What system other than IPO would you carry? 1

[voxvar]

We are looking for a replacement system for the IPO to offer our customers. Our customers our typically under 50 phones , PRI or SIP trunks and VM Pro. About 50% of our customers have multiple locations (SCN).
With the direction the IPO appears to be heading we feel the need to see whats out there.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[pmcook]

NEC and Panasonic for me. I refuse to become a reseller for a hosted provider. That is not business that is being a franchise only without the meager autonomy. I've been approached by a few hosting companies and they make a good sales pitch but in the end they own you. The way they make you cmopete with other franchisees continuously depresses your profits to their advantage. Not for me.

 

[voxvar]

Barracuda Networks has been courting us with their phone system. I have never seen or heard anything about it.

 

[1A2guru]

Hard to beat NEC when it comes down to cost vs profit. I don't like programming them and I think the phones look cheap but they don't rape you with PRI channel licenses and little stuff like that. They seem to be feature rich and you can program them through a phone or with the admin software. Never touched an ESI but they seem to be pretty popular around here.

We've lost quite a few customers to the hosted guys like Cspire and Coredial and IT guys love Asterisk with Polycom phones. Even our service providers are getting into the game with hosted service. Looks like that's where the industry is heading right now.

 

[montyzummer]

really goood idea asking this in a IPO forum , i think you should consider duplex ACM with ESS and LSP`s with elite licensing and verint WFO

APSS (SME)
ACSS (SME)
ACIS (UC)

 

[montyzummer]

ok to be serious Samsung office serve

APSS (SME)
ACSS (SME)
ACIS (UC)

 

[chrisag]

For small business we use Grandstream and MyPBX asterisk based phone systems.
'With the direction the IPO appears to be heading'!!!
What do you mean are they planning to remove the ip500v2 from the market?

 

[amriddle01]

Not yet, but nearly all the improvements/advancements are being made to the server edition and Select version, things that are seemingly being pushed towards being "cloud" based

 

[voxvar]

the small business market appears to be left behind as the IPO evolves. The Avaya web site no longer says the IPO is built for SMB now it just talks about Midmarket. The Server and Select looks like their path.
If we are missing something or seeing it wrong please tell me.

 

[mkoker]

Samsung is a solid choice. 5 year warranty, no charge for software upgrades. Good brand recognition.

 

[amriddle01]

We also sell the Mitel MiVoice office 250 (or Mitel 5000 as it used to be called), quite similar to IPO in features but better built in VM and remote phones are a doddle, it's just not quite as flexible as the IP Office and the programming isn't quite as intuitive

 

[tlpeter]

We do Mitel too but then the 3300 (MiVoice Business) and indeed the remote worker is great.


BAZINGA!

I'm not insane, my mother had me tested!

 

[amriddle01]

It just works, and isn't licenced (on the 5000) or handset dependant or require any additional hardware/services, SCN is also free and transitions NAT... though doesn't natively support cross-site hotdesking (not that I've ever needed that, even on IPO)

 

[tlpeter]

Installing a MiCollab server with voice (virtual 3300) including MBG.
This is much better than what Avaya does.

BAZINGA!

I'm not insane, my mother had me tested!

 

[voxvar]

Thanks to everyone for your answers. It looks like we have a lot of work to do.