I've been working with Asterisk for a little while now, and have been looking recently at my next career opportunity. It seems from searching the various job sites that the predominant VOIP technology is not the applications-based open source approach we took, but Cisco, with a really heavy emphasis on the networking (ie network engineer) aspect. If you do a job search for (VOIP or Voice-over-IP or "IP telephony") and you mostly get results for network engineers with lots of Cisco experience. Because Asterisk is a feature-rich solution, my emphasis has been on providing and developing features, applications and systems (ie asterisk, Linux), redundancy, customisation, programming, as well as overall architecture, especially in relation to SIP (and working around all those Asterisk HA limiations!). There of course has also been a networking component as well. On a side note, apparently my current employer tried a Cisco solution before I came along, and I hear all the time how absolute crap is was. Is that how people who have used Asterisk feel about Cisco? Is Cisco that bad? Is it lacking in features? I know we investigated a Sylantro solution and I remember that was pretty nasty. Anyway, based on the absolute dominance of Cisco it almost seems like what I have been doing with Asterisk has been a complete waste of time from a career perspective. I'm not sure how I can use Asterisk to my advantage over Cisco here. Having moved to a small city and working for a CLEC makes finding work outside the city even tougher. I'm wondering if I should have stuck with Unix or SAN admin that was I doing before, and if my recent work with Asterisk has jeopardised my current experience status with my previously used skills. Anyway, just my 2c worth..... other opinions welcome. Doug.
Douglas Garstang wrote:> I've been working with Asterisk for a little while now, and have been looking recently at my next career opportunity. It seems from searching the various job sites that the predominant VOIP technology is not the applications-based open source approach we took, but Cisco, with a really heavy emphasis on the networking (ie network engineer) aspect. If you do a job search for (VOIP or Voice-over-IP or "IP telephony") and you mostly get results for network engineers with lots of Cisco experience. > > Because Asterisk is a feature-rich solution, my emphasis has been on providing and developing features, applications and systems (ie asterisk, Linux), redundancy, customisation, programming, as well as overall architecture, especially in relation to SIP (and working around all those Asterisk HA limiations!). There of course has also been a networking component as well. On a side note, apparently my current employer tried a Cisco solution before I came along, and I hear all the time how absolute crap is was. Is that how people who have used Asterisk feel about Cisco? Is Cisco that bad? Is it lacking in features? I know we investigated a Sylantro solution and I remember that was pretty nasty. > > Anyway, based on the absolute dominance of Cisco it almost seems like what I have been doing with Asterisk has been a complete waste of time from a career perspective. I'm not sure how I can use Asterisk to my advantage over Cisco here. Having moved to a small city and working for a CLEC makes finding work outside the city even tougher. > > I'm wondering if I should have stuck with Unix or SAN admin that was I doing before, and if my recent work with Asterisk has jeopardised my current experience status with my previously used skills. > > Anyway, just my 2c worth..... other opinions welcome. > > Doug. > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > --Bandwidth and Colocation provided by Easynews.com -- > > Asterisk-Users mailing list > To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-usersDoug, I currently work as an Asterisk solutions provider and can tell you that you're absolutely ahead of the curve. I might suggest two options: 1. start a small asterisk deployment/consultation firm 2. see if there is one already in your area I've yet to run into a contract where I was bidding against a Cisco solution that I didn't win. Some things to consider (in non geek-speak): 1. Asterisk is based on the Linux Software platform. Linux is free (discuss the free as in beer concept and even refer the customer to the Cathedral and the Bazaar (I generally recommend specific essay's that are pertinent, instead of forcing them to read the whole thing. I also find it effecting to give them links to ESR's website outlining the advantages of the Open Source model.) In comparison Cisco Call Manager is currently based on an unsupported or extended support (depending on the version of the server OS) Microsoft Operating system which has had it's source code leaked and is notoriously insecure. Because of this Cisco Call Manager's code base is being migrated to Linux. That means that in a year or two when you want bright shiny new Call Manager features you are looking at a total migration which may result or require that you throw away some or all of the hardware you purchased from Cisco. 2. Cisco's phone have since the beginning supported Skinny/MGCP. These phones and call manager are now being migrated to support SIP. Asterisk has supported SIP nearly since it's inception. 3. Asterisk is an open source open standards platform, there is no vendor lock-in. If your customer doesn't like you he or she may toss your PBX in the street and purchase any PBX which supports the SIP standard without losing his phones. Speaking of those phones they may use any phone they choose. Most non-Cisco phones are $100-200 less than the equivalent Cisco phones. -- Andrew D Kirch | Abusive Hosts Blocking List | www.ahbl.org Security Admin | Summit Open Source Development Group | www.sosdg.org Key fingerprint = 4106 3338 1F17 1E6F 8FB2 8DFA 1331 7E25 C406 C8D2
Douglas wrote:> I've been working with Asterisk for a little while now, and have beenlooking recently > at my next career opportunity. It seems from searching the various job sites that the > predominant VOIP technology is not the applications-based open source approach we> took, but Cisco, with a really heavy emphasis on the networking (ienetwork engineer) > aspect. If you do a job search for (VOIP or Voice-over-IP or "IP telephony") and you> mostly get results for network engineers with lots of Ciscoexperience. They are the big player, so their products and tools tend to get the attention.> Because Asterisk is a feature-rich solution, my emphasis has been onproviding and> developing features, applications and systems (ie asterisk, Linux),redundancy,> customisation, programming, as well as overall architecture,especially in relation to > SIP (and working around all those Asterisk HA limiations!). There of course has also> been a networking component as well. On a side note, apparently mycurrent employer> tried a Cisco solution before I came along, and I hear all the timehow absolute crap > is was. Is that how people who have used Asterisk feel about Cisco? Is Cisco that bad? > Is it lacking in features? I know we investigated a Sylantro solution and I remember> that was pretty nasty.While either approach, application or infrastructure, you will run into issues that cannot be solved in that discipline. I feel that an engineer in this field must be well versed in the infrastructure, and bonus points for being able to develop for the system. I don't mean they have to be able to code native applications, but clever dialplans that solve problems can demonstrate that the understand how the system works. As to the quality of the Cisco product, well it has its place. The management tools are suited to putting them in the hands of front line staff to perform Adds/Moves/Changes without to much anguish. Each release gets a small bit better, like our favorite open source package. The fact that it is possible to offer almost every feature and service with Asterisk that CCM does, speaks volumes for the developers.> Anyway, based on the absolute dominance of Cisco it almost seems likewhat I have been > doing with Asterisk has been a complete waste of time from a career perspective. I'm> not sure how I can use Asterisk to my advantage over Cisco here.Having moved to a> small city and working for a CLEC makes finding work outside the cityeven tougher. Not at all. For all the Cisco-isms in a Call Manager environment, there are a lot of parallels. If you know Asterisk inside out, you can learn the Cisco way without too much effort.> I'm wondering if I should have stuck with Unix or SAN admin that was Idoing before,> and if my recent work with Asterisk has jeopardised my currentexperience status with > my previously used skills. All learning is good. If you cannot make money with what you've learned about VoIP while exploring Asterisk, then at least you've added experience that might make the next techology you work with easier to understand, and maybe that one will make you money.> Anyway, just my 2c worth..... other opinions welcome.> Doug.Dan