Odyssey is an open-source converged telephony platform, which is designed primarily to run on Linux. Odyssey combines over one hundred years of telephony knowledge into a robust suite of tightly integrated telecommunications applications.

The power of Odyssey lies in its customizable nature complemented by unmatched standards compliance. No other PBX can be deployed in so many creative ways with applications such as: voicemail, hosted conferencing, call queuing and agents, music on hold, and call parking . . . all standard features built right into the software. Moreover, Odyssey can integrate with other business technologies in ways that closed proprietary PBX's can scarcely dream of.

Telecommunications is arguably the last major electronics industry that has (until now) remained untouched by the open-source revolution. Major telecommunications manufacturers still build ridiculously expensive incompatible systems running complicated code on impressively engineered yet obsolete hardware. As an example, Nortel's business communication manager kludges together a Windows NT 4.0 server, a 15-year-old VX Works-based key telephone switch, and a 700 Mh pc. All of this could be yours for between $5,000 and $15,000, not including telephones.

If you want to do anything interesting, you'll have to pay extra licensing fees for closed limited functionality, shrink-wrapped applications, and customization. Forget it. It's not in the plan. Future telephony and standards compliance? Give them a year or two; they're working on it. Odyssey Voice changes all that. With Odyssey no one is telling you how your phone system works or what technology you are limited to. If you want it, you can have it. Odyssey lovingly embraces the concept of standards compliance while also enjoying the freedom to develop its own innovations. What you choose to implement is up to you. Odyssey imposes no limits.

Naturally, this incredible flexibility comes with a price. Odyssey is not a simple system to configure. This is not because it's illogical, confusing or cryptic; to the contrary, it is very sensible and practical. People's eyes light up when they first see an Odyssey dial plan and begin to contemplate the possibilities. But when there are literally thousands of ways to achieve a result, the process normally requires extra effort; however, CR Technologies simplifies this and does all the work for you on the set-up. While voice over IP (VOIP) is often thought of as little more than a method of obtaining free long-distance calling, the real value (and let's be honest, challenges) of VOIP is that it allows a voice to become nothing more than another application in the data network. It sometimes seems that we've forgotten that the purpose of our telephone is to allow people to communicate. It is a simple goal really, and should be possible for us to make it happen in far more flexible and creative ways than are currently available to us. Since the industry has demonstrated an unwillingness to pursue this goal, Odyssey has decided to change all that. The challenge comes from the fact that an industry that has changed very little in the last century shows real interest in starting now.

Come along and join the thousands of Odyssey converts as we welcome the challenge to tame your telephony issues.

Sample Features