Looking for Advice

[td1031]

I have just taken a new position with a company that is set to grow rapidly. We have a small ACD that is going to grow quickly and will utilize a high amount of at home agents using soft phones. The company had already decided to go to Genesys for the ACD and IVR solution before I came onboard.
Currently we have a Nortel option 11 that will require about 40k to get current enough to support the genesys system. The Nortel will also carry yearly maintenance of about 9k for the foreseeable future. Since we are small now I am taking this opportunity to look at Avaya and Cisco. My Nortel vendor is also a Cisco vendor so they are working on a quote. I have a relationship with an Avaya vendor that specializes in call centers. My Ayava vendor has recommended an S8300 with a price tag around 55k. I am really leaning toward avaya at this point but wanted to see what you guys think.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[td1031]

Also the Avaya includes maintenance for 3 years and if we have to upgrade it we would get 85% trade in value toward the next size system.

 

[biglebowski]

the soft phone from avaya is excellant (I use it to work from home)with cisco a very close second.

Merry non denominational winter festival!!!

 

[td1031]

Okay i got back my quote for the Cisco install and it includes the full call manager suite and a 6509 all turn key from the vendor. I am really liking the cisco option it is about 3x the Avaya cost but it also will scale to 1000 users and includes the new 6509 switch.

 

[pabxdude]

i work on genesys and pbx's. one thing i would consider is the acd functionality of the pbx you use. if you have issues with the solution ( either genesys, or data network), and have to revert to pbx acd, you would want this to be a robust solution too, with a rich feature set.

from my understanding, the avaya in skin acd is one of the best around (i dont work on these systems, but this is what i've heard). not too sure about the cisco side of things.

have you been able to get a demo of what both can do?

just try and cover all your bases. you dont want to deploy a solution that doesnt meet your needs 6 months down the track.

good luck.

 

[johnpoole]

i work in a nortel shop, with an avaya on the network and cisco voip, soft sets and wireless.. how much in house acd do you want in the next 5 years? i would keep the 11, price an symposium server with cisco voip agents at home.. avaya base acd is ok, and i haven't seen anything on that side that compares to the symposium, i perfer cisco voip, and i know techs that say pure cisco is as dependable... that's always been my holdout on a pure cisco solution, but the company i work for roll them out everyday.. the thing to keep in mind about large acd is the trunk requirements, 90 percent of your inbound are going to originate tdm, 1000 sets is not that many stations, 1000 tdm trunks require a block of older tdm interface equiptment, that put's your long term needs past the limits of an 11..

john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc

 

[jeter]

You should have your vendor quote you a price on a Cisco IPCC server to go along with the Call MAnager. You can have all of your system IVR, and agents together on a sigle product.

“Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all”

CCNA,CCNP,CIPT, Network+
Tek-TIP Member 19,650