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New Phone System

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sohtnax

IS-IT--Management
Apr 24, 2003
130
US
I currently own a Nortel Norstar system and am maxed at 140 extensions. I realize it was made for small businesses and that I will most likely have to invest in a new system. Does anyone have an suggestions? Is there anything out there that will allow me to it in conjunction with my existing system?
 
Buy/Install another norstar and tie the switches with a PRI over MCDN ... you probably need to upgrade the current system to the latest version 6.1

This is like networked with CDP you can simulate a single to a great extent
 
What system do you have it sounds like you might have an 8x24. If you go with an MICS you can go up to 192 stations at least this way you can use the phones that you already have.
 
Let me know how or where I can check and I'll let you know what I have.

Thanks!
 
Even going with a 6.1software you may still be running up against the limit of lines/stations, you may want to go to multiple MICS 6.1 and network them together. this would let you step over that limit of 192 extensions. again the biggest advantage is you can keep the expensive part of your present system (the phones).

JerryReeve
Communications Systems Int'l
com-sys.com
 
That sounds best for me, but one of my vendors is trying to sell me an Intertel. I just recently purchased the Cinphony I, so the last thing I want to do is move to a new phone system.

Does anyone know or foresee any problems or limitation to going with another Norstar?

Anyone know ball parks figures of an Intertel and Norstar system?

Thanks again!
 
Cinphony will not work with an intertel ...
So better off keeping the norstar
total max of 10 station modules : 160 additional extensions
+ 32 in teh main cabinet

Since you use a NAM reduce 16 from the 160
If you have a fiber NAM for voicemail reduce another 16

that makes your usable capacity 160 extensions total

beyond that networking is the only option
 
another note: you would probabaly have to upgrade the cinphony if you upgrade the system to 6.1 check with the vendor.

JerryReeve
Communications Systems Int'l
com-sys.com
 
I am already on 6.1 so thats not a problem.

Anyone know ball park pricing figures of an Intertel and Norstar system?

How many Norstars can I network together?

Are there any other Nortel phone systems that have more than 160 extensions can be networked with my existing system? I don't want to end up with 10 Norstars.

 
How big could you end up? two norstars could give you around 300 extensions. If you think you would end up bigger than that maybe a full blown PBX would work like the meridian or difinity, problem with that is you then would have to replace all your phones.

The installer guide has a network of 6 norstrs configured together as an example. using ISDN Pri's and networkiing private PRI's you could make up a large network with one voicemail. I don't know if cinphony can work across a network but cintec can answer that.

bottom line is that the norstar has the flexibility to do most of what you need to do and you already have over 150 phones invested in it at around 200 per set that makes keeping them attractive.

JerryReeve
Communications Systems Int'l
com-sys.com
 
Norstar is very nice system but Lucent is the BEST buy PROLOGIC OR G3I ver.11 or 8700 (that way you can use 6000 4220 and IP telephones) I work on both systems and from may past exp.Lucent switches are the the BEST (try to move 100 ext with Norstar switch ,is very bad take logn time,with Lucent switch you just put tti code in and out.)

Regards Jerry
 
the question is how large is the company now.. then how large will it be in 5 years...how much is your budget...will 300 stations be your max or will it just grow and grow and grow...you could go to option 11 to front end the business and still use the norstar...you could just shit can the norstar and replace with option 11.. if your concerned about the cintech acd you could keep ..we had nynex as a customer and they were sl-100 front end and we hade a norstar call center"cinphony I "... the most expensive part will be the phones ...but if you do homework they can be had at very low prices.

Pat Guido
NEXTIRAONE
Pat.guido@nextiraone.com

Formerly Nextira, formerly Williams Communications, formerly Wiltel, formerly Nortel networks, formerly Northern Telecom, formerly, Nynex meridian systems formerly Northern Telecom.

 
The company has grown 50% in the past year, to 140 employees. Since it is fairly new, its very hard to foresee 5 years from now, but I am assuming we could possibly exceed 300 people. None of this has been budgeted for because this type of growth had not been expected. I'm trying to get some kind of idea of what pricing might be as well.

What is an sl-100?

My goal is to keep the cinphony and the phones.
 
sl 100 is a very large switch basicly same as a central office dms 100 over 10000 line system..ok so on your norstar what is your config now...if your using T1's and 2 nams 1 vm 1 acd you have 8 open exp ports = 128 stations + 32 on ksu gives 160 is this correct? if you add 2nd norstar that would at least double your capacity...but if company grows to over 300 in a couple of years you will have out grown this solution... would look at a medium size pbx and see about a buy back on existing system and phones.. most pbx's come with acd package or keep norstar for the call center and front end it with new system... but if you wait the rest of us will speak up and get you more info

Pat Guido
NEXTIRAONE
Pat.guido@nextiraone.com

Formerly Nextira, formerly Williams Communications, formerly Wiltel, formerly Nortel networks, formerly Northern Telecom, formerly, Nynex meridian systems formerly Northern Telecom.

 
Sohtnax,

No one appears to have answered your ballpark pricing request, so here goes.

I have a customer with a similar situation to yours, but a little farther along the path. They started with a Norstar, grew to about 140 phones. They wanted to postpone the cost of a PBX purchase, so we networked a second Norstar. They grew to 250 phones and were expanding again, so they went to a Nortel Meridian Option 11C, which uses different phones. (The SL100 is an old Meridian system.) Current Meridian systems are the Option 11C, 51C, 61C and 81C. The Option 11C is a wall mount PBX that grows to 5 Cabinets and 900 Ports. The larger systems use the same phones as the 11C. With PBXs I would stay with refurbished to keep the price reasonable. You should be able to get a system with 200 phones installed for about $100,000. The cost of networking another norstar with say 100 phones on it would probably cost you about $50,000.

The Definity G3 is the comparable Avaya product. Look to pay about twice the price of a comparable Meridian System. Then, be ready for Avaya to jerk you around for transfering ownership of the switch. Upgrades are another area where they rake you over the coals. I once bought a refurbished Octel voicemail (an Avaya product) for $10,000. The unit retailed for about $75,000. Avaya wanted $40,000 to transfer ownership. Nortel charges a few hundred dollars for the same transfer and their upgrades are reasonable.

I would stay away from Intertel. Nortel and Avaya own 80% of the PBX market for a reason. As far as pricing, the last Intertel quote I saw was quite a while ago. It was $30,000 for a system with 30 phones. I don't know if that translates to $200K for a system with 200 phones or not. I was an Intertel dealer back in the early 90s. I got tired of their poor quality.

Pricing can vary based on what part of the country you are in.

Hope this helps. If you have specific questions about the above info, feel free to email me.

Steve
phonebiz@bellsouth.net

 
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