Open source VoIP grew as a force in 2009

Open source VoIP's influence in the IP telephony solutions market increased in 2009, TMCnet has reported.

This drive has largely been supported by the efforts of the Digium-led Asterisk solutions community, according to the communications and technology website.

Many businesses were forced to look into VoIP solutions to cut costs due to the recession, Erik Linask, group editorial director at TMCnet, said.

This saw many enterprises, including big businesses and government bodies, turn to open source VoIP like Asterisk.

Bill Miller, vice president of Digium, told TMCnet that "in the recovering economy" the US communications technology company has "strong momentum".

"Now that many companies have seen and experienced the value, power and flexibility of open source VoIP, we look forward to continued rapid acceptance and adoption," he explained.

The Asterisk community is seeing new developers join at a rate of almost 60 per cent a year. The adoption rate for open source is nearly 80 per cent in some countries.

The maturing of Asterisk over the last ten years has seen its growth, including downloads, increase by 33 per cent over the past year.