Your BEST bet would be to get a nice Virtual server to experimentally install on. Then you can start over a few times and find out how easy it is to install Vicidial (in hindsight, cuz it's a bit of a challenge if you have the pressure of "this server MUST work!" hovering over you).
Also, if you're a web dev, I'd think you already HAVE a virtual server running. But I digress.
Get a FREE copy of Vicibox.com's latest Standard Vicibox .iso (6.0.3). Use the FREE Vicibox.com PDF installatation instructions to get it installed in the server (virtual or physical, same instructions). this will WIPE the server's HD clean and install Everything needed to run Vicidial (including Asterisk, of course) and set the basic configuration options.
Next you'll switch to the Vicidial Manager's Manual (available from EFLO.net, free ... but I recommend the paid version, trust me it'll earn its value many times!). Start at page ONE. Do NOT skip anything until you have a fully functional system. If you realize you're missing a feature, pick up where you left off. Don't skip anything.
Then you can understand that the "already built" asterisk server is cool ... but useless as a dialer.
OR: You can learn how to "install from scratch" and perform every line of code installation (automatically handled by Vicibox) yourself and (of course) endure the challenges of the fact that the OS was also not installed by Vicibox's installer and will probably need some extra help to make it compatible with Vicidial. This should not really take weeks. But ... it always does (if not months, honestly). And usually the IT person in question ends up calling someone like PoundTeam (um ... us
) to finish the install quick before they have to open and get on the phones. We charge $250 for the installation.
There's also a Very Old demo CD from which you need only "boot" (No installation! It's a demo CD!) and follow the instructions to use it. But when you reboot ... it all goes away (it's a CD, can't save! LOL).
Or you can Lease your first system (we do that, too as does The Vicidial Group and some other places). Then you don't have to mess with any of this for the first month or two (and you can build one slowly and bring your system in-house later, just by importing the Database).
We also have consultation services (to discuss how all this works with The Boss) as well as training ($35/hour for a three hour course to show you how everything works ... and you can use OUR server for the training!)