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Upgrade to a BCM 450 from a 50? 2

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PImoose

PImoose

Technical User
Dec 3, 2008
53
US
We were quoted an upgrade to a Shortel from ATT, but the owner doesn't want to spend the money there and see the useful equipment we currently have go to waste. Is there an easy upgrade path from a 50 to 450 or would it be easier to start from scratch? I've seen a couple documents but they all had higher releases, we are on 1. I've tried contacting a few local places but no one wants to return calls, so I am on my own currently as to figuring out a solution.
 
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you will need to key in all the programming.

its a different phone system

you may want to look into ip office too though, you can reuse your nortel phones

ddcommllc.com
Avaya/Toshiba/SyntelSolutions

ACIS
 
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Screw the IP Office! Look into an EMetroTel system. Not only can you re-use the Nortel sets, you also redploy the BCM50 as a digital set gateway. Your Nortel sets will work exactly the same as they do now (or better if you want them to), every Norstar/BCM/Nortel IP set ever manufactured works on them as well as just about any other vendor's SIP sets including Avaya and Cisco. You have to program from scratch (it is a new system after all) but it is very quick and easy. Do yourself a real favor and look into one. You won't be disappointed! It even has all-in licensing so everyone can have every feature available on the BCM with a single user license (ie 30 users>30 user licenses=all features for everybody) It also has an enterprise grade call centre built into it, no licensing required.
 
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If your boss doesn't want to spend the money on Shoretel, don't even waste your time with IP Office. The only way to move from a BCM50 to a BCM450 and migrate current programming is both have to be at R6. Even then it causes many problems that have to be tracked down and fixed. I have only done it once, with an engineer walking me through it, and it was still a pita. It is better to just program the 450 from scratch. I also do not believe you can upgrade all the way from R1 to R6 because of some hardware changes. EMetroTel that telcodog mentioned is a good option as well. EMetroTel was started by some Nortel Engineers after Nortel went under and was bought out by Avaya.

What is the reason in needing to upgrade?

15 years in Nortel phone systems; *nix and MS System Administration; and 3com and Cisco networking. Jack-of-all-trades in IT/Telcom, master of none.
 
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I agree with the E-Metrotel comments.....I love that you can use the Unistim and SIP sets and Nortel M and T series 7000 digital sets. And in a few months, you'll be able to use the Meridian One M2000 and M3900 sets on it as well.

****New Forum - E-Metrotel UCx****
Joseph Sus-Nortel Installer/Programmer-"JoetheUCxguy" on Youtube
 
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To the best of my knowledge, you can't migrate the software from a 50 to a 450. In the DMM tool, there is no option to select a 50 (at least there wasn't the last time I used it). You have to program the 450 from scratch.

I still don't understand why anyone would invest in upgrading a BCM now. As much as I think it's one of the best little switches ever made, it is now a dead product. This EMetroTel box is even better than the BCM and a lot cheaper than anything Avaya has and is one of the simplest systems to program that I've seen in a long time.

People who are looking to replace any current Nortel system are really doing themselves a disservice by not looking into this thing. And for those knocking the system, you clearly have not investigated it because if you had, you wouldn't be knocking it.
 
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What is the reason in needing to upgrade? -Out of space on the 50. The company has gone from a dozen to about 100 and trying to plan room for growth as well.
 
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There are plenty options out there

Im personally not a fan of these pure ip with gateway premised based deals

I'd have a few different sales guys come out and demo some products

Many companies offer more then one like ours does

ddcommllc.com
Avaya/Toshiba/SyntelSolutions

ACIS
 
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OK, that's a perfect scenario for a UCx. Can use the same sets and keep the 50 and turn it into a gateway. It gives you a total of 76 nortel digital sets per gateway and you can add as many as you want (within reason of course) and the UCx comes in 3 different sizes to accommodate 450 phone sets.
 
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Also you may want to think about the community to support it... For example if you look at the abaya forum Otha's almost 23k members

You never want to buy something that you are basically stuck with if you don't like the vendor

ddcommllc.com
Avaya/Toshiba/SyntelSolutions

ACIS
 
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Is there an Avaya system that will support the Nortel phones? I'm stuck with not buying replacement phones, so I want to make the transition as easily as possible.
 
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Yes, the IP Office will support your Nortel digital sets.........unfortunately you have to deal with an IP Office!
 
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If you learned programming the bcm, ip office is child's play



ddcommllc.com
Avaya/Toshiba/SyntelSolutions

ACIS
 
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Sorry, but didn't Avaya buy Nortel? Wouldn't it be safe to say that the people who are most qualified now to continue support for Nortel phones are the people who are now Nortel? Save yourself the headache of dealing with 3rd party manufacturers that "kind of" support Nortel phones and go with an Avaya IP Office where you'll actually support and compatibility when you need it.

I have dreamed a dream, but now that dream has gone from me.

 
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and a roadmap for future use....not just prolonging the inevitable

ddcommllc.com
Avaya/Toshiba/SyntelSolutions

ACIS
 
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I think at the end of the day it depends on lots of factors - not just who's goods you might be dealing or which system you like to back. I'm sure there are systems that are easier to configure, others that are cheaper in price and ones that are "open source" and have community behind them, but are probably more vulnerable and have the least real support options/contracts. From my working with various systems, the UCx that is being discussed above seems to be a cost worthy, flexible, easy to configure option - that will take your Avaya phones along side with you - that and the fact that "JoetheUCxGuy" has lots of simple "how to" videos on YouTube...
 
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When you google a phone system and it only pops up 3 pages and half of them are you tubes videos by a guy who does this part time ...

That's concerning to say the least



ddcommllc.com
Avaya/Toshiba/SyntelSolutions

ACIS
 
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What is it exactly you do phone guy? If I search the internet on you I get zero results. That's 3 pages less than the UCx guy...Just sayin
 
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