Business Phone Systems

[Guest newl]

It's also worth noting that most modern PABX systems can be interfaced with a PRI crossover to a system such as Asterisk.

[crans]

Yes that's right we have just integrated asterisk with another phone system while intergrating 2 offices

[ritzy]

Asterix is crap.. Has it's pupose like many thing but as a phone system for a SME customer. NO way.

It does alittle but nothing a real phone system can do.

Mainly my baby which is the Nortel BCM.

It's a PC server with full phone support.

Kicks any systems arse.

Hey crans add me to MSN.. [email protected].

I'm a Phone tech and run my own company.

No lots about telco and VOIP.

I'll talk you through what your problems will be.

Check out our website

www.tronic.com.au

and

www.t3comms.com.au

Edited 24/05/07 02:27 PM by ritzy

[ZAP]

Ritzy,

I have a client with the BCM and they would like to sue Nortel and the people who installed it.

They have had nothing but problems.

They spent a fortune on the system and it has never worked properly.

You are also comparing a Enterprise solution (BCM) with a freeware product (Astrix), so I think you are being a little harsh.

I know people who think the Asterix is the best thing ever, but then they are easily impressed.

Most of my clients run Mitel/Erricson/NEC SIP systems.

[ritzy]

We currently run 11 lines, but would like to be able to expand on that when needed.

The benifet of Optus's Multiline (PRI service) compared to Telstra's Onramp 10/20/30 is that they will provide a multiline 10 and upgrade in incriments of 2 lines at a time. Ie multiline 12, multiline 14, multiline 16 etc. all the way to 30. Where as Telstra only does 10 20 then 30.

[ritzy]

Ritzy,

I have a client with the BCM and they would like to sue Nortel and the people who installed it.

They have had nothing but problems.

They spent a fortune on the system and it has never worked properly.

You are also comparing a Enterprise solution (BCM) with a freeware product (Astrix), so I think you are being a little harsh.

I know people who think the Asterix is the best thing ever, but then they are easily impressed.

Most of my clients run Mitel/Erricson/NEC SIP systems.

I would sue the ppl that installed it. Nortel isn't to blame as the product is great and sold world wide. They should have cut ties with them and tried a new company.

I have seen this before. They hire old school Techs that know lots about phone systems and telco but the BCM is more Server and It based so they basically have no idea.

The benifet of the BCM over many other products mainly the NEC and Ericsson (I'm a NEC dealer by the way) is that it has been fully redesigned from the ground up. Not just new cards added.

Half of it is a computer server for true VOIP and IP phone capability. the other half is a digital phone system. Even if the PC side goes down the digital hlaf of it will still function. Have been working on the BCM since they cam out like 6 years ago and have never had issues with the Digital half.

Asterix has it's place but not in a business. Specially one that needs it's phone to operate. There is no true backup support. If the guy that installed it gets hit by a truck your stuffed and if he doesn't he will need to be there constantly keeping it alive. Which makes the cost saving small as you need to pay him all the time.

Say one of your PCI cards dies in the asterix server how long till you get a new one. I bet not days. I can get any part on the BCM in days.

What's more reliable your house phone or the computer you have at home. that's my point.

The 2 systems I work on the most are the NEC IPK and the Nortel BCM.

I would pick the BCM and day. Not only because it has so many more feature.

Mainly because the software is upgradeable. With each upgrade is another list of features. Unlike NEC who bring out a new model that you need to upgrade.

For Voip. Optus has released a true commercial VOIP, the first tier 1 carrier to do so.. Unlike other voip which you might use QOS internaly but once it hits the internet it's free for all. With this Voip product there is QOS from point to point so the quality is like a normal phone. Plus at 12c a call it rocks. good for the small business.

Plus you guys where talking about Asterix and Voip on a big company scale. There is no point. Once you are a big company you get real rates on you phone calls on normal PRI services. One of our customers gets 6c local calls via Optus. Half of there normal Voip rate. So why would you bother with the reliability and other problems.

It comes down to finding Some one that can find you good rates in the first place and looking at the overall cost. Including the call rates the implimention costs and ongoing costs to maintain and for ongoing service.

Hope this helps. Obviously it's a matter of find a solution that's right for your business. They are all different and have there pro's and cons.

Edited 13/08/07 07:13 AM by ritzy

[ritzy]

Yes that's right we have just integrated asterisk with another phone system while intergrating 2 offices

Again this is why the BCM is great. It's like having an old school phone system with an asterix box integrated as well.

With proper IP tie lines over a VPN connection.

Have found though funly enough that the propriatry tie lines are better than the SIP. Even running same codec and settings. They just seem to use the bandwidth better and are clearer calls.

Not sure if it would be the same for asterix or not.

[Guest newl]

Normally in the situation you're suggesting, using IAX would be the preferred method when utilizing an Asterisk solution.