[asterisk-users] Bridging old system (ESI IVX E) with new Asterisk server

[Mark Scholten]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com [mailto:asterisk-users-
> bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of John Novack
> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 12:21 AM
> To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
> Subject: Re: [asterisk-users] Bridging old system (ESI IVX E) with new
> Asterisk server
> 
> 
> 
> Eddie Mikell wrote:
> > All:
> >
> > My company has an existing ESI IVX E-class system with 45 phones.  I
> can add one more card, to expand it another 6 phones, but it's $8000,
> and then the system will have to be replaced.
> >
> >
> That is worse than highway robbery.
> I feel sure with some careful searching you can do much better for the
> card and the 6 phones.
> Coupling the two systems together will not be well received by the
> users.
> Just one opinion
> 
> If you really want to move to Asterisk, then do it, but it will take
> more than a weekend of careful consideration and testing!
> 

We did something like that by a client not too long ago. First we did place
the new phones next to the existing phones (so user could use it for
outbound calls + intern calls and get familiar with it). After 2 weeks we
did start the move for the incoming number and now they are using it for all
calls (except the mobile phones). To explain everything to the persons that
need to use it we did create a short manual and we give a few persons a
special number to call if they need help.

Currently we are planning to do the same thing at another client. We did
decide to make options available on the asterisk server and not on the phone
(as they also use PAP2T boxes at some locations and options have to work the
same way everywhere).

Mark