Asterisk vs NCH IVM Telephone Answering Attendant
Asterisk
asterisk.orgNCH IVM Telephone Answering Attendant
nch.com.auSide by side
| Figure | Asterisk | NCH IVM Telephone Answering Attendant |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $2,999/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 6 |
| Spec score · Interactive Voice Response Software | 8.1 (#5) | 7.9 (#8) |
| Founded | 1999 | 1993 |
| Integrations | The site says Asterisk can connect communications to applications, including Salesforce automation or CRM systems using AMI. | NCH says IVM can auto-detect its Axon IP PBX on the same server and offers free plugins for ODBC/SQL, internet access, fax-back services, and hardware control. |
| Purpose | Asterisk is an open source framework for building communications applications and turns an ordinary computer into a communications server. | IVM is voicemail, call attendant, interactive voice response, and autodial telephone management software for small to medium businesses. |
| Support | Sangoma offers five support levels for core components of current open source Asterisk versions, with Level 5 reserved for customers requiring an SLA and engineering support. | NCH lists email support and offers paid priority phone support for 12 months or email-only support for one month on the purchase page. |
Plans
NCH IVM Telephone Answering Attendant
- IVM Telephone Attendant Professional monthly plan$2,999 a month
- IVM Telephone Attendant Basic Answering Machine$6,995, paid once
- IVM Telephone Attendant Small Business$9,900, paid once
- IVM Telephone Attendant Small Interactive System$25,900, paid once
- IVM Telephone Attendant Professional$38,500, paid once
- IVM Telephone Attendant Enterprise$89,900, paid once
In their own words
Asterisk
Asterisk is a free, open-source framework for building communications applications and turning an ordinary computer into a communications server. It powers IP PBX systems, VoIP gateways, conference servers, call centers, voicemail servers, and IVR systems. Listed functions include call routing, recording, queuing, conferencing, voicemail, automated attendants, and call transfers. Computer-telephony interfaces include AGI, AMI, and the Asterisk REST Interface (ARI); listed VoIP protocols include SIP, H.323, IAX, Jingle/XMPP, MGCP, and SCCP. Asterisk can connect communications to applications, including CRM systems through AMI. The source code can be downloaded, and the project points users to installation on a modern cloud Linux instance. Building applications requires working knowledge of Linux, scripting, networking, and telephony. Asterisk is distributed under GPLv2; Sangoma offers commercial licensing for uses incompatible with that license. The Asterisk forum provides community help with installation, upgrades, and operation.
NCH IVM Telephone Answering Attendant
NCH IVM Telephone Answering Attendant is telephone management software for small to medium businesses, combining voicemail, call attendant, interactive voice response, and autodial functions. Incoming call menus can route or redirect callers during or after office hours. The product lists support for up to 64 simultaneous telephone lines, along with caller ID logging, keypad menus, call transfer subject to phone-company or PBX features, and remote telephone access. Incoming messages can be saved as WAV files. Voicemail boxes can forward messages by email or provide internet or remote access, and the software also supports automated outbound calls and messages. IVM connects through a professional telephony board, TAPI-compliant voice modem, VoIP SIP service, or PBX such as Axon. NCH says it can detect its Axon IP PBX on the same server and offers plugins for ODBC/SQL, internet access, fax-back, and hardware control. It is listed for Linux and Windows, though its system requirements specify Windows XP through 10 and 64-bit Windows support. A free trial download is available, but there is no free plan. Listed purchase options include $6,995 as a one-time purchase for Basic Answering Machine and $89,900, paid once for Enterprise; the Professional monthly plan is $2,999 a month.