Issabel alternative for Ethiopian call centers
If your call center runs on Issabel and you are planning your next step, Halo is an Issabel alternative built in Addis Ababa. It keeps Asterisk as the call engine and adds callbacks, a live wallboard, KPIs and alerts in one product.
Issabel
Issabel today
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Issabel is open source (GPL) and grew out of Elastix. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Issabel 4 runs on CentOS 7, which reached end of life on 30 June 2024, and Issabel recommends moving to Issabel 5 or another supported system. Source: issabel.com and redhat.com
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In October 2025 Issabel announced a cloud-focused model and said it would stop offering on-premise servers and hardware. Source: issabel.com
For the full picture and every option, read our guide Issabel in 2026: what changed and your options.
Typical Issabel setup
What changes with Halo
Every Issabel setup is different, so the left column says only that it depends on the setup. The right column is what Halo does.
| Typical Issabel setup | Halo | |
|---|---|---|
| Call history | Depends on the setup | Kept in Halo's own database on your server; v1 does not delete call records automatically |
| Recordings checked end to end | Depends on the setup | Agent calls recorded by default; an alert fires when an answered call has no recording; every play is logged |
| Wallboard, KPIs, callbacks and alerts | Depends on the setup | In one product: live wallboard, KPIs and monthly scorecard, callback tasks and Telegram alerts |
| Ethio Telecom profile | Depends on the setup | Built in for Ethio Telecom SIP trunks |
| Support in Addis Ababa | Depends on the setup | Installed and supported by Skynet VISP; support Mon-Sat 08:00-18:00 by phone, Telegram and email |
Halo or FreePBX 17?
If you are weighing the two, start with what your call center needs beyond making and taking calls. Halo is a call center product: voice menus, queues, callback tasks, recordings, the live wallboard, shifts, KPIs and reports come in one system, built for Ethio Telecom SIP trunks and installed by Skynet VISP in Addis Ababa. Whatever you choose, ask each supplier which of these come built in, who sets them up and who supports them after go-live.
Asterisk
What stays the same
Asterisk is still the call engine. Halo adds its own management, monitoring and reporting on top.
Your phone line stays with Ethio Telecom. Ethio Telecom connects your SIP line to the new Halo server over a private link, and Skynet arranges and tests it during setup, together with your first voice menu, queues, users and training in Addis Ababa.