BCM questions from a Norstar Tech

[dmeche]

Well I guess we all have to change with the times. I need to install a BCM 50. I worked on Norstar and Options for WilTel/NextiraOne for 10 years and after the lay offs, I do them part time on the side.

Can someone please answer these general questions on this system. How hard is it to learn for a Norstar/Option background? Is it reliable? How is the documentation that comes with it?

I am still trying to get the exact terminology of how they break the system down. Please tell me if I am right on how I think this goes.

BCM 50 MAIN UNIT (NO ROUTER) -------This is the main BCM unit. Does it include the first 16 digital stations that can run the T series phones, the software for the BCM, and Call Pilot feature in this price?

4 PORT ANALOG TRUNK LICENSE -------- Analog trunk license? Does the BCM come with the trunk ports and I need the keycodes to activate?

BCM 50 EXPANSION UNIT --------------------Is this just to go beyond 16 phones?

BCM 50 EXPANSION PORT LICENSE -------This would be to activate the extra 16 phones.

16+ DIGITAL STATION MEDIA BAY MODULE ------Do I need this module for the first 16 stations or does it go in the expansion unit? I remember the BCM 400 needing a module for the first phones.

16 SEAT VOICE MAIL LICENSE ----------Activates 16 CP mailboxes. Can the BCM CP still use the Norstar prompts like the stand alone CP?

16 SEAT UNIFIED MESSAGING LICENSE --------This activates the unified messenger for the PCs. I remember on a stand alone that I have to run an install disk on every PC that uses Unified messenger, and on the mail server, right? Do you still need to put it on a mail server, or just on the PC? I heard that you just set up the BCM with an IP address on the network and the Unified Software on the PC polls the BCM for the messages. How well does this work? I put one of these in and we had engineers from all over NextiraOne helping me. It turns out that the release of CP I was installing had a bug when interfacing with Outlook 2003. Guess which version of Outlook my customer had. That is why I have been putting off installing these. It’s time to jump I guess.

 

[senk1s]

Scroll down a few threads to see the reply to your earlier post

 

[nooop]

BCM 50 only supports 12 digital stations on the internal bus, and 4 analog stations as well. All are keycode enabled so a base bcm50 has nothing in it. Expansions are for either analog/digital trunking and analog/digital stations. You can use a max of 2 expansions. But digital mobility would be the exception because it uses 2 digital station cross connects so you could have a bcm 50 with 3 expansions if 1 is a dmc320. All software is browser based from the client PC, no media needed it is all on the BCM.

If you do not learn BCM products as a telephony guy, you will allow yourself to be outdated and computer guys will soon have your business. It is easy to learn, jump in.

Just MHO

 

[vztech]

You should be able to pick it up no problem. It's a fancy Norstar

Does have some issues tho compared to a Norstar which runs forever.

It's only dialtone-VZ

 

[naurry]

So nooop is spot on. The main BCM50 cabinet has an amphenol that breaks out into 4 analog trunks, 4 analog stations, 12 digital stations (M7000 or T7000 series phones), paging, door phone and music on hold pins. All the ports on the main unit are keycode enabled; so a 2 analog trunk keycode turns on 2 of the ports, etc.

As nooop also mentioned you can add 2 additional expansion cabinets these accommodate the standard BCM MBMs. However, an Expansion Port License is required for each expansion cabinet being attached the BCM50.

The BCM CallPilot can be configured to use CP prompts or NVM prompts, the option is yours. All voicemails reside on the BCM so no need to touch the customer's email server. On the PC side, the CallPilot software still needs to be installed but works seamlessly with Outlook 2003 (in my experience).

So jump right in, the BCM50 is a slick system.

 

[ArrJay21]

Has anyone heard of analog stations going dead? This install is about a month old, they were using 1 analog station for their analog conference phone. All was well until suddenly it just stopped. No dial tone at the MDF on the analog stations.

"morgansdad stole my signature

 

[MagnaRGP]

The other thing of note is that if you need 32 digital stations, you can purchase an Expansion keycode, module and MBM and you do NOT have to enable the main chassis ports.

It can be cheaper that way.

 

[jbenpeter]

dmeche, hello from a old former wiltel/nexteria pal. jump in its a cake walk.

 

[dmeche]

Jben;

Great to hear from one of the group. I hung on for 10 years, counting the 6 months contracting I did for them after my January 2005 lay off. Reply to this post if you want to swap "war stories". If I get a reply I'll post my email and we can chat about what those guys did to a perfectly good company.

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

I was a victim of Williams/nextira as well. I miss those customers we had in Phoenix!

JohnThePhoneGuy

"If I can't fix it, it's not broke!

 

[dmeche]

Wow, another WilTel, Williams, NextiraOne tech! Drop me a line at derekmeche@cox.net. Let me know what happened in your area after the fall. I managed to start my own company and do a little side work. Not by any means full time, thou but I wish.

 

[sassystickchick]

Hey No problem BCM are actually more simple then the Norstar so it should be easier for you actually Not sure on the documentation but the system its self is very simple you use
Business Element Manager to set things up instead of having to do auto attendant and what not on the phone its self you can do it through the program. You just connect a cable to the BCM itself and you can view everything lines, names, voice mail, reset voice mail, everything you had to do on the phone its self it now through a program to put on your computer so much easier to set buttons as well i think you will like it better. less complicated

You need key codes to activate the BCM YES
You need some documentation on this to learn it a little more go to

http://www.nortel.com

and look up BCM50 k and get documentation on it the PDF tells you all u need to know about the systems and how it works i think that will help you out a lot trust me
I am just learning this stuff and let me tell ya the best w ay i learn is doing it i set the BCM50 on my desk at worked and hooked it up and played with it and thats how i learned so there is another option for you as well.
i hop i helped