OpenVBX: Build Your Own Phone System

The Enduring Importance of Business Phone Systems

Despite the increasing shift of business operations online, a robust phone system remains a critical asset for numerous organizations. The telecommunications landscape is evolving, and innovative companies like Twilio are leading the charge.

These services essentially provide 'cloud-based phone systems,' enabling both inbound and outbound voice calls and text messaging through a programmatic interface known as an API. While offering considerable flexibility and power – a comprehensive overview of features is available on their website – a user-friendly alternative to conventional, fully-featured phone systems has been lacking.

Introducing OpenVBX: A Customizable Solution

OpenVBX presents itself as an open-source PBX (Private Branch Exchange) phone system, designed for hosting on any web server utilizing a Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP (LAMP) stack. Comparisons to Google Voice have been made, but it’s arguably a significantly more versatile and potent solution due to its inherent customizability.

Currently, OpenVBX natively supports the protocols offered by Twilio, and the following instructions will focus on utilizing this integration.

Extensibility and Future Potential

Given its open-source nature, modifying the code to accommodate other providers, such as Teleku or any service with an API compatible with Twilio's Markup Language, is a straightforward process.

The emergence of a standardized protocol would greatly enhance OpenVBX’s compatibility, allowing it to seamlessly integrate with a wider range of telecommunication providers. This would unlock even greater potential for businesses seeking adaptable phone solutions.

OpenVBX Installation Guide

Initiating the installation of OpenVBX requires obtaining the source code and transferring it to your web hosting environment. Accessing the installation URL will then allow you to verify compatibility between your web host and the OpenVBX software.

In certain instances, adjusting file permissions may be necessary. Specifically, the config and upload directories might require permissions set to 777 to ensure write access for the web server. Beyond this, the standard web hosting configuration is typically sufficient.

The subsequent step involves configuring your database using the credentials provided by your web hosting provider. You will also need to input details regarding the system's designated email address and establish initial login credentials for a user account.

Crucially, you must provide your Account SID and Token, which are accessible from the Twilio main Dashboard. These credentials establish the connection between your OpenVBX installation and your Twilio account. If you’ve adapted the code to integrate with a different API, you’ll input the corresponding information instead.

Upon completion of these steps, the installation should be finalized, redirecting you to the login interface. Utilize the credentials you previously defined to log in. The initial task is to register a telephone number that the system will utilize for outbound calls.

This number will serve as a primary identifier throughout the system. It’s important to include any additional phone numbers that your system may need to contact, such as traditional landlines, mobile phones, Skype numbers, or SIP addresses. This is where the system’s capabilities begin to unfold!

Configuring Call Flows in OpenVBX

The call flow configuration within OpenVBX is remarkably well-designed. It provides the ability to define specific actions triggered by incoming phone calls, accommodating a wide range of scenarios.

Core functionalities include call menus (utilizing key presses for navigation), direct number dialing, voicemail routing, conference call initiation, automated greetings, SMS message delivery, and call termination. These flows dictate the user experience following an inbound call or text message.

Creating a Call Menu

For instance, to enable callers to dial an extension by pressing a specific number, the Menu option is selected and dragged from the right-hand panel to the workflow area. This action opens a configuration panel requiring the following inputs:

• The initial greeting presented to callers.
• The numerical options available for caller input.
• The corresponding action executed upon each number press.
• The system's response to invalid input or inactivity.