Voice Over IP

[Rage2003]

Hey fellow Norstar Buddies. For those of you who sell Norstars to new customers, are you beginning to loose sales to
Voice Over IP capable systems? I love the Norstar, but honestly I have noticed just a huge serge in consumer interest in voice over ip. Is the MICS on its way out? I just attended a product demonstration on the BCM, and it is defiently no MICS. They still have not settled on an OS for the BCM and its in release 3.0!!! Please share your experience with Voice Over Ip's assault on the good old Norstar.

 

[MarvO1]

Actually I'm relieved that there is now a VOIP Gateway for the Norstar.
I've been working the BCM platform since beta testing for its 1.0 when the BCM was known as the Enterprize Edge. It is actually in release 3.5 now and soon to be 3.6. its operating system is Embedded Microsoft NT and I hear rumors that the OS will change with 4.0. It was a piece of junk when first marketed but has finally evolved into a quite nice system almost.
It's hard to tell what the marketing folks will do, but hopefully Norstar will be around for a long time to come.
I've heard rumors that the Norstar is going to double in port size. Hope so.

MarvO said it

 

[senk1s]

i dont think norstar is going to go away - atleast for some time.

but 3COM is making inroads into the norstar base - by replacing the core norstar with their switch - and using a CITEL gateway to use the norstar phones ... that's a good way to save the investment. this has been there for abt a year

hope nortel's mktg knows abt this and are doing something about it

 

[Sphoneman]

I'm an old SL-1 man. I went to the key system side 15 years ago with the Norstar & believed fully in the system until they switch to the flash cards & software. Now they act like PC's- when in doubt reboot.

The BCM's are definetly a PC. They have come along way since bagging the Enterprise Edge. The differences & reliability since the BCM 2.0-3.5 are making it more reliable ( & stable). It's a shame to Beta on customers without their knowledge (I guess Gates is showing Nortel his marketing stategies). I would need more convincing before I would personally sell this to a customer & put my name on it.

They did come out with the VOIP Gateway for the Norstar & I would supect that will keep the small users with the zeal for technology zat bay for awile.

Unfortunately, I just talked to with a contact of a large user of Norstar & Options. They also tried a couple BCM's. They are going to go with the Cisco VOIP.




Steve
tele-dataservices.com

 

[sprucegrover]

There is now a new release of BCM software, perhaps 4.0, on a totally IP platform supporting 200+ sets. And from what I've heard, the old BCM's cannot be upgraded (That sounds like Nortel market strategy). The new platform is supposed to be about 6 months away. Details are sketchy but keep your ears open.
As for the MICS/CICS line, its days are definitely numbered. Adding on an IP gateway is stopgap at best while Nortel develops a true IP solution for the small/medium business owner. We will see it in use for many years to come, though. Look at all the 616's and 128's in the field that are still plugging along happily.
I love the user friendly Norstar line, but VoIP is here to stay