I ask here after some googling since I know I will get the best answer

Most of our products are connected via modems (GSM and PSTN). Quite a few of the engineers and apps engineers need the ability to dial out to these devices. Currently we have a patch panel and have to keep changing when a different user wants a phone line since we only have a few spare.

What I would like is some server software that runs and has access to a number of comports physically on the server. These all connect to modems that have permanent phone lines. On the client side, we install a special driver that results in a virtual COM port appearing on the client. Then whenever the client opens the COM port it connects to the server and server assigns it the first available real comport.

If you have ever seen SAPS, that's what I would like. But I'm looking for something free. Can run on an NT server or Linux, I don't mind, but the clients basically need to be 98 / 2000 / XP.

Does anyone know of one that's free or particularly cheap?

Thanks