Use FreeSwitch/FusionPBX as standalone voicemail server for existing IP PBX phone system

[starlessblack]

Hi, all. I’m exploring the feasibility of using FreeSwitch and FusionPBX as a standalone voicemail server to connect to an existing Iwatsu IP PBX phone system, but I’m having trouble understanding the technology and terminology enough to know how to ask the right questions and was hoping for some help/guidance here.

Our existing PBX has a SIP card with 8 ports (extensions?) currently designated for voicemail that are sent to our old/existing voicemail server. I believe that this existing voicemail server might connect to the PBX’s SIP voicemail ports via CSTA client–in the configuration you just enter the IP address of the Iwatsu’s LAN2 card (which handles the SIP connections?) and define how many ports you want it to use and what their port numbers are, and the voicemail server then registers those ports with the Iwatsu as the intended SIP client.

How can I accomplish this with FusionPBX? Thank you!

 

[DigitalDaz]

I think you would need to capture some of this voicemail sip traffic somehow in order to get more help or at least some much more specific documentation on what is going on.

The capturing of the traffic shouldn't be too difficult if you can get a switch with port mirroring or something similar between the two devices.

 

[starlessblack]

Thank you for the quick response, @DigitalDaz. I know of at least one commercial product out there that is based on an older build of Asterisk/FreePBX and has the ability to directly integrate with our IP-PBX system, so my thought was surely there's a way FreeSwitch/FusionPBX could be configured to do the same.

Perhaps creating a SIP trunk from the IP PBX to the FusionPBX instance?

 

[hfoster]

Probably FreeSwitch is quite flexible, but I doubt FusionPBX is going to help too much here. You're probably going to have to get down and dirty in FreeSwitch if you wanted something seamless, but I can imagine it's a lot of work making it functional it with this PBX in question.

The only way I can see it being 'easy' is if you just created extensions with voicemail boxes on FusionPBX and transferred calls to those extensions. You would then register the handsets to the extensions for *97 purposes on a second or third line. Or forget the handsets and people listen to voicemails from the web interface or a SIP client.

At this point, I'd be seriously wondering why I'm trying to keep hold of a PBX that can't even handle it's own voicemail.

 

[starlessblack]

Thank you for the input--it helps in understanding the feasibility of this

One alternative is to replace with a new, full-fledged VOIP solution which would require all new handsets, some new network jacks in offices, etc. A considerable capital outlay.

Trying to decide how much longer to milk the old PBX.

 

[junction1153]

If you dont care to have the MWI status on the phones, I have a very simple solution for you. Set up a SIP trunk between both servers. On your outside server, set up call forward no answer to dummy DID numbers in FusionPBX. In FusionPBX, route the dummy DIDs to their respective voice mail boxes.

 

[DigitalDaz]

Thank you for the input--it helps in understanding the feasibility of this

One alternative is to replace with a new, full-fledged VOIP solution which would require all new handsets, some new network jacks in offices, etc. A considerable capital outlay.

Trying to decide how much longer to milk the old PBX.

Bin the old pbx and take the plunge now, you are only delaying the inevitable anyway and you will get so much more functionality.

 

[starlessblack]

If you dont care to have the MWI status on the phones, I have a very simple solution for you. Set up a SIP trunk between both servers. On your outside server, set up call forward no answer to dummy DID numbers in FusionPBX. In FusionPBX, route the dummy DIDs to their respective voice mail boxes.

That's an interesting thought--I appreciate the info

 

[starlessblack]

Bin the old pbx and take the plunge now, you are only delaying the inevitable anyway and you will get so much more functionality.

Yeah I hear ya! If we can scrounge together enough money, it might happen this year. But in the meantime, we'd like a to slot in a working voicemail server that might get us by for a little while.