Digium Report Rise in Asterisk Downloads

Digium announced that the Asterisk open source telephony software was downloaded 1.5 million times in 2008, more than any other year in company history and 50 percent higher than last year.

Digium said the announcement caps a year of milestones and accolades for the company, and marks a promising start to 2009, when Digium celebrates the 10th anniversary of Asterisk, the open source software that has changed the telecommunications world.

Digium's strong 2008 year highlights the attractiveness of less expensive, easily customizable open source software in the current recession. Asterisk is the world's dominant open source telephony software. As the economic crisis worsened, Asterisk downloads rose by 32 percent from September through December, compared to a year ago.

Digium said its top 2008 accomplishments include the launch of the beta version of Skype for Asterisk, which enables customers to make, receive and transfer Skype calls from within their Asterisk phone systems. Digium also completed the integration of Switchvox, provider of the world's foremost open source-based IP PBX, which Digium acquired in 2007. After successfully integrating Switchvox's channel partners, the Digium Authorized Reseller Program now includes nearly 400 resellers.

"A decade after the Asterisk open source software changed the telephony world forever, Digium continues to revolutionize the way businesses and individuals communicate," said Danny Windham, Digium's chief executive officer. "We are all working diligently to extend the success Digium has enjoyed in 2008 into 2009 and beyond."

Digium created, owns and is the force behind Asterisk, open source telephony software.

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