Modular Messaging, Avaya Aura and Exchange 2013

[demanding]

We are on MM5.2 - planning to upgrade to Exchange 2013 first quarter next year. Learned that MM5.2 does not support it so Avaya Aura is the answer (but heard that will not be able to support it until late 1st quarter).

My questions are:

1 - If you are using Avaya Aura - like it? Better than MM if you switched?

2 - Are you planning an upgrade like this?

3 - Since Avaya Aura is Linux - any issues with supporting it?

 

[KenMeans]

From my prospective Aura Messaging is a vast improvement in most areas. And even better if you are using Exchange for the message store as it is impossible to mess it up from the Aura end.

If it does not work it is purely something on the customers setup of the impersonation account that is not right.

You can mix the use of Exchange and Avaya message store on one system as well. It also works much better with Multiple locations.

The only thing it does not do at this point is text to speech to read your emails like MM does but i know less that 1% of users even know it will do that let alone use it.

I could go on and on but you can't really go wrong moving to it. And no more Windows drama.



Ken Means

http://www.tel-is.com

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

 

[demanding]

Are you saying that Aura will support Exchange 2013?

Are there significant differences between MM5.2 and Aura for the end user?

 

[KenMeans]

No not yet but as you said first quarter next year is what i am hearing for Exch 2013 support.

But it sure works good with 2007 and 2010 now.





Ken Means

http://www.tel-is.com

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

 

[demanding]

Since we are on MM5.2 now and we know this is not supported (which basically means it might work but Avaya does not want any part of it...yes?)...what would you suggest? We have a hard date for the Exchange upgrade (Jan 1).

 

[KenMeans]

I would install the Aura and setup all users as Avaya Message store. They will still be able to send VM to the exchange server and SMS as well. ( This is setup under the user options webpage or an admin can do it as well)

Then when 6.3 is out upgrade the Aura and start moving the users to Exchange message store. At that point you may or may not even want to.

What is the burning need to use the Exchange as the store ?






Ken Means

http://www.tel-is.com

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

 

[demanding]

Actually...no burning need I'm aware of just what we have now.

So what is the benefit of Exchange as the storage or using AMS? Pros/Cons?

Could we do this today without upgrading and say on MM5.2 or must go to Aura?

 

[KenMeans]

You could change the MM to a MSS store but it will never work with Exch 2013. Also you could not just add the MSS to the mix it would need to be a complete new install and you don't get native forwarding to your email or cell of the message with out a 3rd party app in MM

You get the licenses for free as long as you are under SSU so you only need to get the new server or servers.

In my mind it use to be that all of the disk space needed was expensive so using exchange was a good idea. But now you can run into leagle issues as well if you store all of your VM in exchange as it becomes discoverable.


Don't know how many users you have but you only need one server if you only use Avaya as the message store. With Exchange you must have a minimum of 2. (Dont' ask)


I think it is a no brainer to move to the aura but that is just me.

We can give you some demos if you like or talk about it further.





Ken Means

http://www.tel-is.com

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

 

[texeric]

If you are already using Enterprise CALs for Exchange, why not use the UM feature? Not saying it would fit you, but definitely worth looking at.

 

[demanding]

It is being considered. Thanks.

 

[demanding]

Has anyone migrated from Modular Messaging 5.2 to Exchange 2013 UM with Communication Manager at 6.2? Integration works?

 

[PutOnTheBeatdown]

I have successfully migrated from MM 5.2 to Exchange 2010 and recently to the 2013 environment. I have always felt Avaya's voice mail products are lacking to say the least. My first go round with MM was not a happy one when we moved from an Opcom DIAL system in mid 90's. On the user side not much was lost, but on the backend there was so much functionality removed I couldn't believe so many tools were not available. I kept hoping Avaya would improve the product with their various acquisitions of other VM players over the years. The reality always seemed they were just trying to squash the better products by tabling them. I am not a Microsoft fan by any means, but the functionality of the Exchange UM products makes MM look like an old answering machine that uses tapes.

I will say the move to MS 2010 is easy if you following the integration documentation provided by Avaya. However the move to 2013 is trickier because of way Microsoft structured the new environment. The 2013 environment is not supported as of yet and still may require a patch for the Session Manager or MS 2013. Microsoft in their infinite wisdom decided to toggle between TCP ports 5065 and 5067 on the MBX servers every seven days. Basically the SM does not like this and if you try to build it out this way it will fail We are overcoming this hurdle by restarting the UM service on the MBX servers every couple of days. This keeps the port locked to 5065 because it is the default port and all is happy.