated 3.5 million servers worldwide providing VoIP calls for businesses and residential users. On Tuesday, the company announced a new hardware and software product package designed to improve the sound quality of VoIP calls and reduce infrastructure costs. © 2007 The Huntsville Times © 2007 al.com All Rights Reserved.