Elastix - The reliable PBX appliance software

Elastix feature list

The features provided by Elastix are many and varied. Elastix integrates many software packages, each including their own set of great features. However, Elastix adds new interfaces for control and reporting of its own, to make it a complete package. Some of the features provided natively by Elastix are:

VoIP PBX

Call recording with a Web interface to search recordings
Voicemail and Voicemail-to-Email functionality
Flexible IVR configurable by a Web Inteface.
Voice synthesis support
Extension Batch Tool to create large numbers of extensions using CSV files.
Integrated Echo Canceller
Phone provisioner, configurable via a Web Interface. Allows configuration of a large number of IP phones in a short time for supported phones.
Support for video phones
Hardware detection interface allowing quick & easy setup of a range of popular telephony hardware.
ntegrated DHCP server to dynamically assign IPs to the IP-Phones
Operator panel. Monitor PBX activity via a graphical interface and perform call transfers and parkings by a simple drag-n-drop. * Call parking allowing calls to be picked up at any extension.
Call Detail (CDRs) report within you can search calls based on different criteria as date, extension number, etc
Billing report from which you can filter by destination, source
Report of channels used by technology (SIP, ZAP, IAX, Local, H323)
Support for call queues including static and dynamic agents
Conference Center. Allows setup of temporary scheduled conferences or static conference rooms via Web Interface * Support the following protocols: SIP, IAX, H323, MGCP, SKINNY, etc
Supported codecs: ADPCM, G.711 (A-Law & μ-Law), G.722, G.723.1 (pass through), G.726, G.729 (through a commercial license), GSM, iLBC
Support for analog interfaces as FXS/FXO (PSTN/POTS)
Support for digital interfaces as E1/T1/J1 through protocols as PRI/BRI/R2
Support for bluetooth interfaces through cell phones (chan_mobile)
Caller ID supported.
Multiple Trunk support.
Incoming and outgoing routes with support dial pattern matching which gives flexibility
Follow-me support
Support for ring groups
Support for paging and intercom for supported IP Phones
Support for call routing based on Time Conditions
Support for PIN sets
Direct Inward System Access (DISA) - Direct access to the PBX via External Line
Callback * Web based file editor to manually edit the Asterisk configuration files
Web based interface to the Asterisk console called the CLI

General

Online and contextual embedded help, integrated to the administrative Web interface.
Elastix is translated to 20 languages
System resources monitor
Network configurator
The server can be shutdown from the Web
Access control to the Web interface based on the ACL concept
Interface to manage updates
Backup/Restore
Skins support
Server date/time/timezone configurable from the Web

FAX

Fax server based on HylaFax
The fax functionality is administrable via Web
Fax visor integrated. The faxes can be downloaded from the Web in PDF format *
Fax-to-email application
The email template (from fax-to-email) can be customized
Access control for fax clientes (white list)
Can be integrated with the WinprintHylafax plugin. This applications allows to print any document to a virtual fax from a Windows application.

Instant Messaging

Instant Messaging (IM) server based on the Openfire project and integrated with Asterisk. It is based on the Jabber protocol which allows for compatibility with many Jabber clients.
A call can be started from the IM client if you use the Spark client and have installed the Asterisk-IM plugin.
The IM server can be configured from the Web from a friendly interface
Supports groups of IM users
Supports connection with other IM gateways like MSN, Yahoo Messenger, GTalk, ICQ, etc. This allows the user to connect to several networks from the same IM client
Report of user sessions * Support for plugins to extend functionality
LDAP support
Support server-to-server connections to share users between two servers

Email

Email server with multi-domain support
Based in Postfix for high email volume
Administrable via Web
Interface to configure the Relay networks
Web based email client based on the Roundcube project
Support for quotas (the quotas are configurable via Web)

Collaboration

Calendar integrated with the PBX with support for automatic voice notifications. That means that a call is generated when a notification is triggered
Phone Book with click-to-dial capabilities
Two CRM products integrated to the interface (vTigerCRM and SugarCRM)

Extras

A2Billing integrated into the product to manage calling cards
A complete CRM based on the vTigerCRM project
Open Source version of SugarCRM integrated

Call center module

Elastix was the first distrobution that included a call center module with a predictive dialer, released enterely as [Free /Libre Software]. This module can be installed from the same web-based Elastix interface through a module loader.

The call center module can handle incoming and outgoing campaigns. Some features are:

Open Source Predictive dialer
Support for Do-Not-Call List
Support for incoming and outgoing campaigns
Forms can be associated to a campaign and designed through an Web wizard
A "script" can be associated to a campaign
Agent console
Support for various types of breaks
Advanced Reports

Support for telephony hardware

Elastix has a good support for telephony hardware. It includes drivers for the major manufacturers like:

OpenVox
Digium
Sangoma
Rhino Equipment
Xorcom
Yeastar

The most of these drivers are supported through the zaptel project or modified versions of it. Other drivers are supported by the mIDSN project and other projects.

Elastix also support other phone brands thanks to the SIP and IAX protocols that Asterisk implement. These protocols are based on public available standards. For this reason any manufacturer can build a product that supports them.

Some supported manufacturer are: