ViciBox/GoAutoDial/Vici Call Manager - Cloud Server Install?

[earl]

We are new to the Vicidial Forum and are deciding to jump in, notwithstanding our lack of linux
knowledge or experience. We are willing to learn but are looking for an version of Vicidial that
is relatively easy for newbies like us to install and use as we grow a small contact center.

We would like to install a version of the Vicidial software for a less than 10 person contact center
where everyone is a remote at home user. There could be as few as 5 users calling at the same time.
We are looking for the easiest version to install and maintain.

We would like to use SIP calling with a voip provider of our choosing. We've read the Vicidial forum,
and misc technical pdf's that are online, but we're still not sure if we can use a public cloud server
to install vicidial and which version would be good for us to install and use as first timers. The
installation will be hosted remotely, on as reasonably as a cost basis as we can find, while not
substituting quality.

We do need to record conversations.
We have no preference regarding operating systems.

The questions we have are:

1. Can we host this setup on a remote public cloud server or do we need a remote dedicated (physically located on the ground and can be touched by a person)server?

2. What are the minimum remote server specifications, whether Cloud or Dedicated, needed to install and use for our needs? Not sure we've seen this addressed "directly" on this forum, especially relative to the remote dedicated physical server question and the absolute minimum requirements for SPECIFICALLY a remote dedicated physical server or a Public Cloud Server. We will not be installing this in our office.

3. Do we need to use a viop sip trunck or does vicidial have software within the install that will allow up to 10
at home agents to login and make calls? We are familiar with xlite and zoiper but not sure about how they integrate with vicidial.

4. We are looking for an "easier" version to install ourselves and maintain. (we've seen alot of install issues on this forum and we're definitely not as technical
as some of the responses to questions we've read here on the vicidial forum)

5. Are there any other open source contact center types of software that are easier to install, although may have lesser grade features than vicidial?

6. The installation of Vicidial that we install will NOT be installed on a box in our business office location. It will be installed in a cloud server or a dedicated server.

Any assistance on these questions or other commentary that may assist us is greatly appreciated. We especially welcome responses that are centered upon how to reduce costs as we make this installation and maintain it for the next year as we test the solution.

Thank you, in advance, for your responses.

[mflorell]

Have you considered going with a Vicidial hosting company that will maintain everything for you? (like http://www.vicihost.com)

We have several clients that have their Vicidial servers installed on cloud servers, but you need to make sure your hosting provider uses real physical servers and will allow you to install from an ISO installer(most don't do either).

After you find a good hosting company, you just need to get them to go through the simple Vicibox ISO installer instructions to get you to a point that you can use your system, there are only a dozen simple steps involved, for more information go to http://www.vicibox.com

A single server should be able to handle 10 agents, we would recommend a single quad-core CPU with 4GB RAM.

[gardo]

I can't believe it. My post got deleted again. Please let me know Matt what is wrong with my answers below. Or is the Vicidial community forums becoming quite biased?

Here are the answers to your questions:

Yes.

1. Can we host this setup on a remote public cloud server or do we need a remote dedicated (physically located on the ground and can be touched by a person)server?


You can check our cloud offers here: http://goautodial.com/pricing.php. We have packages for up to 20, 40, 60 and 200 seats.

2. What are the minimum remote server specifications, whether Cloud or Dedicated, needed to install and use for our needs? Not sure we've seen this addressed "directly" on this forum, especially relative to the remote dedicated physical server question and the absolute minimum requirements for SPECIFICALLY a remote dedicated physical server or a Public Cloud Server. We will not be installing this in our office.


Yes. You'll need a SIP trunk. You can use our SIP trunk which is integrated with our cloud call center packages.

3. Do we need to use a viop sip trunck or does vicidial have software within the install that will allow up to 10
at home agents to login and make calls? We are familiar with xlite and zoiper but not sure about how they integrate with vicidial.


GOautodial is easier than your default Vicidial. Please check our different packages here: http://goautodial.com/pricing.php.

4. We are looking for an "easier" version to install ourselves and maintain. (we've seen alot of install issues on this forum and we're definitely not as technical
as some of the responses to questions we've read here on the vicidial forum)


GOautodial CE is easier to install and use. It's based on CentOS Linux and automatically installs Vicidial, Asterisk, MySQL, PHP and other open source software.

