Admit it - you'd really, really like to see some of the lofty promises your CRM vendor made come true. Not all of them, you know the game, but, well... some of them would be nice.

Step back and consider the question of open source versus the CRM you probably went with, let's guess Microsoft. Industry observer Stephen T. Richards notes that the main thing putting open source ahead "is its adaptability. Open source software is published under licenses that allow everyone access to the source code, letting them change, download add-ons and explore the real nuts and bolts of the software."

Basically, if you have the skills, you can access the source code and change it to suit your particular situation. Microsoft, as Richards rather drily puts it, "isn't quite so flexible. It may be powerful, but its source code is unreachable, set in stone and packaged to perform particular functions without that ability to manipulate the coding if it doesn't quite do what you want it to do."

But hey, with Microsoft, you get set programs, "lesson plans can be formulated within selected parameters, everyone knows their way around Microsoft and is familiar with the layout and operation," Richards says. And these are not advantages to be sniffed at. Ignore their appeal at your peril.

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Stop us if you've heard this one before: Once upon a time there was a VoIP OpenSource implementation that swallowed up Grandma, Little Red Riding Hood and the entire enterprise, leaving them shivering, huddled wretches cowering before the mercy of pricey Linux and IP telephony consultants.

Gruesome, isn't it? But it doesn't have to be that way.

According to industry observer Jessica Scarpati, there are indeed few enough happy endings for enterprises that attempt to implement open source Voice over IP, because the success of such ventures hinges on having "that specialized expertise in-house -- or at least knowing when to suck it up and pay up for off-the-shelf systems that handle most of the configuration."

She tells the story of Dan Peck, vice president of Illinois-based Diamond Tour Golf, an online retailer with about 25 users, which decided one day to go through the woods to take a basket of... uh, sorry:

Peck found that the "flexibility and rich features of an IP telephony system based on Asterisk, the most popular open source VoIP project, made retiring a 26-year-old Comdial public branch exchange in 2008 a lot easier," Scarpati reports, noting that commercial IP telephony systems "didn't have the call recording and reporting capabilities Peck had found in open source VoIP software, and commercial systems also lacked the ability to easily change dial plans on the fly."

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"The mobility and remote-access boom is technology powered but business driven."

As industry observer Kathleen Else observes, small and midsize businesses "increasingly look toward technology to help them rebound in 2010." And she says part of that is looking towards improved mobility, with other benefits being "greater employee productivity and a growing social media presence."

She says that giving employees remote file access can help small businesses improve customer service and "add agility to their business model." She still cautions that there is an added risk of endangering the security of "computing systems, data and the welfare of the businesses that use mobile devices."

TMCnet.com noted earlier this week that, as workforces become increasingly mobile, "the need for swift, secure and simple access to files that live on a network has grown more critical. Remote workers, enterprise employees tapping into a VPN or professionals who must travel all require file access to get their jobs done."

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VXi Corporation, which sells headsets, has announced the VXi X100 and X200 USB adapters, designed specifically for applications "where voice quality is of the utmost importance," according to company officials. 

With more companies migrating to unified communications, the X100 and X200 USB adapters are being positioned by VXi officials as for applications such as VoIP, speech recognition and softphones where "clear, natural sounding conversations" are required.

Users would pair them with existing "professional-grade headsets," company officials say. Having done so, "the X100 and X200 USB adapters deliver superior call quality on your computer that sounds the same or better than traditional phone systems." 

Wideband audio is used, which reportedly allows more of your voice to be heard. But it's not just cosmetic improvements, company officials say: "Conversations become shorter because information doesn't need to be repeated, reducing listener fatigue and increasing productivity."

The X100 and X200 USB adapters are being pitched to end users in contact centers and office environments using VoIP and voice-enabled applications: "The plug-and-play design provides fast and easy set up. There is no need to install drivers, no down time, and no need for technical support."

Read more here.