Issabel
Issabel is a bootstrapped open-source unified communications vendor offering a Linux-based UC, contact center, and multitenant PBX platform under GPL, monetizing through Contact Center SaaS subscriptions, support contracts, partner-channel reselling, and training/certification. It serves 100,000+ organizations in 100 countries via SourceForge downloads, an e-commerce storefront, and a two-tier Certified and Authorized Partner program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCoral Springs, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Issabel does
Issabel is an open-source unified communications software company operating as ISSABEL LLC, headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida, and serving more than 100,000 organizations across approximately 100 countries. The company's core product is a Linux-based UC platform that consolidates IP telephony, contact center functionality, email, fax, video calling, audio recording, and CRM integrations into a single self-hosted deployment, with the underlying code distributed under the GPL license via the IssabelFoundation GitHub organization and free ISO downloads on SourceForge. Module-level products include Issabel Contact Center for inbound and outbound campaign management, Issabel Multitenant for service providers managing multiple end-customer PBX instances from a single deployment, and Issabel Network for distributed communication infrastructure.
The business model layers paid offerings on top of the free open-source core. Recurring revenue is generated through monthly Contact Center SaaS subscriptions, monthly/semi-annual/annual support subscriptions, and on-demand support blocks (8x5 and 24x7). Non-recurring and project-based revenue comes from software licenses and add-ons, asynchronous and instructor-led training delivered through Issabel Academy (feeding the ICAE professional certification), and bespoke custom development services. Distribution combines a product-led growth funnel (SourceForge downloads converting to e-commerce purchases on issabel.com) with a two-tier partner channel: Authorized Partners resell and implement Issabel with no sales quota, while Certified Partners focus on Contact Center deployments, are required to maintain three ICAE-certified engineers, and purchase annual NFR demo licenses in exchange for 15-30% discounts and dedicated helpdesk access. Primary customer segments are service providers and telecom operators, contact center operators, and enterprise businesses seeking a customizable, cost-efficient alternative to proprietary UC platforms, with system integrators serving as an indirect channel. No VC funding, M&A activity, or institutional investors are disclosed, and the company appears to be founder-owned and bootstrapped.
Issabel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Issabel
- Legal name
- ISSABEL LLC
- Website
- https://issabel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Issabel is a bootstrapped open-source unified communications vendor offering a Linux-based UC, contact center, and multitenant PBX platform under GPL, monetizing through Contact Center SaaS subscriptions, support contracts, partner-channel reselling, and training/certification. It serves 100,000+ organizations in 100 countries via SourceForge downloads, an e-commerce storefront, and a two-tier Certified and Authorized Partner program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Issabel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Unified Communications Software
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Telephone Interconnect Systems (7385)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud PBX & Hosted Telephony (HDAIAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Contact Center (CCaaS) & Customer Engagement Voice (HDAIAHAF)
Keywords
Where Issabel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coral Springs
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Issabel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Contact Center SaaS Subscriptions: Monthly recurring subscriptions for the Contact Center module, providing cloud-based omnichannel contact center functionality with agent seats.
- Support Subscriptions: Recurring support contracts (monthly, semi-annual, annual) providing technical assistance, updates, and priority support access.
- On-Demand Support: Hourly or block-based technical support purchased as needed, with 8x5 or 24x7 availability. Hours expire after one year.
- Software Licenses and Add-ons: One-time or recurring licenses for software modules and additional functionality extending the core platform.
- Training Services: Asynchronous online courses and live instructor-led training sessions for platform certification (ICAE) and skills development.
- Custom Development: Bespoke software development services to customize Issabel functionality for specific customer requirements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Contact Center monthly subscription |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | On-Demand Support 8x5 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | On-Demand Support 24x7 |
| Subscription | Annual | NFR Demo License for Partners |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Training Courses |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Issabel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Issabel is an open-source unified communications software company that provides a Linux-based platform combining IP telephony, contact center, multitenant PBX, video calling, email, fax, and audio recording. It sells commercial add-ons, Contact Center subscriptions, recurring support contracts, on-demand support hours, partner certification training, and custom development services around the free core platform. The product is distributed both via direct download and through a global Authorized and Certified Partner channel.
Product overview
Issabel is an open-source Unified Communications (UC) software platform that provides a unified solution combining IP telephony, call center, email, fax, video conferencing, and recording capabilities. The product portfolio consists of a core unified communications platform with specialized modules: Issabel Contact Center (for inbound/outbound campaign management), Issabel Multitenant (for service providers managing multiple PBX clients from a single instance), and Issabel Network (for network infrastructure). The platform also offers add-on modules, professional services including support subscriptions, on-demand support, training programs through Issabel Academy, and custom development services. The company operates under ISSABEL LLC headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida, USA, and serves over 100,000 companies across 100 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Issabel Unified Communications Platform
- Issabel Contact Center Contact center module that automates and manages inbound and outbound call campaigns through an agent console and call management administration interface, available as a monthly SaaS subscription or on-premise license.
- Issabel Multitenant Multitenant module that simplifies PBX solutions for service providers, allowing them to manage multiple clients from a single instance without separate servers per client.
- Issabel Network Network infrastructure module designed to extend Issabel's unified communications capabilities across distributed enterprise environments.
