Asterisk is a free and open source framework for building communications applications and is sponsored by [[Sangoma]].^[https://www.asterisk.org/] Asterisk powers [[Private Branch Exchange (PBX)|IP PBX systems]], VoIP gateways, conference servers and other custom solutions. Most often deployed by system integrators and developers, Asterisk can become the basis for a complete business phone system, or used to enhance or extend an existing system, or to bridge a gap between systems.^[https://www.asterisk.org/get-started/]