Asterisk 1.8 Released with Support for Google Voice, Calendaring, and More

Open source telephony vendor Digium released the newest version of its popular free VoIP software Asterisk today, and it's packed with more than 200 enhancements, security updates, and new features -- including calendar integration and support for Google Voice and Google Talk. Asterisk's fully- featured PBX includes call waiting, hold and transfer, caller ID, and other useful tools so it's a great option for small businesses that need to watch costs.

Some of the notable new features in Asterisk 1.8 include:

Google Talk and Google Voice support -- Inbound and outbound support for Google Talk and Google Voice calling.

Calendar integration -- Support for Microsoft Exchange, CalDav and iCalendar.

Default de-noise for conference bridge calls -- Conference calls will sound clearer.

Multicast RTP paging -- Extremely efficient and scalable method for handset paging.

High-resolution timestamps for call data records (CDR) -- Carrier and enterprise users can track call times to the microsecond.

Asterisk 1.8 also includes support for additional codecs (including HD voice), tools to change the pitch of callers voices for easier listening, and PacketCable NCS 1.0 support that allows cable companies to create business services for their customers.

Asterisk 1.8 is the first update since version 1.4 to be desginated as a Long Term Support release so customers can count on four years of vendor support in addition to the strong community assistance also available. The software is licencensed under the GNU General Public License (GPLv2) and avaialable for immediate download.