5. Are there any other open source contact center types of software that are easier to install, although may have lesser grade features than vicidial?


This is exactly what our cloud call center packages are for.

6. The installation of Vicidial that we install will NOT be installed on a box in our business office location. It will be installed in a cloud server or a dedicated server.


To know more about our services, you can visit http://goautodial.com.

[williamconley]

I'm just gonna go out on a limb here (No personal knowledge ... but it seems obvious) and give an idea of what happened:

Question 1) regards the ability for someone else (NOT you gardo) to put this on a public cloud. They appear to want to do it independently of you. They don't want a price quote for YOU to do it. Specifically they asked if THEY can host this in the public cloud. Your response? You can host it for them, and here's the pricing. NOT a response to the question asked, and yes a blatant advertisement for your own services.

I've bounced several invaders in the past (as would anyone) for just jumping on here to advertise their own services without bothering to answer a question first.

Question 2) similar issue: They asked about the physical requirements for a server (ie: CPU, Memory, what must the machine have), and your response was "Hey! use our sip trunks!". Not useful in any way, blatant advertising. And to be clear: It is NOT a physical requirement of a server to have a SIP trunk. That's wrong on a couple levels.

Now, *I* don't delete your posts. But I think you should try to answer questions (as asked) before advertising your services. That's what this forum is for, yes? Play fair.

[mflorell]

The system doesn't keep a log of who deletes posts, but looking at what you posted, yes it was excessively commercial and did not address the questions asked, so I'm not surprised it was deleted. I also won't be surprised if it is deleted again later today if it is not edited to be relevant to the original post.

[gardo]

Looks like the order of my answers to the post was a little bit off.

Question 2) similar issue: They asked about the physical requirements for a server (ie: CPU, Memory, what must the machine have), and your response was "Hey! use our sip trunks!". Not useful in any way, blatant advertising. And to be clear: It is NOT a physical requirement of a server to have a SIP trunk. That's wrong on a couple levels. Question 2) similar issue: They asked about the physical requirements for a server (ie: CPU, Memory, what must the machine have), and your response was "Hey! use our sip trunks!". Not useful in any way, blatant advertising. And to be clear: It is NOT a physical requirement of a server to have a SIP trunk. That's wrong on a couple levels. 

Yes. You'll need a SIP trunk. You can use our SIP trunk which is integrated with our cloud call center packages.

Question: 3. Do we need to use a viop sip trunck or does vicidial have software within the install that will allow up to 10
at home agents to login and make calls? We are familiar with xlite and zoiper but not sure about how they integrate with vicidial.

The first 2 sentences pretty much answered the question.

You can check our cloud offers here: http://goautodial.com/pricing.php. We have packages for up to 20, 40, 60 and 200 seats.

2. What are the minimum remote server specifications, whether Cloud or Dedicated, needed to install and use for our needs? Not sure we've seen this addressed "directly" on this forum, especially relative to the remote dedicated physical server question and the absolute minimum requirements for SPECIFICALLY a remote dedicated physical server or a Public Cloud Server. We will not be installing this in our office.

My answer is a little bit off since if you go for the cloud, the provider will make sure that the server/application can handle your needs. Just like Facebook, Gmail and etc.

My apologies guys, if the post was a little bit too commercial. Hahaha! I do play fair. I love playing fair.

[williamconley]

Looks like the order of my answers to the post was a little bit off.

2. What are the minimum remote server specifications, whether Cloud or Dedicated, needed to install and use for our needs?

Yes. You'll need a SIP trunk. You can use our SIP trunk which is integrated with our cloud call center packages.

minimum remote server specifications ... NO. A sip trunk is neither related nor required. You're wrong on both counts. IAX is the easiest alternative, but there are obviously many others (although SIP trunking is normal, it's not a "requirement" for the hardware ... any more than a a Cat5e cable is. It's "expected", it's "likely", perhaps even a 'given', but a Cat6 cable will work, as will numerous other fiber and other networking methods. Thus none of this is a requirement for the hardware (more like an obviously included in any hardware situation).

