Dave Michels posted a great summary about AstriCon 2009 on Pin Drop Soup:

http://www.pindropsoup.com/2009/10/astricon-update.html

Now that we’ve returned from the Phoenix sun, we’ll probably write our own summary in the future.

Ty would be proud...

Are you ready? Tomorrow, Asterisk fans, fanatics, developers, users, and more will gather in Glendale, Arizona for AstriCon 2009. AstriCon, the official conference for Asterisk, runs from October 13 – 15.

This year, yours truly will speak (and very honored to do so) in a talk titled “Asterisk Applications – Unexpected Hurdles.”  (summary below)

But wait, there’s more…

Just in time for AstriCon, Digium pulled a Ty Pennington on the ol’ Asterisk website. It looks amazing. Just a great way to start the conference!

I’m extremely excited to be heading West and cannot wait to share the information learned. Get ready for a great show!

About Asterisk

Asterisk is free, open source software provided under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Asterisk is the most popular open source software available, with the Asterisk Community being the top influencer in VoIP.

Why free? It’s just how Digium rolls. They really take that GPL open source to heart.

For more information, please check out:

• Asterisk.org
• Digium, Inc.
• AstriCon.net

Summary of Fred’s talk:

With Asterisk AGI programming, almost anything is possible. From phone based payment systems to providing real-time information, Asterisk makes it possible to bring information to anyone with a phone. Sometimes, even the simplest applications can have unexpected consequences. Building a real-time Parking Garage availability application in Ann Arbor, Michigan was met with great appreciation by residents but blocked by government who didn’t understand how Asterisk gathered data — interpreting it instead as a Security risk. The talk would explain that when building even the simplest public application, the designers should be familiar with public access laws and be able to articulate how their application gathers data. Freedom of Information will also be discussed.

In the first day (or we guess “pre” day) of AstriCon, Fred proudly reports the swag received:

• Digium Pen
• Sangoma Pocket Screwdriver
• Orange Asterisk t-shirt
• Orange AstriCon tote bag

Identifying the strength of Asterisk, the revenue of Switchvox, and the popularity of Astricon, iLocus predicts the next VoIP company to go public will be Digium. Of course, we believe that if you can put 5 hyperlinks in the first sentence, you should just stop and let the hyperlinks do the talking. We have been in a non-stock buying mode, but an IPO from Digium might just change our minds.

• Asterisk is free, open source software provided under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Asterisk is the most popular open source software available, with the Asterisk Community being the top influencer in VoIP.
• Digium®, Inc., the Asterisk company, is the original creator and primary developer of Asterisk, the industry’s first open source telephony platform. Digium provides quality hardware and software products, including AsteriskNOW™, the complete open source software appliance; Asterisk Business Edition™, the professional-grade version of Asterisk; the AA50, the Asterisk Appliance™ hardware-based telephony solution; and Switchvox, a complete turn-key IP PBX solution, to enterprises and telecommunications providers worldwide. Digium also offers a full range of professional services, including consulting, technical support, and custom software development. All of Digium’s commercially offered products come with the Exceptional Satisfaction Program™ (ESP), the only 100% customer satisfaction guarantee in the open source telephony world today.
• iLocus conducts Business-to-Business (B2B) market research i.e. market data concerning products/services that are traded between two businesses.