The non-profit VoIP concern SIPfoundry kicked off the new year this week with an update to its sipXpbx, an open-source IP PBX platform.

Version 3.0 of sipXpbx includes new features such as a presence server, advanced auto-attendant and call-control options, and an easier way to integrate VoIP phones and gateway equipment with the call server, SIPfoundry says.

The sipXpbx platform is part of SIPfoundry’s sipX project, which includes a softphone (sipXphone), and software development tools (sipXtapi). The new presence server in sipXpbx allows users to advertise their availability to coworkers and other users of compatible VoIP gear. Users with sipX-based softphones or compatible IP phones can search for other users on the system via a directory to see if they are in the office, on a call, or available via a mobile device.

Auto-attendant features have also been upgraded in sipXpbx 3.0, with the ability to “nest” auto-attendant prompts. For example, a company’s technical support group could set up a sipXpbx system with a main auto-attendant prompt, which would lead to several layers of sub-prompts, with more detailed options for callers at each prompt, based on the caller’s specific questions or problems.

New management tools for setting up third-party VoIP gear with a sipXpbx system are also included in version 3.0. Administrators can now set up and manage SIP gateway equipment from AudioCodes, as well as SIP-based IP hard phones from Polycom, Snom and Grandstream.

SipXpbx runs on Intel-based Linux servers, such as Red Hat, Fedora and SuSE. It competes with commercial IP PBX offerings from major vendors such as 3Com, Avaya, Cisco, Mitel, Nortel and Siemens, as well as other open source IP PBX packages such as Asterisk.

SIPfoundry’s technology is based on software developed by the for-profit firm Pingtel, which sells SIP-based IP PBXs, phones, gateways and software to carriers and enterprises, along with support services. Pingtel released its technology as open source software in 2004 and created SIPfoundry to develop and distribute the technology.