Phone Systems: What do you recommend?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve been tasked with researching a new phone system for my company and my first step is to get familiar with what’s out there. I’m curious to hear what kinds of phone systems you may use at work and if you think it works well. I’m particularly keen to hear from any phone admins who may have the inside story about the system and how well it works. Some quick background, we have about 120 people needing a regular, interoffice system (VoIP being considered) in addition to a small call center with about 20 people taking incoming customer service calls.

Thanks in advance for any info!

2

A possible VOIP solution is Asterisk. It’s more aimed at the cheap (free software, cheap hardware) but flexible crowd than the it must always work cost be damned crowd, so it might not be up to what you need. There are a lot of people using it for larger call centers and more extensions than you need, though, so it could work.

My experience with it has been in a much smaller setting. The learning curve is a bit high, but I think this would be the case for anyone with little prior experience deploying a PBX from any vendor. In our case, the flexibility was key, and the price was right. I’m a bit biased about how well it works because I set ours up. Some features that we wanted, like extension status notifications (SIP) are somewhat lacking. Echo cancellation can be a problem if you try to do it in software. Voice quality is OK, but since it’s not a dedicated hardware solution, it’s easy to end up with a server that causes problems. Overall, though, it’s much better than the ancient key system we were using before.

My knowledge is strictly limited to what we set up, but if you have any specific questions about it I’d be happy to answer them if I can.

3

Opinions! Second floor! All out!

Moved from GQ to IMHO.

samclem GQ moderator

4

Look at systems from Avaya, Nortel, and Siemens. On their web sites you would be classified as a small to medium business. You are at a line size that stradles the border from what used to be called “key” systems, and PBXs. For the most functionality, I would suggest a “pbx” like solution - but it is usually more expensive than the key type systems. All of these manufacturers can provide traditional voice systems (sometimes called circuit switched now), voice/email/fax capabilities, call centers and voip, either a full voip soslution or an integraed (partial) voip application. VOIP, no matter what the salesmen say, is still bleeding edge. I would not suggest a strictly voip solution. Look at it this way - how often have you phoned your computer guy to say the network is down, and how often have you emailed someone to say the phones are dead? None of the three manufacturers are particularly cheap, but they are ubiquitous and well supported. Avaya has the Communication Manager and Merlin Magix systems, Nortel has the Option 11C and Business Communications Manager, and I forget what Siemens has (sorry). Any system is only as good as the vendor, my advice there is if you are happy with your vendor, see what he has to offer.

5

Another option is to let the local phone company do the whole thing for you. Your LEC (local Exchange Carrier) will most likely offer a service where all of the programming is done in the CO (Central Office).

Pros and cons…

This will probably;
[ul]
[li]Have a lower startup cost than purchasing a system[/li][li]cost more over the life of the system (assuming your keeping the solution you pick for some time)[/li][li]not require you to have someone trained in operating your system (the phone company will do all of the programming for you)[/li][li]be less flexible than a system you own (you’ll have to call the phone company any time you want a change and they’ll likely charge you)[/li][/ul]

look into all your options and make an informed decision.

6

I’ve done a decent amount of administration over Nortel-based networks in offices with 40-100 employees, though I’ll admit up front that I haven’t had any experience with other large scale systems.

My take on Nortel:

I’ve found that many people in the industry are familiar with Nortel, and much of the administrative documentation can be found for free online. The systems scale well, and are extremely stable. If it’s setup correctly in the first place and is connected to a battery backup, then it’s pretty rock-solid (though system backups are still a wise idea). Remote administration is also pretty easy, and I’d imagine that many Nortel installers provide remote monitoring & admin services.

The larger systems are highly modular, so you won’t get stuck with an overpriced all-in-one box that needs replacing when a single component fails. It also integrates with different voicemail modules fairly seamlessly.

If you aren’t familiar with a phone system and aren’t prepared to spend quite a bit of time (and possibly money) to learn how to administrate it, I’d definitely recommend outsourcing the setup & management.

7

Nortel, while not inexpensive has the option to start as a standard PBX and migrate into a VoIP system. Nortel’s phone sets are all backward compatible, so you can pick up used/refubished models on the cheap. I don’t believe Avaya or Siemens gives you that option.