- Issabel Academy Training and certification program providing the knowledge to master Issabel, with asynchronous courses, live instructor-led sessions, and ICAE certification preparation for Linux-based systems professionals and VoIP integrators.
- Support Subscriptions Recurring support plans offering ongoing technical assistance, configuration support, project implementation estimates, and access to updates from anywhere in the world.
- On-Demand Support Service Remote technical support service for resolving unplanned problems or configurations, available in 8x5 (Monday-Friday 9AM-6PM Mexico time) or 24x7 formats with hours valid for one year.
- Custom Development Service Bespoke development service to create custom functionalities and tailored solutions for Issabel systems that meet specific customer requirements.
- Issabel Add-ons / Complementos Commercial add-on modules and extensions that expand Issabel's functionality and integrate seamlessly to add telephony-driven capabilities that improve customer service and automate actions for scalability, sold via the online store.
Companies that use Issabel
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Issabel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Issabel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Authorized PartnerscoreEntry-level channel partners reselling and implementing Issabel solutions. Receive marketing materials, digital badges, and partner discounts on products and services. No minimum sales quota required. Must display partner badge on website and LinkedIn.
- Certified PartnersflagshipHighest-tier partners focused on Contact Center specialization. Required to have 3 ICAE-certified engineers, purchase annual NFR demo license (5 omnichannel agents), and sign partnership agreement. Receive 15-30% discounts, dedicated helpdesk, online demos, and website listing as Certified Partner for Contact Center.
- Community ContributorscoreOpen-source community members contributing to Issabel codebase via GitHub, developing add-ons, providing peer support in forums, and participating in community events. Community participation enables organic product improvement and market expansion.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Issabel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Asterisk: Asterisk is the open-source telephony engine (now under Sangoma) that underpins much of Issabel's underlying stack; it represents the most foundational technology peer and competes with Issabel at the lower-level PBX/telephony layer.
- 3CX: 3CX is a commercial unified communications and contact center platform that directly competes with Issabel's UC + Contact Center modules across the same SMB and mid-market buyer base, with comparable PBX replacement value proposition.
- Sangoma (FreePBX): Sangoma owns FreePBX, the most direct open-source IP-PBX competitor to Issabel, serving SMBs and service providers with a similarly modular telephony stack and a paid commercial/support layer on top of the open-source core.
Broad incumbents
- Avaya: Avaya is a global incumbent in UC, contact center, and communications services with broad enterprise and service-provider deployments; its Avaya IP Office and cloud offerings compete with Issabel's on-prem and multi-tenant PBX positioning.
- Genesys: Genesys is a global CCaaS and customer experience platform incumbent whose cloud and on-prem offerings overlap Issabel's Contact Center module for inbound/outbound campaign management and agent console workflows.
- Five9: Five9 is a pure-play cloud CCaaS vendor whose inbound/outbound campaign, agent, and omnichannel capabilities compete with Issabel's Contact Center module in the same enterprise and service-provider segments.
- Cisco (Webex Calling): Cisco's Webex Calling is a cloud-delivered UCaaS offering that competes with Issabel's enterprise telephony and contact center modules, typically at the upper end of the same buyer segments and with substantially broader R&D and compliance investments.
- RingCentral: RingCentral is a leading cloud UCaaS provider whose RingCX contact center offering directly competes with Issabel's Contact Center module, with the capital scale and global sales motion to win mid-market and enterprise deals.
- Mitel: Mitel is a long-standing UC and PBX incumbent serving mid-market and enterprise customers with cloud and on-prem UCaaS offerings that overlap Issabel's Enterprise Business segment across telephony, collaboration, and contact center.
- Microsoft Teams Phone: Microsoft Teams Phone bundles PSTN voice capabilities into the Teams productivity suite, competing directly with Issabel's Enterprise Business segment via the broadest existing enterprise distribution channel in the industry.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Issabel social profiles
Digital presenceIssabel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Issabel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Issabel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Issabel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Issabel
What does Issabel do?
Issabel is an open-source unified communications software company that provides a Linux-based platform combining IP telephony, contact center, multitenant PBX, video calling, email, fax, and audio recording. It sells commercial add-ons, Contact Center subscriptions, recurring support contracts, on-demand support hours, partner certification training, and custom development services around the free core platform. The product is distributed both via direct download and through a global Authorized and Certified Partner channel.
Is Issabel a public or private company?
Issabel is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Issabel founded?
Issabel was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Issabel based?
Issabel is headquartered in Coral Springs, United States, in the North America region.
How does Issabel make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Contact Center SaaS Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are support Subscriptions, on-Demand Support, software Licenses and Add-ons, training Services and custom Development.
Who are Issabel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Asterisk, 3CX and Sangoma (FreePBX). Broad incumbents are Avaya, Genesys, Five9, Cisco (Webex Calling), RingCentral, Mitel and Microsoft Teams Phone.
Does Issabel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Issabel.
What industry is Issabel in?
Issabel's product category is Unified Communications Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAHAB, Cloud PBX & Hosted Telephony, with a secondary code of HDAIAHAF, Contact Center (CCaaS) & Customer Engagement Voice. Its NAICS code is 5171 and its SIC code is 7372.