Squidnutz/extractedtest · Datasets at Hugging Face

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is by no means the final word on VoIP security. While we have tried to be as compre‐
hensive as we can be in this book, you must accept responsibility for the security of
your system.

The criminals are working hard to find weaknesses and exploit them.

376

\|

Chapter 22: Security

CHAPTER 23
Asterisk: A Future for Telephony

Hey, I just met you,
And this is crazy,

But here’s my number,

So call me, maybe?

—Carly Rae Jepsen

We have arrived at the final chapter of this book. We’ve covered a lot (and this book
has been massively modified over the years), but we hope that we have made it clear
that we’ve merely scratched the surface of Asterisk. To wrap things up, we want to
spend some time exploring what we might see from Asterisk and open source teleph‐
ony in the near future.

When we wrote the first edition of Asterisk: The Future of Telephony, we confidently
asserted that open source communications engines such as Asterisk would cause a
shift in thinking that would transform the telecommunications industry. In many
ways, our belief has been proven correct; however, some might argue it was a hollow
victory, because what has also happened during that time is a shift away from tele‐
communications as a primary real-time communications medium. Younger genera‐
tions have little or no use for telephone calls, and consider them disruptive, annoying,
and in some cases even rude.

So, even as Asterisk ushered in a transformed age for the telecommunications indus‐
try, it has now become the standard-bearer for technologies that many say are as good
as dead.

While there can be no doubt that the telephone is no longer the primary communica‐
tions technology in the world (not by a long shot!), when we distill communications
down to their essence, we find there may be a future for this stuff yet.

377

The Telephone Is Dead (Except When It’s Not)
While it is obvious that younger generations do not use the telephone much any‐
more, it is also true that older generations are very frustrated and disillusioned by
modern communications technologies. For them, the telephone represents a reliable,
predictable, and easy-to-understand communications method, and they are likely to
continue using it for the remainder of their lives. Since there are an awful lot of old
people in this world, and many of them are senior executives, decision makers, and
shareholders—not to mention well-heeled customers—it seems to be a good strategy
for businesses today to continue to ensure that their customers can reach them
through the telephone.

When one has tried all other methods of communication, such as email, webforms,
and perhaps even text messaging, one will finally pick up the phone and call. It seems
that in many cases, a problem that could not get sorted out any other way is finally
resolved over the phone.

It would also be correct to say that the increasingly poor job companies are doing in
handling communications with their customers is a source of much frustration and
confusion. However, as always, where there is a problem, there exists opportunity.
Companies that retain a commitment to an excellent telecom infrastructure may find
themselves with a distinct competitive advantage, using nothing more complicated
than good old-fashioned customer service. If you wish to service customers over age
50, you would do well to keep your telephone system running well.

Another interesting component of traditional telecommunications networks is that
while we can never be sure that we are using the same conferencing software as each
other (never in history have so many near-identical apps had to be installed just to
allow people to talk to each other), we can be reasonably sure that if one of us picks
up the phone and dials the other’s phone number, a successful conversation will be
possible, without any troubleshooting or software installation. In an age where it
seems no conference call can start without someone having to troubleshoot their app,
this kind of universal consistency and reliability likely still has some value. Today’s
hot new office collaboration software is tomorrow’s forgotten toy (whither thou,
Skype?). The brave old telephone soldiers on.

We’re not sure the telephone is dead just yet.

Communications Overload
In many ways, the ability to communicate defines our species. Yes, other critters are
able to signal each other in basic ways, but our fascination with creating ever-
changing and innovative ways to connect to each other is not something we’ve
encountered in any other being.

378

\|

Chapter 23: Asterisk: A Future for Telephony

From the carrier pigeon to the postal service to the telegraph, telephone, and televi‐
sion, each new technology served the same goal: improving our ability to communi‐

is by no means the final word on VoIP security. While we have tried to be as compre‐

hensive as we can be in this book, you must accept responsibility for the security of

your system.

The criminals are working hard to find weaknesses and exploit them.

376

|

Chapter 22: Security

CHAPTER 23

Asterisk: A Future for Telephony

Hey, I just met you,

And this is crazy,

But here’s my number,

So call me, maybe?

—Carly Rae Jepsen

We have arrived at the final chapter of this book. We’ve covered a lot (and this book

has been massively modified over the years), but we hope that we have made it clear

that we’ve merely scratched the surface of Asterisk. To wrap things up, we want to

spend some time exploring what we might see from Asterisk and open source teleph‐

ony in the near future.

When we wrote the first edition of Asterisk: The Future of Telephony, we confidently

asserted that open source communications engines such as Asterisk would cause a

shift in thinking that would transform the telecommunications industry. In many

ways, our belief has been proven correct; however, some might argue it was a hollow

victory, because what has also happened during that time is a shift away from tele‐

communications as a primary real-time communications medium. Younger genera‐

tions have little or no use for telephone calls, and consider them disruptive, annoying,

and in some cases even rude.

So, even as Asterisk ushered in a transformed age for the telecommunications indus‐

try, it has now become the standard-bearer for technologies that many say are as good

as dead.

While there can be no doubt that the telephone is no longer the primary communica‐

tions technology in the world (not by a long shot!), when we distill communications

down to their essence, we find there may be a future for this stuff yet.

377

The Telephone Is Dead (Except When It’s Not)

While it is obvious that younger generations do not use the telephone much any‐

more, it is also true that older generations are very frustrated and disillusioned by

modern communications technologies. For them, the telephone represents a reliable,

predictable, and easy-to-understand communications method, and they are likely to

continue using it for the remainder of their lives. Since there are an awful lot of old

people in this world, and many of them are senior executives, decision makers, and

shareholders—not to mention well-heeled customers—it seems to be a good strategy

for businesses today to continue to ensure that their customers can reach them

through the telephone.

When one has tried all other methods of communication, such as email, webforms,

and perhaps even text messaging, one will finally pick up the phone and call. It seems

that in many cases, a problem that could not get sorted out any other way is finally

resolved over the phone.

It would also be correct to say that the increasingly poor job companies are doing in

handling communications with their customers is a source of much frustration and

confusion. However, as always, where there is a problem, there exists opportunity.

Companies that retain a commitment to an excellent telecom infrastructure may find

themselves with a distinct competitive advantage, using nothing more complicated

than good old-fashioned customer service. If you wish to service customers over age

50, you would do well to keep your telephone system running well.

Another interesting component of traditional telecommunications networks is that

while we can never be sure that we are using the same conferencing software as each

other (never in history have so many near-identical apps had to be installed just to

allow people to talk to each other), we can be reasonably sure that if one of us picks

up the phone and dials the other’s phone number, a successful conversation will be

possible, without any troubleshooting or software installation. In an age where it

seems no conference call can start without someone having to troubleshoot their app,

this kind of universal consistency and reliability likely still has some value. Today’s

hot new office collaboration software is tomorrow’s forgotten toy (whither thou,

Skype?). The brave old telephone soldiers on.

We’re not sure the telephone is dead just yet.

Communications Overload

In many ways, the ability to communicate defines our species. Yes, other critters are

able to signal each other in basic ways, but our fascination with creating ever-

changing and innovative ways to connect to each other is not something we’ve

encountered in any other being.

378

|

Chapter 23: Asterisk: A Future for Telephony

From the carrier pigeon to the postal service to the telegraph, telephone, and televi‐

sion, each new technology served the same goal: improving our ability to communi‐