--- title: "Gerhard Engel (@gerhardengel) | Hashnode" description: "Gerhard Engel (@gerhardengel) writes on Hashnode. Read their latest articles and follow their work." url: "https://hashnode.com/@gerhardengel" --- @gerhardengel # Gerhard Engel @gerhardengel · Joined November 2026 ### [FreePBX AI Receptionist: Replace Your IVR Menu with an AI Agent](https://vexyl.hashnode.dev/freepbx-ai-receptionist-replace-your-ivr-menu-with-an-ai-agent?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed) Swap "press 1 for sales" for a conversation: an AI agent that answers, routes calls and takes messages on the FreePBX system you already run. 8 min read · [vexyl.hashnode.dev](https://vexyl.hashnode.dev/freepbx-ai-receptionist-replace-your-ivr-menu-with-an-ai-agent?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed) [6d ago](https://hashnode.com/posts/freepbx-ai-receptionist-replace-your-ivr-menu-with-an-ai-agent/6af0436abfbec6e9fb9c56b6) ### [Voice AI Cost in India: Real Data from a Live Deployment](https://vexyl.hashnode.dev/voice-ai-cost-in-india-real-data-from-a-live-deployment?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed) What 156 calls and 248 minutes of Malayalam conversations at a Kerala hospital actually cost: ₹0.83 per minute, all-in. 8 min read · [vexyl.hashnode.dev](https://vexyl.hashnode.dev/voice-ai-cost-in-india-real-data-from-a-live-deployment?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed) [6d ago](https://hashnode.com/posts/voice-ai-cost-in-india-real-data-from-a-live-deployment/6af042b86b73c8e448c69177) ### [Asterisk AI Voice Agent: Open-Source and Self-Hosted Options](https://vexyl.hashnode.dev/asterisk-ai-voice-agent-open-source-and-self-hosted-options?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed) Three ways to connect a live Asterisk call to speech-to-text, an LLM and text-to-speech, and what to check before you pick one. 9 min read · [vexyl.hashnode.dev](https://vexyl.hashnode.dev/asterisk-ai-voice-agent-open-source-and-self-hosted-options?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed) [6d ago](https://hashnode.com/posts/asterisk-ai-voice-agent-open-source-and-self-hosted-options/6af041816b73c8e448c30a80) ### [Self-Hosted Indian Language STT Server: VEXYL-STT Open Source](https://vexyl.hashnode.dev/self-hosted-indian-language-stt-server-vexyl-stt-open-source?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed) A free speech-to-text server for 14 Indian languages that runs on CPU, streams over WebSocket and keeps audio on your own machine. 7 min read · [vexyl.hashnode.dev](https://vexyl.hashnode.dev/self-hosted-indian-language-stt-server-vexyl-stt-open-source?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed) [6d ago](https://hashnode.com/posts/self-hosted-indian-language-stt-server-vexyl-stt-open-source/6af040e963566ad89da986c2)