Release of Asterisk 21 – a New Stable Branch of Open Communication Platforms
After a year of development, the release of a new stable branch of open communication platform, Asterisk 21, has taken place. This platform is used to deploy various communication systems such as AnuPs, VoIP-Shovlose systems, IVR systems (voice menu), voice mail, telephone conferences, and call centers. The initial texts of the project are available on GitHub under the GPLv2 license.
Asterisk 21 falls under the category of releases with ordinary support, which means that updates for this branch will be provided for two years. The previous LTS (Long Term Support) version, Asterisk 20, will be supported until October 2027, and Asterisk 18 until October 2025. The support for LTS tests on version 17.x has been stopped. The focus of the LTS letters is to ensure stability, optimize performance, and extend functionality.
Some of the changes in Asterisk 21 include:
- The res_pjsip_pubsub module has been expanded to add additional features for distributed data on the state of devices through Jabber/XMPP Extension Pubsub, allowing sending notifications by subscription.
- In the sig_analog module for analog FXS channels, a new feature called “Called Subscriber Held” (CSH) has been introduced. This feature allows the user to convert an initiated call to the hold mode, put the phone down, and resume the conversation by picking up another phone on the same line. The call can be controlled using the “CalledSubscriberheld