I think you're not listening. Seems like you're "trying to be right" or "play it off" instead of admitting you were advertising, saying "oops" and then promising not to do it any more. Please hang your head in shame now.

[gardo]

Err.. this one is for question number 3 which was asking if they need a SIP trunk or not and etc.

Yes. You'll need a SIP trunk. You can use our SIP trunk which is integrated with our cloud call center packages.

[williamconley]

Err.. this one is for question number 3 which was asking if they need a SIP trunk or not and etc.

Yes. You'll need a SIP trunk. You can use our SIP trunk which is integrated with our cloud call center packages.

Which then leads one to wonder why you put it as the answer where you did. Wait! No, we don't have to wonder, it was an advertisement. Obviously.

You were doing one of those things that is one of my pet peeves: Answering a question "other" than the one that was asked.

It's never a problem to add 'extra' information ... but answer the question first, then move on to other stuff. (Preferably with a clean paragraph break before doing so, to signify that this is "other" information).

The client in question could have been seriously misled by your answer. In fact, many ordinary telcos are actually trying to 'upsell' clients on "sip trunking" as if its a physical thing that must be purchased and not just a phrase used to describe the connection between two computers over the internet (which has its own protocol standards, of course, but is still not a "thing").

Your answer gave that same slimy interpretation and could have caused a noob to walk away with the wrong idea of what the physical requirements are for a server (and what a sip trunk is ...!).

[gardo]

Sheesh! I already said the ordering (of my answer) was quite off. Didn't you read my previous post? Oh well.. if you want to really go at it then you're welcome to try. I already acknowledged my mistake and apologized. What more do you want? If it makes you happy bashing people then go! Let it go.. let it go.. let it go.. (from Frozen). Honestly, I can take it.

[williamconley]

It's not about you gardo, it's about those who come here for help and get advertising (and misleading answers attached to them). That's the point I'm trying to get across. While you're busy explaining that this answer is "right but in the wrong place", you still didn't fix your incorrect assertion about sip trunking (such as by correcting your statement to say that SIP trunking is not a physical requirement). Too worried about your rep.

Easiest way to fix your rep: Help out others on the forum (and put the advertising in your signature, where it belongs).

[gardo]

Fix my rep? Hello! Hahaha! Nothing to fix with my rep. You might need to check with yours. As far as I know, our contributions to the open source community is far more than what you have done. Oh please!...

[williamconley]

Ouch. But then the numbers speak for themselves: 14611 posts (me) 1901 posts (you). And based on the posts I've seen recently, yours recently are limited to self-sales promotions (telling people to go to your site and listing your prices as pretty much the only answer).

So ... your contribution is a bit self-serving recently. I'm asking you to at least answer a question BEFORE advertising your site to make more money. Some of the folks on here simply can't afford it. And those who can don't trust that easily. Prove you are something more than a guy in possession of a web-site with a copy of Vicidial on it.

That shouldn't actually be very difficult for you, after all ... you are fairly good at this stuff. But lending a hand doesn't seem to be something you were interested in doing unless you are lending a hand to someone who is handing you money on YOUR site.

Capisce?

[gardo]

Err.. looks like you're just basing it from the number of posts you have made to the Vicidial forums. In stark contrast to what we have done. Our GOautodial CE open source system has been downloaded more than 50,000 times (double that if counting VicidialNOW) around the world. What have you contributed to the open source world again?

Ouch. But then the numbers speak for themselves: 14611 posts (me) 1901 posts (you). And based on the posts I've seen recently, yours recently are limited to self-sales promotions (telling people to go to your site and listing your prices as pretty much the only answer).

[williamconley]

Sure, posting support comments on this site doesn't count. I understand. But I won't go so far as to say you copied Vicidial and put your logo on it and advertised it for personal gain and accidentally helped a few people along the way. That would probably be kinda low. And not entirely true even.

I know that you've helped a lot of people. Which proves that you can.

I just suggest that you DO HELP before you advertise some more (at least here!). And I did so in response to your request to know why someone else deleted your self-advertisement posts. But feel free to lay it on thick. I'm sure there's a purpose in there somewhere, even though you are sure you don't have to defend your Rep.

But it's ok: If you ask again later when you do something similar, I'll still answer honestly. Not a problem. I'm here for ya.