I’ve heard very good things about both Mittel and 3Com VoIP systems as well. I believe 3Com is buying marketshare, so they’re priced aggressively.

Up until a year ago, Avaya has had a reputation for being very difficult to setup. I don’t know if that has changed, but it’s something about which to be aware.

As for a VoIP phone systems in general, the technology is solid and the vast majority of systems being sold today are VoIP systems. When networks go down, they usually go down because of server issues. It’s unlikely you’ll have server issues with a PBX.

I suggest you bring in a consultant that specializes in call centers, have the consultant write a spec with a performance guarantee and then you can put the spec out to bid. It’ll keep you from getting into all sorts of trouble down the line and ultimately save you money and headaches, unless you’re both very, very lucky and very, very smart.

8

Modern Avaya and Siemens phones have about the same compatability as Nortel systems. You can pick up all three companies system’s phones from aftermarket suppliers at significantly reduced prices. A caution here is that having a mix of vendor supplied and aftermarket supplied phones (or curcuit packs or blades) can cause maintenance billing issues.

Be aware that phones from older or different systems might be re-usable on newer systems, but will not have all the same functionality or user interface as current phones. This holds true for all the manufacturers. None have a truly universal compatability with the possible exception of single line analog phones.

Find out who does the remote maintenance. It is not always the same vendor who sells you the system. Sometimes a vendor will use another company to do the remote maintenance. Not necessarily a bad thing, but now exactly how it will be handled. Who does the guy who comes to your office call to resolve a problem on the box?

Almost everyone can start as a standalone and incorporate voip, but I would still argue against a pure voip system as it would subject you to sever reliability. Saying that if you have a problem it is probably the server does not eliminate the problem. A purpose built phone system is still much more reliable. Besides functionality and reduced manufacturing costs, all the manufacturers are pushing voip as a way to get existing customers to buy something new. It was very common for companies to have a seven or ten year plan to replace phone systems, and the manufacturers have to overcome that. Imagine that you are a refrigerator salesman, once you sell one to a customer he won’t need another one for years - unless you can come up with something new.

If you are considering leasing a system, you should think about matching the lease length to that of your real estate lease. If you may move in five years, for example, you might want to simply get a new system at the new site instead of a “hot cut” and trying to move the old system over a weekend. Some people used to lease the system but buy the phones outright. Be sure to have spares - built in spare ports for lines and extensions, space for expansion, and extra telephones. You would be surprized how many phones disappear when a new system is installed. (Most of the multi-line phones won’t work at home, but people don’t realize that). Find out what training is included with the purchase (adminstration training, end -user training) and how is it delivered - a class on site, off site, DVD or on the internet. Find out about documentation - documentation for new systems is usually not free.

Having worked with Avaya, Nortel, and Siemens, I would say that all three are about the same as far as programming and set up. I never saw any problem with setting up any of the three systems. A common sales tactic is for one vendor to say the other’s system is difficult to administer or set up or whatever. My personal experience is that they all work equally well. You can have problems going from say a Nortel system to an Avaya or vice versa, because some of the terminology or procedures are different and have to be learned new. That does not mean they are difficult or confusing in and of themselves. Avaya’s advantage is functionality, Nortel’s is price, and Siemens is the name. Avaya used to be AT&T and Lucent, it was considered the “safest” choice. Nortel was the safest choice if you didn’t want to buy AT&T. Siemens was the safest choice if you were a German company (almost the only choice then) or one that did a lot of international business.

Find out just what kind of functionality you need especially in the call center - not all do things exactly the same way. You might be looking for a measurement or function that only one or two vendors can provide. This is the area where you will have to do more homework than any other.

Once you pass Avaya, Nortel and Siemens you are in what we used to call second tier territory. Here the systems can be just as good, usually cost less, but you are much more reliant on the individual vendor. A good relationship with a vendor you trust is probably the most important criteria in choosing a system. Don’t e afraid to shop around and ask for bids from multiple vendors, just make sure they are always for the exact same thing (number of phones, lines, functionality). A good salesman can design a good system for you, just make him do his job.

9

Wow, thank you VERY much for the information guys. I have heard of a few of the recommendations so I’ll be visitng some websites today to check them out. Thanks again for all the info!