Suggestions for Computer Answering Systems? 54
{e}N0S asks: "Just got done watching the movie Brainscan and it got me wanting my computer to handle my telephone again. Features like: menu systems, custom greetings based on caller id, remote access, voice recognition ("igor hold" "holding") and such would be ideal. Have you Slashdot readers implemented something like this, and do you have tips on good software?"
isdn4bsd (Score:3, Informative)
In the FreeBSD 3.something days I remember to have used isdn4bsd [freebsd.org] - a very fine software package. I am not sure if that still holds true today, but iirc it did just what you asked for.
Vgetty (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Vgetty (Score:3, Insightful)
The one thing that I loved about it, which most typical answering machines don't allow for, is that I could call in and check my messages, and it could even tell me whether or not I had messages waiting by changing the number of rings before picking up.
Of course, I don't have a land line anymore, I don't keep any machines on 24/7 anymore (except the MythTV machine), and
Re:Vgetty (Score:1)
Re:Vgetty (Score:2)
Re:Vgetty (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Vgetty (Score:1)
Re:Vgetty (Score:1, Informative)
It replaced my 5 year old Sony(I forget the model number) that *ALSO* provided the feature of changing the number of rings based on whether there were waiting messages.
The Sony replaced some 1 year old POS that did the same thing.
Contrary to your experience, I have yet to purchase an answering machine the doesn't offer this feature which I've never even used!
Re:Vgetty (Score:2, Interesting)
My GE Phone/Digital Answering-Machine/900 MHz cordless base (model: 26958GE1-A) is four years old and has it. There's a switch on the back that causes it to answer on the fourth ring if no messages and the second ring if there are messages in memory.
Re:Vgetty (Score:2)
Agreed. My family first got an answering machine when I was about 8 years old. We've had 4 or 5 since then, and I have personally had 4 or 5 myself, osme of which I got for free to play around/use for parts. Every one had a Toll Saver feature. 2 ring pickup if you had mesages, 4 rings if you didn't.
Re:Vgetty (Score:1)
Re:Is it good enough? (Score:2)
Re:Is it good enough? (Score:1)
Had a similar experience calling my phone provider (Telus) only funnier. They used to have separate services for DSL, landline, credit, etc., but I called one service and got the main service again. Not being a fan of voice-based systems in the first place, I uttered a certain word that sounds like 'puck'....
"You appear to be experiencing difficulties with our automated system. You are being directed to our help system. When prompted, please indicate the nature of your problem..."
Let's just say that I ha
GNU Bayonne (Score:4, Informative)
Danger! PHB Alert! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:GNU Bayonne (Score:2)
Re:Vocp (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Vocp (Score:2)
Here's one (Score:4, Informative)
I have not tried it but here's one:
EzVoice 2.0 [internetsoftsolution.com]
Re:Here's one (Score:1)
And here's what it can do:
Features [internetsoftsolution.com]
Asterisk (Score:5, Informative)
Features like: menu systems, custom greetings based on caller id, remote access, voice recognition ("igor hold" "holding") and such would be ideal.
Check out Asterisk [asterisk.org]. It's got all the features you ask about, supports POTS, ISDN, T-1, E-1, TDM, SIP, MGCP, etc., etc., ad naseum. You can easily setup a separate call queue based on the caller ID value, call-back, IVR, etc.I haven't been lurking in the list recently but you probably can do voice commands (roll your sleves up).Re:Asterisk (Score:5, Informative)
Pound for pound, Asterisk is the best solution for computer telephony in the Linux arena. Bayonne is progressing, but it's not to the level yet that Asterisk has had for half a year now.
Asterisk supports SIP, H323, MGCP, SCCP, ISDN, PSTN, PRI, just about anything you can throw at it that has an ominous sounding acronym.
Besides that, the Asterisk people are helpful if you demonstrate that you're interested in learning, not just the quick fix.
Come check out #asterisk on freenode(openprojects) or http://www.asterisk.org to see what Asterisk can do for you!
Re:Asterisk (Score:3, Funny)
Shouldn't that read:
Re:Asterisk (Score:2, Informative)
Drop by and say hi at #asterisk on freenode (try irc.debian.org) (if you need an irc client try mIRC [mirc.com] for windows).
There's a good article by John Todd [oreillynet.com] at o'Reilly here [onlamp.com].
Here's a Guide to Asterisk [automated.it].
There's also a Wiki [voip-info.org]
Re:Asterisk (Score:2)
Re:Asterisk (Score:2, Informative)
You would need to connect each phone to a separate FSX port. Then setup extensions and a dialing plan and yo
Re:Asterisk (Score:2)
Thanks for the reply. With #4, I'm trying to determine if I can connect one side of the PBX to a cell phone ("somehow").
Is it possible to have all the house phones be "bridged together" like they are now? one circuit for all the existing analog phones, serviced by the PBX?
Re:Asterisk (Score:2)
So, one TDM10B (1-port, internal) and one X100P (1-port, external), then? Could I get a TDM20B (two-port unit) and use one interface for the telco and one for the house phones?
Pluto? (Score:2)
I built something like this for my dad. (Score:1)
Voice on a non-voice modem? (Score:2)
Acorn Archimedes (Score:1)
It didn't have any features mentioned by the OP, but I'm willing to bet it was pretty darn good for the time.
I can't remember when we started using it, but I know we stopped using it in '99, and it had been going for quite some time then.
Boy are you lucky (Score:3, Informative)
This Book ... (Score:3, Informative)
You could implement it under Windows (Score:2, Funny)
Hello, thank you for calling the Penn Central Company's chemical spill emergency hotline. This is an automated system. Press 1 for English, Press 2 for Spanish.
<2>
You have chosen Spanish. This change requires a system restart. Press 1 to reboot the call server.
<1>
Please stand by.
[Click]
[Dialtone]
[A few minutes pass]
[Phone rings]
Ole, gracious por ...
Re:You could implement it under Windows (Score:1)
Re:You could implement it under Windows (Score:1)
Linux Toys (Score:2)
One of the better projects in Linux Toys [barnesandnoble.com] is a Linux based telephone answering system.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:POTS is obsolete: use internetphone systems (Score:2)
ZyXEL (Score:3, Interesting)
Long story short, it came with dos software to run a complete little voicemail system, even a 486 could handle it nicely (as long as it had a 16550a uart). If not, you could still use vgetty or role your own as other people have suggested and you still have a cool voice modem :)
Advanced Call Center (Score:1)
Re:Advanced Call Center (Score:1)
vgetty experiences (Score:1)
I tried vgetty and found it did what I wanted: automatically answer the phone (a) play back a greeting and record a message or (b) switch to receive a fax. It could also switch to become a data line but I never tried using that functionality. This worked fine under both Linux (RH) and FreeBSD with an ISA USR voice/fax/data modem.
Some problems I encountered: