Deploying integrated Open Source communications solutions allows businesses to realise the significant benefits that network convergence and Open Source technologies have to offer. The majority of the worlds largest organisations already use Open Source software either directly (nearly 70% of the worlds web servers use the open source Apache product) or indirectly (most of the Internet infrastructure is built on open source software). The Open Source Initiative (OSI) states "The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in."

Open Source software combined with low-cost telephony hardware allows business to deploy telephony at a fraction of the price of traditional Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems. Utilising existing IP network infrastructure such as broadband connections and LANs (Local Area Networks) to transmit voice traffic allows businesses to maximise return on investment.

VoIP Internet service providers offer significant call savings compared with traditional PSTN (Public Switched Telephony) providers, and installing a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) gateway can provide huge savings on mobile network calls. Consolidating voice and data traffic onto a common infrastructure can help simplify network/system management and administration.

Open source computer telephony solutions can be deployed in new as well as existing, office and mobile communications environments keeping existing telephones or deploying new feature rich VoIP telephones. Businesses can continue to use existing telephony connections such as ISDN circuits and PSTN lines, but businesses can also take advantage of low cost Internet VoIP call plans and use their broadband connections for carrying voice traffic.

Open Source IP BPX software provides a level of functionality exceeding that of many of the most expensive propriety systems available, but also allows new features to be added rapidly and with minimal effort. Some of the features available include voicemail, email integration, voice menus, IVR (Interactive Voice Response), and conferencing.

Open source computer telephony solutions are designed to grow as your business grows. Adding/moving telephones (e.g. for new employees) is relatively easy and can be done in house without telephony service provider involvement. Additional telephony circuits can also be added as call volumes increase. Traditional telephony circuits such as PSTN and ISDN lines can be used as backup lines to protect against loss of Internet connectivity and can also be used to service calls during peak periods.

The Open Source development model and inherent security of Linux provides improved protection from attack, and consequently less downtime and maintenance costs compared with proprietary solutions. When a vulnerability is identified, it is usually fixed in a matter of hours whereas proprietary software vendors sometimes take weeks or even months to announce the existence of a problem to its customers and provide a fix.

Professional technical support is widely available from companies like Novavox that specialise in Open Source solutions. Access to Open Source technical support is also available for free via online forums and mailing lists, although this requires the technical knowledge and skills to understand and make use of the information available. Support from the Open Source community is often provided by the same people that wrote the original software.