Now that is out of the way, I am struggling with Skype. I can run Skype, but as soon as I try to initiate a conference call, Skype crashes. My guess is that it has something to do with not having a sound card.

We have a Dell 2950 server (obviously with no sound card).

So if there is no way to fool ESX into supplying a virtual sound card to the guest OS, then I have to see about hacking Skype somehow. Or getting another box at the colo. Or paying for a d@mn conference call.

in fact we really do want skype. our small company has skype thoroughly ingrained. we have users in shenzen, geneva, san fran, santa cruz, north carolina, chicago. a fair amount of these users have a solid broadband connection and connect to our conference calls using their laptops. some need to be called on a POT/cell.

in any case, the idea is to have the guest os/XP which is sitting on the 2950 at the colo initiate the conference call - due to rock solid bandwidth and cpu. so someone will console into the guest XP install and run skype from there.

in the meantime, i have been snooping and seen asterisk, trixbox, fonality, etc. it may be what we really want is a stripped down asterisk install. im downloading a trixbox ISO as we speak - they have a vmware appliance but it seems very old.

if indeed i can buy VOIP DID lines(bandwidth) cheap, that may ultimately be the way to go to have more control and better quality (at a slightly higher price).