Analogue VS IP solution - CS1000

[JonEB]

We are going to be having an influx of new staff coming in to our building and I'm looking at the pro's and cons of using our existing analogue line cards and traditional telephone licenses vs an IP solution. My recommendation is to use IP, however this is obviously the more expensive option and cheap and dirty is generally the preferred method here!

I'm trying to put together something to show the relative advantage of using IP and could do with some more ammo to convince the project manager and budget holder.

An analogue solution would simply require us to buy handsets, build them on the switch and cable it all up in the data centre and data cabs at floor level. My issue with this is the sheer time involved cabling all of this up. They also like to move people around here too, so moving the cabling around is a real pain and it's all done out of hours, which presents the other issue that it relies on me being available to do it all. IP phones obviously retain the config and as we've got POE switches on the way, it would be a simple plug and play job to move anything.

The IP solution is much quicker to implement, although more costly. At the same time the powers that be are in the process of trying to get sign off to move to Avaya Red and be totally SIP, having only IP phones. The problem is that as this isn't signed off it's difficult to say that we're basically spending money for nothing on analogue lines and all the work will need to be re-done.

 

[KCFLHRC]

I think you already have the Pro's and Con's defined. It just comes down to money. If the wiring is in place then the analog solution is by far the cheapest. If money is no object and you are at a release that you can still get keycodes for then go IP. Personally, I wouldn't give Avaya another dime, but they have totally ruined the Nortel product line. Sip seems to be the new trend, but the people that want it typically don't even know why they want it.

 

[bignose21]

Like KCFLHRC you pretty much have the pro/cons it depends upon the time they will be in place. As you say the IP option can be expensive but if an anlogue solution is in place and frequently moved the man hours required to perform moves might cost more in the long run. But you say a possible replacement is looming maybe the analogue will be cheaper and you will not move them enough to make the cost saving of sticking to analogue in effective. You would need a definate idea of if/when a new solution would be on the cards to best work out the time required to perform the moves of the analogue services.