[Asterisk-Users] Asterisk vs Nortel, Northstar and Mitel

[Colin Anderson]

FWIW, we have replaced a Mitel 3300 with Asterisk - 170 users, mixed SIP/IAX
and cell (GSM gateway). The feature set that Asterisk brings to the table is
as good as or (more often) far better than the 3300 at a far, far cheaper
cost. I am doing stuff that my users quite frankly find amazing, and does
not have a direct equivalent in the Mitel world, for example, a single DID
for each user that is the extension number, the cell number, and the fax
number. I can project the extension locally, remotely through SIP/IAX or
remotely through the PSTN. Can't do that with a 3300. 

Because Asterisk exposes a standard API, and uses PSTN and VoIP standards,
the potential applications are only limited by your imagination. Some
vendors can do something along these lines, most can't. Some only dream of
the stuff that is possible with Asterisk. 

Personally, I find Asterisk way easier to configure than the 3300. Setting
up an extension in the 3300 with a DID is an exercise in frustration. Say
what you will about a monolithic extensions.conf, it's still light years
better than the 3300. Under Asterisk, I can have an extension running with a
DID in under 5 minutes. On the Mitel, takes us a couple of hours. 

As to reliability, scalability, and quality, here is the downside of
Asterisk and where the 3300 (and any other traditional PBX) wins, hands
down. It is *so* easy to create a lousy Asterisk install that just plain
won't work. It is exceedingly hard to create a stable and scalable Asterisk
install. Because there are so many variables involved that draw from many
disciplines (Linux admin, Linux coding, network admin, telephony,
general-purpose hardware hands on experience, I could go on) that you have
to have great IT judo in order to make it work the way you want. A 3300, by
contrast is dead simple: Take the system out of the box, rack it up, plug
everything in, start adding extensions (but there the frustration begins !
). If you can get Asterisk to behave in this manner in anything other than a
simple SOHO or test scenario then, sir, my hat's off to you. 

Support is also an interesting study in contrasts with either side has it's
strengths and weaknesses. An issue with a Mitel box, for example, is either
documented to death and dealt with in short order or is outright ignored
with Mitel protesting that the issue doesn't exist in the first place.
Issues with Asterisk, you are very much on your own and you better damn well
know what you are doing because formal docs are loosey-goosey and Asterisk
itself is such a moving target (although, kudos to ADP they have done an
amazing job so far). On the other hand, you post to this list and 9 times
out of 10 you will get a response, such was the case I had last week with a
vexing Dial() problem and I posted it to the list, and got an authoritative
answer that worked perfectly in 10 minutes, far faster than calling up Mitel
support and waiting in queue. This underscores the passion of the people who
use Asterisk. You will *not* find that same kind of passion when you call up
Mitel and talk to support (assuming you even get to talk to a person)

To mitigate Asterisk-specific issues in a roll out, it is best to go in baby
steps and test, test, test. The guy that does an Asterisk roll out along the
lines of: "OK the Asterisk box is up, today your are using your Meridian,
tomorrow you are using Asterisk" is either a genius or a fool. 


My 2c

-----Original Message-----
From: Dakota [mailto:dthurn at tstt.net.tt]
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 6:30 PM
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
Subject: [Asterisk-Users] Asterisk vs Nortel, Northstar and Mitel

How does Asterisk compare to Nortel, NorthStar and Mitel PBX systems?
For a medium size company not growing past 75 extensions, would you
recommend Asterisk?

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