Will we have a company to support the networks we have built?

[VOIPaintEASY]

Anyone wondering if the large Nortel data network they have built is facing a dead end around software fixes, releases, and future hardware growth in any form with no choice but to place green devices in their racks for new network growth? Critics are predicting Nortel cannot make it through this unprecedented economic plunge. While it has been said before in the past 3-4 years, with companies such as GM, Chrysler, etc. on the brink. DHL & Circuit City now done, it does seem much more plausible than just pundit negativity now.

 

[DaddyOfThree]

It's a valid concern and there are quite a few of us wondering that (and have been for sometime now).

Unfortunately there isn't anything we can really do about it. If the time should come we'd probably need to put out an RFP and work through the process.

Nortel has a huge installed customer base so I would guess that someone would try to purchase the voice side if not the enterprise as well.

Cheers!

 

[anthonyanderberg]

Certainly a lack of capital and development focus over the past few years hasn't helped them any. As we all know they've got a number of great products but they've also got a number of weak spots, particularly in areas that are going to provide growth and solid revenue that they'll need.

Having said that as long as a person doesn't become dependent on a feature that only Nortel provides you'll always have options for replacements or mixed environments. Support could be an issue, but as Daddy^3 mentioned my assumption is that someone will be interested in collecting on all of our maintenance contracts.

 

[VOIPaintEASY]

I am most worried about software releases to fix bugs in switches, etc. It is well know the 8600 line had serious bugs in MAC table/ FDB when ran in clustered environments that had to be addresses with subsequent software releases. Also, our CSE1000 gets about 30 patches a year for discovered bugs, and even custom patches for issues we have surface in just our simple environment. Yes, I can find someone to come in a help with config changes, replacing a dead piece of hardware, etc. But how will we address an issue that needs a new software rev or patch bug fix? Our server guys would pee their pants if they have servers running an OS that MS stops supporting and thus releasing monthly security patches for. 10 years ago you would never have convinced me I would worry about a huge hardware vendor going under and me be concerned for reasons of subsequent software support on in place hardware. Not sure about you guys but I have my 8600’s buried deep in the core of a worldwide network that cannot endure ANY selective downtime. I would assume a core swap out that went perfect would need 30-60 minutes of downtime just for the physical portions of unracking/ rerack or repatching fiber and GIG copper links, etc., even if the configs in the new brand cores worked perfect. But that is hoping for an awful lot. There has not been 6 months that have gone by in our 5 years on the CSE1000 VOIp platform that we have not ran into an operational issue (usually around VOIP virtual trucks and 1 way speach path) that Nortel has not had to write a custom patch to fix something. Who can/ will write those pathces for our vendor we pay maint. to for the CSE1000?

 

[VinceWhirlwind]

I was recently asked to replace with Nortel 5500s, 4550s, and 2600s an organisation's Cisco switches on their 12 sites.
Before removing the old switches, I did a show ver on the cisco switches - one of them in particular struck me: it had been up continuously for 4 years and 8 months, since being installed with a 2002 version of code on it.

I'm all for a bit of competition in this field - to keep Cisco honest - but sometimes it is a worry how far ahead Cisco are in terms of service and reliability.

 

[VOIPaintEASY]

Nortel leave a boat load of CSE1000 VOIP customers High and Dry there will be a huge migration to Asterisk VOIP so they never get left in the cold again. We have server guys in our Eastern Europe small offices that swear by Asterisk and refuse to install the “Corp. Bully Nortel VOIP systems” and snuck these systems in under the Telecoms Operations radar. They may say “told you so” in the end…

 

[DaddyOfThree]

Awesome points VOIPaintEASY...

You won't get any argument from me on Nortel's recent 8600 software releases. However, I can let you know that Nortel is suppose to be releasing v4.1.8 to selective customers (I believe I'm on the short list) for testing in the next week/days. They're promising that all the FDB/ARP issues have been resolved, time will tell.

I've never quite understood the dizzy amount of patches for the CS1000. It almost seems like the source code for that system is just a total mess, with all the patches and then one off patches for individual customers.

I've tried Asterisk and I must say that I'm very impressed! There's even a few posts out there on how to connect Nortel i2002/i2004 phones to an Asterisk call server.

Thanks for sharing your perspective. +rep

 

[curtismo]

I worry also, as our organization is totally Nortel - data and voice. I've got and used in the past very little Cisco gear. I'd make myself sick if I kept worrying about it every day. With the financial issues facing every organization these days, I'm not surprised about anything that happens on a day-to-day basis.

I would expect that the company would survive as parts (voice and data to separate purchasers/organations).

 

[DaddyOfThree]

I'm told by Nortel that with the current re-organization going on that it would be very unlikely that the Enterprise Voice and Enterprise Data would be split up. They are currently undergoing a re-organization to consolidate voice/data within Enterprise and within Carrier.

It sounds like Enterprise and Carrier could end up separate but again who really knows.

Cheers!

 

[anthonyanderberg]

The prospect of bankruptcy certainly won't help their sales any, but it might help them focus on making the hard choices they need to survive long-term...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=aiGvV10vf0tA&refer=canada