Outgoing Calls from Vtiger CRM to Asterisk Made Easy

Integrating vTiger CRM with Asterisk allows for seamless communication between the CRM system and your phone system. To make outgoing calls from vTiger to an Asterisk extension, you need to set up and configure both systems to work together. Here’s a step-by-step guide to achieve this integration:

Step-by-Step Guide to Make Outgoing Calls from vTiger to Asterisk

Prerequisites:

1. vTiger CRM: Ensure you have administrative access to your vTiger CRM system.
2. Asterisk PBX: You should have administrative access to your Asterisk server.
3. Asterisk Manager Interface (AMI): Asterisk must be configured to allow AMI connections.
4. Asterisk Extension: Ensure the extension you want to call is properly configured on your Asterisk server.

Steps:

1. Configure Asterisk Manager Interface (AMI):

• Edit the AMI configuration file (/etc/asterisk/manager.conf).
• Add a new user for vTiger with appropriate permissions. For example:
  conf
[ vtiger ]
secret = your_secure_password read = call,command,user,originate write = call,command,user,originate
• Set the enabled and webenabled options to yes if they are not already:
  conf
enabled = yes
webenabled = yes
• Restart Asterisk to apply changes:
  bash
sudo service asterisk restart

2. Configure vTiger for Asterisk Integration:

• Login to vTiger CRM as an administrator.
• Go to Settings > CRM Settings > Telephony > PBX Manager.
• Click on New PBX and fill in the required details:
  • PBX Name: A name for your Asterisk server (e.g., AsteriskServer).
  • Server: The IP address or domain name of your Asterisk server.
  • Port: The AMI port (default is 5038).
  • Username: The username you set in the manager.conf file (e.g., vtiger).
  • Password: The password you set for the AMI user.
  • Timeout: The connection timeout (e.g., 30 seconds).
• Click Save.

3. Set Up Extension for Outbound Calls in vTiger:

• Go to Settings > CRM Settings > Telephony > Phone Configuration.
• Click on Add to create a new phone configuration.
• Enter the following details:
  • User: The vTiger user who will make the calls.
  • Extension: The Asterisk extension assigned to this user.
• Click Save.

4. Verify Integration:

• Go to the vTiger CRM interface and locate a contact or lead.
• You should see a phone icon next to their phone number.
• Click the phone icon to initiate a call.
• vTiger should use the AMI to instruct Asterisk to dial the specified extension and connect it to the contact’s phone number.

Troubleshooting:

• Check Asterisk Logs: If the call does not go through, check the Asterisk logs (/var/log/asterisk/full) for any error messages.
• Firewall and Network: Ensure there are no firewall or network issues blocking the communication between vTiger and Asterisk.
• Permissions: Verify that the AMI user has the correct permissions and that the credentials are correctly configured in vTiger.
• vTiger Logs: Check the vTiger logs for any errors related to the PBX Manager or telephony integration.

By following these steps, you should be able to make outgoing calls from vTiger to an Asterisk extension. This integration will streamline your communication processes and improve your overall workflow.

Additional Notes:

• Always back up your configuration files before making any changes.
• Keep your software up-to-date to avoid compatibility issues.
• Consider using SSL/TLS to secure the communication between vTiger and Asterisk.

If you have any specific issues or need further customization, feel free to ask!