Digium announces the general availability of its new family of IP phones. The Digium phones are the first that are specifically engineered to fully leverage the power of Asterisk, the world's most widely adopted open source communications software, and Switchvox, Digium's award-winning Unified Communications system. Business customers will benefit from the best possible performance, unprecedented integration and a uniquely customizable phone system.

The phones come with a number of standard applications, including interactive voicemail, visual call parking, one-touch call recording, searchable contact directory and presence management. The Digium phones include an app engine with a simple yet powerful JavaScript API that lets programmers create applications that interface directly with core phone features.

Early reviews confirm that Digium phones are the easiest to install and manage with Asterisk or Switchvox:

"Even someone who has never provisioned an IP phone can literally have their Digium phones working within five minutes. We've never experienced this before with any other phone hardware," said Corey McFadden, managing partner, Infradapt. "With the upcoming API and application engine, the Digium phones offer nearly unlimited possibilities for implementing features for demanding clients. We have immediate plans to roll out features like a phone-based time clock for recording employee attendance, 'hot-desking' for desk sharers, call accounting for professionals and many others."

"These new products change the phone market by bringing a set of features unparalleled in the IP-PBX world. The API and app engine will allow us to offer a truly tailored end-to-end solution for our customers," said Robert Shubow, president of Ultracom-Intelesys.

"IP telephones specifically designed for Asterisk and Switchvox are exactly what we've been looking for," said Michael LeBlanc, CEO of LeBlanc Communications Group. "Our customers will benefit from the tight integration and will be able to do even more with their desktop phones, which means we can deliver greater value to our customers."

"I am really excited about the new Digium phones," said Ken Stauffer, CEO of Stauffer Technologies. "Our initial set-up time has decreased significantly thanks to the no-touch configuration."

Both Asterisk and Switchvox have been updated to offer enhanced functionality and direct integration when used with the new Digium phones. The phone-ready release of Asterisk is based on the 1.8 long-term support release of the Asterisk open source platform. A free add-on module called the Digium Phone Module for Asterisk (DPMA) acts as a bridge between the Asterisk server and the phones. The DPMA handles provisioning, firmware updates and application integration.

Switchvox version 5.5 is available as a free upgrade for all Switchvox customers with active subscriptions. This new version provides integration with Digium phones, making many of the popular Switchvox features available on the desktop phone. In addition to the new capabilities developed for Digium phones, Switchvox version 5.5 also includes customizable directories, and call rules that respond to status.

The Digium phones include the following models:

• D70 - An executive-level HD IP phone with 6-line keys and 10 rapid dial/busy lamp field keys and real-time status information displayed on an additional LCD screen, allowing users to quickly navigate through up to 100 of their most important contacts. Designed for administrators or executives, the D70 offers top-of-the-line features.
• D50 - A mid-level HD IP phone with 4-line keys and 10 rapid dial/busy lamp field keys with an easy-to-print paper label strip for the user's most important contacts. This model is ideal for users who spend a lot of time on the phone.
• D40 - An entry-level HD IP phone with 2-line keys. This is Digium's best value phone, designed for any employee in the company.

The MSRP for these models is as follows: D70 - $279 USD, D50 - $179 USD and the D40 - $129 USD.