Even though a trixbox system is a phone system, it is still a basic computer system like any other. One of the problems that we face is that extensions and VoIP service providers typically come into the system over the open Internet; this means that certain aspects of our system are wide open to the outside world.

As IP telephony gains acceptance in the SMB market, it's not likely to be the products of mainstream IP PBX vendors that lead the change. Open source software, some say, may be the mechanism whereby IP telephony vendors bring affordable, reliable, and innovative products into the largely untapped—and highly cost-conscious—small-business arena.