This year, WebRTC.ventures had the privilege of sponsoring and attending ClueCon 2023 in Chicago. I also had the opportunity to present a talk entitled, Breaking Down Barriers: Bridging WebRTC with SIP. More on that in a separate post.
Hosted by the FreeSWITCH open source project team, ClueCon is a gathering of developers, by developers, uniting various projects related to voice over IP, open source software and hardware, Telecommunications, WebRTC, and IoT.
ClueCon bridges communication and technology, spotlighting all things technical. The conference has been a stage for diverse open source projects including FreeSWITCH, Kamailio, Asterisk, OpenSIPS, FusionPBX, Janus, HOMER, and more. We couldn’t afford to miss #ClueCon2023!
Day One
As usual in the ClueCon conference, the first day was reserved for hackathons and catching up with colleagues from all over the world.
The goal of one of the challenges was to build the worst voicebot using SignalWire. The demos were a lot of fun to watch!
The next day the talks started, with a strong focus on AI. Below I will cover some of the presentations throughout the week that captured my attention. You can watch all of the talks on YouTube.
The Keynote
SignalWire and FreeSwitch CEO, Anthony Minessale, was the keynote speaker of the first day, kicking off our journey. The presentation showcased their new voice bot that stood as a testament to simplicity and customization. Demonstrating how easily one could craft and tailor voice bots, the presentation ignited our imaginations about the future of interactive voice experiences.
Kamailio with FreeSWITCH B2BUA
Fred Posner, a voice technology expert, took the stage to unravel the power of Kamailio in scaling signaling. His discourse delved into geographic load balancing for calls and the role of RTPEngine as an RTP proxy. Amidst this exploration, the spotlight went to opt for FreeSWITCH instead of RTPEngine for real B2BUA, and share some insights about media traffic management.
GPUs for Highly Parallel Audio Processing
Sipwise’s engaging presentation, conveniently following Kamailio’s discourse, zeroed in on GPU transcoding capabilities. This glimpse into the future of transcoding opened new horizons, redefining efficiency and performance in voice tech.
Every Geeks’ Guide to Avoiding Sub-Optimal Presentations
An illuminating talk by David Duffett that urged us to be ourselves while presenting and underscored the importance of having a clear purpose and plan. As tech enthusiasts, this reminder of authenticity resonated deeply, a guiding light for effective communication.
Kamailio Lunch and Learn
The Kamailio lunch and learn session unveiled Kamailio flexibility. They talked about Siremis, the web interface for Kamailio. This practical tool showcased its prowess in simplifying Kamailio’s management, adding a new layer of convenience to our development arsenal.
Smart Building Interactions with NG911 for Increased Situational Awareness
Mark Fletcher’s (aka Fletch) presentation delved into the significance of location for enhancing emergency services. The discourse touched on NG911 and its potential to revolutionize the current 911 infrastructure, offering a glimpse into the path of future safety enhancements.
Kamailio in the World of API’s
This talk started with a comprehensive introduction to Kamailio’s core modules. From its role as an HTTP server or client to the powerful JSON module (Jansson) for parsing JSON, we were introduced to the versatility that Kamailio brings. The mention of open source projects like miconda/sipexer for SIP command line added a practical dimension, hinting at tools that could seamlessly integrate into our workflow.
Singularity AI for Smart Mobility and Disabilities
Diego Gosmar from Xcally captivated the audience with their AI-driven smart mobility and customer care product. As Diego explored various use cases, from agent recommendations to conversational analytics, the potential for AI to revolutionize customer interaction came alive.
Real Time Settlements using FreeSwitch, Kamailio and Solana
A presentation from Nigel Daniels on using the Solana blockchain for payments in VoIP calls opened a window into the world of secure and seamless transactions. The marriage of blockchain and voice tech painted a picture of a future where trust and efficiency intertwine.
Beyond VoIP/RTC: The QXIP Observability Journey
Jachen Duschletta, from QXIP, shared insights into the world of observability. Homer and other open source tools unveiled by QXIP showcased the dedication of tech pioneers in fostering greater visibility and insights within the voice tech landscape. In this slide below he guides us through the 3 stack options: Homer (Open Source On Prem that we have used in the past), Hepic (on prem), Hepic (Cloud)
AI Roundtable: Divergent Visions
Also, Evan Mcgee moderated an AI roundtable featuring Anthony Minessale, Jeff Pulver, Diego Gosmar, Kristian Kielhofner, James Tagg, and Eli Yelluas. The debate delved into AI’s potential for good and harm, its fusion with humanity, and the ethical conundrums it poses.
The Power of Web
Dan Jenkins graced the stage with captivating demos that demystified the complex and illuminated possibilities in the web. His live demos reminded us of the endless potential that web technology holds and sparked our own ideas for innovation with APIs like WebHID.
The History of The Future
Jeff Pulver’s visionary insights into the future of communications cast a spell on the audience. His ability to envision the years ahead and relate them to our present endeavors inspired us to dream big.
Willow: Open Source, Private, and Completely Self Hosted Voice User Interface for $50
The event continued with Kristian’s unveiling of Willow, an open source, private, and completely self-hosted voice user interface. At a mere $50, Willow stood as a testament to the democratization of voice technology.
After this session, I talked about lessons learned and explored different approaches of Bridging WebRTC and SIP and discussing their advantages and disadvantages. More about this in a separate blog post 🙂
Pranks Gone Right: How an AI Telephony Chat Bot Ruined My Telemarketer Prank for the Better
The conference continued with Abbi Minessale from SignalWire. We embarked on a laughter-packed journey where she shared how she outsmarted SPAM callers using AI and VoIP. Using Lenette, the hilarious chatbot designed to trick telemarketers, she shed light on AI’s untapped potential in voice applications, showcasing live demos and exploring its broader real-world applications.
Practical Face Swapping Technology for Fun and Profit
The last talk of the conference was presented by Maksym Sobolyev. He guided us through using open-source DeepFaceSwap AI tech to create a lively video for OpenSIPS Summit 2023. The video starts with some OpenSIPS community figures singing “I am on a Boat” by Lonely Island. Witness the AI-powered outcome and gather expert insights on a dedicated workflow, complete with valuable machine-learning rig setup tips. In the image below he shares the high level pipeline:
Dangerous Demos
As ClueCon 2023 concluded, attendees presented “dangerous demos” while we all were immersed in a tapestry of learning, innovation, and connection. The whole event showcased the dynamic landscape of voice technology, making ClueCon a hub for RTC enthusiasts to learn, share, and contribute. And we were fortunate enough to be able to do all of those by sponsoring, presenting and learning from other peers.
A round of applause to the ClueCon team for another outstanding event!
