What do you use for phone automation/ivrs?

[JimS]

Just wondering what people are using for phone systems. I know some of the systems have that built in or an option. I was leaning toward asterisk but need to do a bit more investigation. I have 1 pots line so could use an SPA3102 or something similar.

I don't need more extensions. Mainly just want to use it to get status of things or control things while away. Being able to have it email voice messages or access them via the web would be a plus.

It appears people often use SMS and email instead but I am wanting to use voice.

Currently using misterhouse for automation but looking at going to something more suited to automation installs for others - looking at getting into that business part time. Misterhouse has some ivrs functionality build in but needs a DTMF decoder. I have a voice modem that sort of works but the DTMF detection is awful. A DTMF decoder and a caller ID will cost close to the same as the SPA3102 and the SPA3102 will give me the option of VOIP later...

 

[huggy59]

I have just started down this road after trying various things over the years.  Open-air mics around the house don't work - they invariably false-trigger.  I'm looking for voice control via a SIP-based VoIP solution.  I'm currently playing with SipXecs as the core PBX solution (easy to get up and running), and Homeseer 2, which has been my HA solution for years.  However, Homeseer doesn't do VoIP - it does have a plugin for DTMF use and it works well.  I've got Stipus' SIP plugin I'm playing with.  Homeseer appears as an extension that I can call and log in with a password, then control devices and run events, etc.  And it's very scriptable - you can set up your own IVR, etc. 
 
I am looking for a voice-enabled solution, however.  Homeseer 2 doesn't have audio stream integration, so Stipus couldn't connect voice to Homeseer's (Microsoft's) VR through SIP.  Homeseer's Speaker app works from PCs, but I want to dial an extension on my local phone system and speak into the phone to give HS voice commands.  Anyone know of an HA server system that has the capability?  If push comes to shove I may set up some sort of frankenstein system that enables a SIP phone audio output to a PC's line in running the HS Speaker client and control it through scripts.
 
Not sure what HS3 will come up with, but so far I'm not jumping as I would have to redesign my whole system and upgrade everything ($$$$), not to mention HS2 originally cost me 1/10th of the new cost of HS3...

 

[tmbrown97]

@huggy59 - all the more reason my HS3 license will go unused - I gave up...
 
For voip, Asterisk is a little too hardcore - but there are a lot of options for the home like the RasPBX (I think that's the term) - PBX on a Raspberri Pi - or beagleboard or others.  I used to run PlugPBX which is a SheevaPlug linux wall wart.  It worked great but the log activity trashed SD cards (needed ram drive).
 
3CX has a free option that's decent...
 
My plan is to go back to a Grandstream PBX  - they're a couple hundred bucks maybe but support video, audio, cameras, etc.  I couple that with a voip.ms trunk (tip: port your analog line there) - then have a handful of extensions and cameras around the house - it works great.  I was doing good with Grandstream but gave the PBX to a friends' business so I need a replacement.
 
Voip.ms also has a ton of PBX functionality - way better than having your own phone system for many things - my only reason for running my own is that I want some advanced features they don't support - but 90% of the world wouldn't care about those.

 

[kwilcox]

PBX in a flash is a full featured asterisk based call manager that is packaged with the FreePBX Gui.  Available as a virtual appliance.  You can be set up and running in minutes.  I've used it for years...