Between Asterisk open source and proprietary IP PBX, which would you choose? Better question - which should you choose? Arm yourself with some knowledge before making that decision.

What makes Asterisk a more technologically advanced piece of software over the software that runs various proprietary systems?

For example, how does the technology of an Asterisk IP PBX compare with that of a large Nortel, Avaya, or Panasonic system? Don't think Switchvox or Trixbox.... think pure OS Asterisk software built using best of breed hardware.

I'd like to say Open Source is almost the clear choice, and it may be the right one in some cases. However, the fact of the matter is that Asterisk is so extensible that it some times hurts the product. There is a common risk factor. End users, they are your greatest asset and threat at the same time. Distros like TrixBox have the right idea, build a distribution and implement "Service Modules" to handle the configuration of tasks.

Now this answers the cry of all the "mom and pop's" out there, lets address "Big Boy Corporation." Larger corporations need a security blanket and if you can't offer that then your out the door. Most open source products do not offer that. However if you are "Super VoIP Man", the one man consulting operation, it presents a unique niche market. Yes Asterisk is Bad @$$ and can do many of the things that XYZ Big Box vendors offer and more. But there are points where it takes extreme amounts of time to compete with 'out-of-box' features that XYZ have.

Some of these Key features break down to Survivability and Redundancy. Many businesses have put together exceptional plans that can recover failed systems or distribute load across a multitude of physical servers. But if "Super VoIP Man" gets hit by a bus tomorrow - how long do you think that system will survive without you? Defiantly not past its next major upgrade. Big Boy Corp.'s around the world know this and in an instant you and your service become a risk.

Lets examine one other scenario, Big Boy Corp.'s IP enabled contact center. Transacting 20k worth of calls a day IVR's w/ speech recco, Advanced ADC call treatment and distribution, recording and analytics, geographically disperse locations. I can guarantee that there is not a single open source solution that could deliver a working, STABLE (keyword, stable), highly available solution like XYZ Big Box can. Why you ask? Well that's easy, MONEY. Everyone out there is driven harder by the influence of money to make things faster, better, and easier to use. Big problem in the industry, throw some money at it, guarantee it will get fixed.

There is always going to be a niche market where Open Source solutions (like Asterisk) fit, and that market is always changing. But when it comes to playing the game with the big boys the guys with the deep pockets will win, basic economics.

Now for every Asterisk VoIP wizard out there (I wish there were more) I have one recommendation .... focus on integration solutions. Many save thousands (for example in Cisco Device Licensing) utilizing Cisco Communication Managers and a SIP trunk to an Asterisk server catering to Wifi SIP endpoints. For home you can use Askerisk (on say a Linksys router) to power all your wired and wireless SIP endpoints.

In conclusion Asterisk is a great product and can (be configured to) do a lot of things. But it is simply not Big Boy Enterprise ready - and may never be for that matter. As long as it is a open source solution.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Lemm

Computer Forensics, or Digital Forensics to give it another name, is something that in today's fast moving environment has become as much part of policing as walking the beat or patrolling or the mobile unit.

As technology progresses and it does so extremely quickly these days, so to do the ways in which technology is applied to crime and its uses by the criminal. Whereas in the past when crime was much more straightforward and involved a physical presence, Computer Crime requires, in some instances, nothing more than a computer, access to the internet, and the personal information of an unwitting individual.

As this type of computer criminal becomes more and more common so too does the need for experts in the field of Computer Forensics Analysis. However in the United Kingdom at the present time there is a shortage of trained professionals in this field which leaves the computer criminal at a distinct advantage.

Computer Forensics is used in a variety of different ways and not simply as a means of producing an auditable trail of data. A Computer Forensics Analysis of a laptop or desktop machine can provide valuable information as to not only how the machine was used to perpetrate a crime, but also who used the machine to commit the crime.

As individuals we all have certain ways of typing and committing words to a page and this is all very much part and parcel of the Computer Forensics Experts job, identifying these common traits and using them to help produce a profile.

