[November 18, 2008] PIKA WARP the Appliance now compatible with FreePBX Tweet OTTAWA, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- PIKA Technologies Inc., a developer of media-processing hardware and software, today announced that PIKA WARP the Appliance is now compatible with the Asterisk-based FreePBX GUI (Graphical User Interface) application, providing developers with new options for voice application development and deployment. PIKA began to ship its WARP product portfolio in June, providing the market with a less expensive, more reliable and much more compact alternative to typical off-the-shelf computers with plug-in voice boards for voice-application deployment. (For a datasheet on PIKA WARP that includes technical specifications, see http://www.pikatechnologies.com/appliance.) WARP's flexibility has now been extended to include FreePBX, one of the top Asterisk GUIs in use today. The FreePBX application provides pre-programmed functionality for users wanting to ease the work required to configure the Asterisk open-source platform. Anyone familiar with the Asterisk platform understands the time and technical skill required to set it up and program its features during an installation. FreePBX is a full-featured web application that eliminates these headaches by offering pre-programmed functionality with a user-friendly web interface. While customers often develop their own GUIs, many have told PIKA that if WARP were compatible with industry-standard GUIs like FreePBX, they would be much more inclined to adopt the portfolio. With today's announcement, PIKA has once again demonstrated its responsiveness to the needs of its user base. "We are very pleased to have supported the effort to adopt the FreePBX application to run in the PIKA Warp environment," said Terry Atwood, vice president of sales, marketing and customer care at PIKA Technologies. "Used in many Asterisk implementations around the world, including Trixbox, FreePBX has proven its value, time and again. When the FreePBX team expressed their willingness to work with us to port to the Warp Appliance, we jumped on the opportunity." "FreePBX has become the de facto standard for enterprise grade PBX functionality delivered to the SMB business and includes a very rich set of functionality and customization potential," said Philippe Lindheimer, open source community director of Bandwidth.com and leader of the FreePBX project. "But no GUI is complete without a wide range of hardware options to complete the package. We are delighted that PIKA can now include FreePBX in the PIKA WARP and bring our two eco-systems together." Today's announcement from PIKA follows news of a new partnership between FreePBX and Bandwidth.com, a complete business communications provider offering advanced VoIP, Internet services and managed network services to small and medium businesses. Bandwidth.com will devote significant resources to expand the scope of FreePBX while protecting its charter to remain open source and free. "The partnership with Bandwidth.com is great news as it gives FreePBX the support it needs to grow while ensuring it remains a free GUI for the entire open source eco-system," said David Clarke, business development manager at PIKA and director of the PIKA Warp Community. "I know the choice of Bandwidth.com was a decision that Philippe made only after months of consideration and sound input from the key developers and contributors to the FreePBX project." Out of the box, FreePBX provides a long list of features including many typically found only in an enterprise-grade PBX, some examples are: - Unlimited number of voicemail boxes - "Follow me" functionality - Ring groups and call queues - Unlimited number of conference bridges - Paging and intercom functionality - and much more The PIKA WARP Appliance product portfolio is ideal for deploying small- to medium-sized IP-PBX systems, IVR self-service systems, predictive dialling systems, fax servers and many other features typical of a traditional, purpose-built business telephone system that are often lacking in a computerized system. Compatible with a variety of open-source development platforms, including Asterisk and Linux, the Appliance offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional off-the-shelf computers and plug-in-card network connectivity in a smaller footprint. About Bandwidth.com Bandwidth.com is a nationwide business communications provider offering VoIP, Internet and managed network services to businesses. The company delivers its services across one of the most advanced networks in North America, becoming one of the most trusted next generation VoIP providers in the nation. Inc. Magazine recognized Bandwidth.com as the #1 fastest growing private telecommunications service provider for the third year in a row. Bandwidth.com is also the primary sponsor of the FreePBX project. Visit http://www.bandwidth.com/ and http://www.freepbx.org/ for more information. About PIKA Technologies PIKA Technologies for over 20 years has been providing developers with the tools they need to build advanced voice and fax applications like IP PBX, fax broadcast and self-service IVR. As the technology landscape has changed, so too has PIKA, building out its product offering so its customers can choose the right tool set for their applications. Whether building applications using board-based media processing or using host-based solutions, application developers of all kinds turn to PIKA for their development tools. In addition to its traditional line of hardware and software solutions, PIKA now offers a family of appliances that provide top-quality performance out of the box. PIKA sells these products directly and also makes them available through its growing network of resellers and distributors. Known for its exceptional customer service, PIKA's customers can expect the same high level of personalized, fast and free support that the company has always delivered. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, the company has ranked in The Branham 300, an authoritative ranking of successful Canadian high tech firms, for six consecutive years. Visit http://www.pikatechnologies.com/ or call +1-613-591-1555 for more information. The names of actual companies or products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. PIKA is a registered trademark of PIKA Technologies Inc. Asterisk is a registered trademark of DIGIUM Inc. FreePBX is a registered trademark of Bandwidth.com. Pika Technologies Inc. CONTACT: Media and analysts contact: Leo Valiquette, inmedia PublicRelations Inc., (613) 234-7227 x226, [email protected]; Danny Sullivan,inmedia Public Relations Inc., (UK): +44 (0) 141 404 6478, (US): +1 (613)686-5657, [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]