[asterisk-users] How different is implementing Cisco based system than Asterisk based system?

[Dean Hoover]

On 9/14/2010 3:09 PM, David Backeberg wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 3:56 PM, Zeeshan Zakaria<zishanov at gmail.com>  wrote:
>> Now I have no previous experience with Cisco systems and don't want to screw
>> up anything. Are they much different than Asterisk based systems? I guess
>> the underlying VoIP technology is the same for both the systems so it
>> shouldn't be hard to set it up on Cisco. Any ideas, suggestions. I'd
>> appreciate your help as what to look for, where to start from. My experience
>> with Cisco is limited to their networking equipment, IOS, their 7960 series
>> phones and making them work with asterisk, and also using Cisco press's
>> wonderful book 'Taking charge of Your VoIP Project'.
>
> You don't mention anything about size or nature of the installation.
> If these people want Cisco support, they'll have to buy this gear from
> an official Cisco reseller, and that's when you'll get a ballpark
> price for initial deployment, ongoing support, etc.
>
> When you compare that to Asterisk, perhaps you'll have a convert. Or
> maybe not. Decision makers have their reasons and clearly if price was
> the only reason, Cisco / Avaya / etc. wouldn't still be selling phone
> systems.
>

I've done enough Cisco installations to tell you it's not all that hard, 
especially if they are using the latest and greatest software, gateways 
and IP phones.  Set up the UC server on the network, use the web 
interface to add/configure the gateways, and if you have DHCP setting up 
the IP phones is pretty much a snap.

On the other hand, David is right.  Cost of Cisco equipment is one 
thing, but Cisco requires annual maintenance on all the software and 
hardware before they will talk to you.

We set up a 15-phone Cisco setup in our Florida office.  Works well. 
Then decided to upgrade our 30-phone office here in Wisconsin to 
Asterisk.  Twice as many phones, one-third the cost.  Same 
functionality, but the Wisconsin office has simultaneous-calling and our 
own conference bridge at no extra cost.

The last three years Cisco has been charging over $2000 a year just in 
the maintenance on the equipment in our Florida office.  The boss 
doesn't want to pay it anymore, so I am right now moving them over to 
Asterisk.  ROI is less then two years.

-- 
Dean Hoover
Milwaukee, Wisconsin