Author: Donal Byrne

Posted on by — 19,953 Comments

Nortel BCM 50/450 End of Life

The BCM50 and BCM450 were Telephone Systems manufactured by Nortel for the SME market. They had a comprehensive range of features and were ideal for the small to medium telephone system application.

nortel

Unfortunately, Nortel announced it would cease operations in June 2009 and the BCM 50 and BCM 450 systems was made “end of life” shortly after that. There is now a schedule in place to wind down these product in an organised manner.

  • 28th September 2012, Last Order date for discontinued order codes.
  • 1st October 2012, Discontinued Order Codes withdrawn from sale.
  • October 2015, BCM upgrade and expansion order codes withdrawn for sale.
  • October 2015, Harware and software manufacturer’s support including technical support will be available until this date.

Many customers were happy with their BCM systems and do not want to change. However, at present, it is increasingly difficult to support this product and in many cases problems can be both very costly and can take a long time to be resolved. If you do not have a maintenance contact to cover the maintenance of this telephone system faults will be handled on a best efforts basis. If you are the owner of this product, there is now a significant risk in continuing with its use. Spectrum Communications, who have experience in maintaining these products, will in any case make effort to resolve whatever problems may arise with your existing system. However, unfortunately, we are unable to offer new maintenance contracts on this product.

 

The Ericsson LG product range offers an economic replacement for the BCM 50 and BCM 450 product range. There relevant features of this product range is as follows

 

  • A full range of both IP and Digital phones
  • VoIP ready and in many cases fitted as standard
  • Excellent unified communications features
  • Comprehensive range of mobility options
  • Easy to use User Web Admin
  • Call Centre functionality on Board

 

If you require any further information in relation to this matter please contact us or give us a call on 01 4291246.

 

Posted on by — 12,052 Comments

What Irish businesses need to know when buying a new telephone system

Telephone Systems are a vital link between companies and their customers. As a result, it can be a daunting task to choose a telephone system, especially for those not familiar with the latest technological advances. The following is an effort to make that task a little easier.

  • Buy from an established supplier of telephone systems. Typically he will be an authorised dealer of an established manufacturer.
  • Check that the system proposed is suitable for the number of exchange lines and telephones required. Also ensure that adequate provision has been made for future growth.
  • Check that the proposed solution can accommodate the latest technology including VoIP, Unified communications, ISDN and Voicemail.
  • Consider the use of VoIP technology. This can reduce your ongoing telephone costs considerably but you should first confirm that it is suitable for the quality of your DSL connection. Hosted or VoIP trunk solutions can both be suitable solutions.
  • Check that the supplier can perform all aspects of the proposed work. This includes not only product installation but also exchange line purchase, VoIP solutions, cabling, user training and ongoing support.
  • Buy a recognised brand of telephone system. Generally bigger manufacturers spend more on research and development resulting in more advanced and user friendly products.
  • Ensure that time has been allocated, after installation, for demonstration of the telephone system to staff.
  • Having selected a suitable provider, ask the salesperson to analyse your requirements and to propose a suitable solution. A quick consultation can save hours spent trawling through brochures and there is usually no charge for this consultation.

Spectrum Communications are an established and reputable telephone systems provider based in Dublin for over 20 years. We supply Ericsson LG equipment and offer a range of solutions tailored to our customer’s requirement. If you wish to arrange an appointment please Contact Us or email us on info@spectrumcommunications.ie or you can Call our Dublin office on 01-4291246.

Posted on by — 13,354 Comments

Reducing your telephone costs using VoIP

Reducing your telephone costs using VoIP

What is VoIP?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows you to make calls over an internet connection rather than standard telephone lines. These calls are typically cheaper in both line rental and call costs. Companies will reduce their telephone bill, in almost all cases, using VoIP.

VoIP service come in two forms Hosted services and VoIP trunks. With hosted services you do not have an onsite telephone system but rather each phone is connected through the internet to a remote server. Using VoIP trunks offers a more stable solution as the control of the hardware is in your own premises. VoIP trunks will also allow you to migrate to a VoIP solution maintaining both traditional lines and lower cost VoIP lines.

What do you need?

A DSL / broadband connection is of course essential to the operation of VoIP services. The quality of the broadband is also very significant. Voice services are often more demanding on internet quality than data services. Data downloads can retrain without great significance, but unfortunately this is not true for real time, voice traffic.

You will also need telephones or a telephone system compatible with VoIP. Your existing equipment may be capable of supporting VoIP lines. In some cases it will be more economical to upgrade your equipment. For a hosted solution you will be normally required to change your existing phones but for a VoIP solution it is often possible to reuse existing phones.

Finally an account with a IP service provider is required. There seems to be no shortage of IP service providers but the service that they offer can vary greatly. Traditional telephone lines offer a high degree of reliability and you should not have to comprise this when moving to VoIP. You should use a provider which has a large traffic capacity and a proven track record in customer response to service requests.

First steps to VoIP Implementation

So you’ve decided to save money and improve performance by implementing VoIP:

Spectrum Communications can advise on the route your company can take to enjoy the benefits of VoIP technology.

  • Every company situation can be different and moving to VoIP does present risks in some circumstances.
  • We can assess your existing situation and recommend a low risk route to VoIP implementation.
  • We can propose an upgrade path considering all the elements that are involved and propose the right solution for your business.

 

If you are interested in  finding out more about VoIP telephone systems then Contact Us through the website, email us at info@spectrumcommunications.ie or Call Us on 01 4291246. We will get back to you straight away to advise on your best route forward.