Call external number to add them to internal conference?

I was wondering if it is possible with FreePBX to originate a call to an external phone number, and have the person automatically joined into a conference once they answer their phone?

We have customers who can’t make outbound calls at all, so it would be nice to have a way to call them to join them into our conferences. Either by:

a) us typing their number when they are ready to join
b) giving them a secure email link they can click when they are ready that will then originate a call to them (using API perhaps)
c) giving them a link to a webpage where they can enter their number to have it call them and add them to the conference

If any of those solutions exist already I’d love to hear about it, or if anyone knows whether they are technically feasible or not.

asterisk has a core function to do that if it is compiled in:-

try

rasterisk -x originate

Then you can use AGI,AMI,bash . . . whatever, to achieve what you want. For email you can pipe a reply through a program, most anything is possible, just a little RTFM needed.

Alternatively you could use a call.file (that’s a bit of a RTFM also )

to get you started try, from bash:-

rasterisk -x ’ originate local/(thenumberofthepersontojoin)@outbound-allroutes extension (conferencenumber)@from-internal’;rasterisk

Conferences Pro allows you to control the conference from UCP, including inviting participants.

Hmm, thanks for the hints. I found there’s a module for Web Callback that looks like it can handle scenario C (webpage link) and possibly scenario B (email link) as well. That would be better because the customer can initiate the callback when they are ready to join the conference.

Has anyone used it? I was a little concerned about the security implications, but I found another post where someone at least uses PHP so that the PBX’s IP isn’t exposed: Securing the web callback module?

Can iSymphony invite participants the same way that UCP can? I need to use iSymphony for some other things anyways, so I’m trying to see if I can make that the all-in-one page for my users, instead of them having to switch between UCP and iSymphony for different features.

Another way you could do this, IF you are in the confrence anyhow is to call the conference, then on YOUR phone conference in the external person. Basically a double conference, one of the phone and one on asterisk.

As for the web callback, I run it on our website for sales calls. Though it doesn’t get much use, it does work. We redid the WEB page end of it and changed the PHP part as well, but use the code supplier by Sangoma (now), to interface to Asterisk. Works ok.

I bought the Web Callback Module and it at least works internally.

I’m still having a heck of a time getting it secured though. The scripts won’t run if they’re put in an HTTPS page (I think I need to purchase an SSL cert to fix that) and I can get the callback to work if I set the address to HTTP and point it to the internal IP (we’re VPNed into Amazon), but not if I point it to our Amazon Public IP (even though I made sure we’re whitelisted on both Amazon and the Sangoma Firewall).

Lastly, I spoke with our web developer and even he’s not sure if the Web Callback HTML can be made so it doesn’t reveal our PBX IP to anyone checking it’s source code in a browser. I’ll keep everyone posted and see what we find tomorrow.