• On MovieTome: The 10 worst movies of 2009 so far!

The Open Road

Read all 'OrecX' posts in The Open Road
October 22, 2008 7:07 AM PDT

OrecX expands its partnerships, customer base

by Matt Asay
  • Post a comment
Share

OrecX, whose open-source voice-recording technologyI wrote about a few months ago, on Tuesday announced a partnership with NICS, short for Network Integration & Consulting Services to provide simplified voice recording for utilities and public-safety organizations.

NICS has integrated OrecX technology into its RAVIN (Radio and Voice Interoperability Nest) product line to make call recording easier, and customers such as Pacific Gas and Electric are now touting the benefits.

This and other "unsexy" applications are what make the current wave of open source so exciting. Open source is making its way into nearly every area of software.

Take, for example, the trading floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Earlier this year, Cross Check Communications was commissioned to set up and maintain a system for checking and recording trading lines on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). The purpose? Sometimes orders need to be reviewed for potential errors, so it's critical that voice-recording software be used.

In this case, Cross Check chose OrecX's Oreka TR to deliver an open-source multiple-line recording program that saves and categorizes recordings for easy retrieval from any computer. Most intriguingly from my business standpoint, according to Cross Check Communications president Catherine Oliven, CBOT saved "saved tens of thousands of dollars choosing Oreka TR over any other proprietary recording system," and it took very little time (just 11 days) to discover and implement the OrecX system.

That's the power of open source. Easy discovery. Facilitated implementation because customers can try before they buy, if needed. And much lower cost.

September 6, 2008 11:04 AM PDT

New startups explore new niches for open source

by Matt Asay
  • Post a comment
Share

Over the weekend two new open-source startups caught my eye (and my inbox): OrecX and Transverse. The first is notable for its demonstration that open source is ready for niche applications. The second? Well, the second is notable because after reading through its website I still have no idea what it does.

OrecX is a Chicago-based company that has created the first open-source call recording software company, targeting small businesses. According to the company, "Voice recording is high in demand to create an element of professionalism and quality customer service but because of its cost, it's been out of reach for many businesses."

Fair enough. So, OrecX aims to use open source to lower the cost of tailored voice recording solutions, which are normally priced at $1,000 to $4,000. I doubt many companies will actually customize OrecX's solution, preferring instead to tap into the cost savings, but that is one valid way to leverage open-source software.

Another way is that which Transverse, an Austin-based company, has chosen. Transverse is focused on expanding revenue opportunities for telecom providers with its Customer Asset Management solution and blee(p) platform

Hmm...what does that mean? From the company's website:

... Read more
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
advertisement

The yogurt makers of tech: Gadgets to avoid

Don't buy these one-trick ponies--unless you like gizmos that gather dust.

Google wants to unclog Net's DNS plumbing

The Net giant, ever eager for a faster Internet, debuts its Google Public DNS service. With it, Google could become even more central to the Net.

advertisement

About The Open Road

Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to the Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is general manager of the Americas division and vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.

Add this feed to your online news reader

The Open Road topics

Most Discussed



advertisement

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right