Digium Releases Line of PCI Express Cards For Asterisk

New Line Meets Demand For Popular PCIe Format

The latest release of a full line of PCI Express (PCIe) cards from Digium is a long time coming; for fans of Digium hardware and the company itself. With competitors such as Sangoma, Eicon, and Rhino already aggressively offering PCIe versions of their telephony cards for Asterisk, the company had fallen behind. With these new cards, though, Digium does not just join the PCIe telephony card space; they have put themselves back in the lead car.

Digium’s four- and two-port digital T1 and E1 PCIe interface cards, the TE420 and TE220, eliminate voltage and slot considerations associated with standard PCI cards. They are available immediately from the company and its authorized resellers. The TE420 will retail for $1,195 USD and the TE220 for $695 USD. Both are compatible with Digium’s existing VPMOCT series of hardware echo cancellation modules. Digium is scheduled to release analog and other cards for PCI Express in Q2 and Q3 2007.

New PCIe Cards 40% Cheaper Than Standard PCI Cards

One reason these new PCIe cards from Digium will be popular is price; these cards are 40% cheaper than the standard PCI cards Digium had been offering which makes them considerably more attractive to customers. In addition to being 40% cheaper than their previous cards, they are also going to be 30-40% cheaper than their competitors cards. This gives them a huge edge in the open source marketplace, where low cost is a primary purchase factor.

What Does This Mean For the PCI Card Marketplace?

The announcement of Digium’s new PCIe cards at these new low prices sends signals that Digium will not be beat on price or features. For Digium competitors, this move signals that Digium is still in the PCI card game, and is still looking to be the “major player.” Look for pricing on Sangoma, Rhino, Eicon, and other PCIe telephony boards to plummet this summer, making it the perfect time for your open source telephony deployment.