The role of Computer Forensics Analysis in a court case is vitally important especially if that case pertains to the use of computers as a means to defraud money or in the distribution of materials deemed illegal such as pornography and child pornography. An expert Computer Witness will be able to provide such analysis to members of the jury, the judge, and the defense and prosecution teams in a way that is both informative and yet easily enough understood so as not to muddy the waters.

Such a witness is invaluable in both the prosecution and defense of a case and can be utilised to provide expert Computer Forensic Analysis and also provide the jury, who are not necessarily familiar with such terms, with easily digestible and retainable information.

Indeed an expert witness may also be able to physically demonstrate to the court just how a criminal has managed to perpetrate a crime especially if this crime is committed over a distance.

As touched upon earlier there is a shortage of such personnel in the United Kingdom at the present time and this is in no small part due to the face that computer crime is on the increase and becoming more sophisticated. Such trained personnel are invaluable to a case and are fully conversant with ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) guidelines.

With such a shortage of trained personnel it is fair to say that the floodgates have been opened for the Computer Criminal. He, she or they (it is often common to find such individuals working in cells using complex networks and IT infrastructures) are more likely to evade a thorough investigation and subsequent prosecution without the assistance of trained Computer Expert Witnesses and their informed analysis.

These trained personnel are often in short supply because of the need for more than one discipline when it comes to Computer Forensics Analysis.

Network Forensics is often such that an Computer Forensics Expert will be required to examine the data on a large number of computers either networked together physically (hard-wired) or operating as satellites as part of a Wi-Fi network. This particular type of auditing is particularly useful and often provides vital information in the prosecution of computer crime especially when it is necessary to link together a number of individuals spread over a large geographical area.

It is important to remember also that the analysis provided by a Computer Expert Witness is not only used to help in the prosecution or defense of a case at a judicial level but also can be used in helping to identify and prevent further instances of Computer Crime. Moreover this is something that has, and will have, an impact when it comes to fighting e-crime in the future as the e-criminals and their methods become more sophisticated and harder to track.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Frowen

Many computer contractors wonder how they can differentiate themselves from others in the marketplace so they can attract the best, steady, high-paying clients. First, to set yourself apart from the competition and get small business owners to choose you, build a strong professional brand around a unique industry twist or a specialty.
If you really want to succeed as a computer contractor, you can't go in flashing certifications or vendor logos and reducing yourself to just another commodity service provider. These features can be part of your background information (About Us Web page) and something to talk about with clients, but this shouldn't be your introductory sales pitch. The following 4 tips can help computer contractors be proactive about marketing and selling their brands and the unique industry-specific value that they bring to the table.

1. Fulfill Unfulfilled Needs. To set yourself apart from other computer contractors, find an under-served local niche and really dominate that niche. Put some real work into finding local niches with real problems you can solve with your unique skill set. Discovering a good niche can be as simple as asking around and engaging in targeted, proactive networking activities.
2. Find Your Special Industry Twist. When networking through organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce or the Rotary club, talking to prospects at B2B expos, or engaging in any other focused relationship-marketing activity, look for a big IT problem that is not being solved. When you spend some time really asking questions of small business owners, one day a light bulb will go off as you discover a twist that no one has ever thought of before in your local area. When you think of a solution that can really work for a lot of people in your area, you will find a great way to differentiate yourself and be a true IT specialist.
3. Make Sure You Identify Real Problems. Make sure you don't try to sell solutions to problems that don't actually exist. Accept that you and your prospects might not agree on what their problems are. Do you want to waste time selling data security solutions to a small business owner that has no idea why data security is important? Computer contractors should certainly spend time educating prospects and future clients on IT security and other important small business IT issues. However, if your prospects just don't understand what you're selling or why you're selling it, rethink your strategies to get to the heart of what matters most to your target prospects. There will certainly be other computer contractors just down the street that understand them and will be vying to take your spot as their IT professional. Identify real problems to offer real solutions.
4. Size Up Competing Computer Contractors. You need to know your local competition reasonably well. Find your four or five biggest competitors. Study their Web sites and brochures to see what they are up to. Figure out if they all look the same. By looking at materials from local competitors, you can figure out what you need to do to stand out as the ideal choice for your target prospects.

In this article, we talked about 4 tips to help you specialize and set yourself apart from their competitors.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Feinberg