atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums VOIP Phones & IP PBX Cisco Telephones and Systems Cisco is coming whether I like it or not

Our best customer is just about to go Cisco ip phones and I dont think I can persuade them not to, as they just spent 70,000 on new switch. Some of that cost I'm told is the fact that it is designed to support ip phones when they do make the move. I hate to admit it, but but I think I want to get some training so I can still be of use to them. any suggestions on were to start? Are there manuals available? Online classes maybe. I think in the long run I'm gonna have to do it anyway, may as well start now.

I'm a phone man and I can change.. if I have to.. I guess..

https://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/091206-von-sam-houston.html

Try here. Probably not what you are looking for, but a start. If you want to go cisco, i would say start with your ccna cert and move from there. You essentially have to be fully invested in Cisco to be a VAR for the VoIP stuff, and being a VAR is probably the only way to go if you are really interested in making some cash. One of our customers went to cisco also, we made some money on preparing the wiring, but there is no way we could compete with Qwest for territorial rights.

Plus we like the freedom of not being tied down to quotas.

Emmitt, I asked pretty much the same question a few months ago and got some good pointers here.

Uh, what's a VAR? Is that yet another CG term being spread amongst the telecom industry?

Until this stuff truly crashes and burns (which it is doing at a rapid pace with my former customers), the CEO/CIO bunch on the golf course is going to keep buying into this charade.

I like the fact that the few customers who jumped ship are doing a very good job of keeping in touch and sharing their experiences. One being a bank hasn't had branch to branch calling since the Ciscrap system was installed at their headquarters. The joker(s) who sold them the equipment swore that they could integrate with any system's nodes.

My company still maintains the remote bank branches, all of which must be dialed by a 10-digit number now instead of a 4-digit extension. Transfers are fake, as in transferring the caller via the full phone number. The remote branches no longer have voice mail since it was in our hub system that was replaced by Cisco equipment.

The bank is also paying 10.6 cents per call, whether a transfer or even a simple "internal" call to another branch since that's what the LEC charges for message units.

Wow, that Cisco stuff looks like it is a real cost saver! Granted, any VOIP systems may bridge some gaps, but people buying these systems seem to be under the misconception that they can eliminate the need for an LEC/CLEC. The people selling VOIP seem to be forgetting this vital factor when selling their wares. It's just a matter of time before people wake up and realize that Cisco, et: all, is not the product that people are being BS'd into believing that it is.

VAR=Value-Added Reseller

Pet Smart's in our area are taking out Partner systems and putting in CISCO. We have been asked to to the hook up on the extenal devices such as paging and music on hold because the installing company does not do that. We went to a site last week to check out a MOH problem and the manager was really upset about his new CISCO. Can't handle but one call at a time. Have to park the first caller and that caller always get cut off when the second call is answered. We had no advice for him. We also have a couple of other customers who are going CISCO. We're doing the cabling. We also did a CISCO Wireless Access Point install for one of the customers. From what we're seeing, the installing companies don't want to get their hands dirty doing things like cabling, and physical stuff.

Mark, please clarify --- are you saying they are a bunch of computer geeks that don't know anything about telephony? Don't know how to climb a ladder? Don't know how to pull or terminate wire? Useless waste of oxygen, food, water, and space on this earth? Or are they just too good to do REAL work? Please clarify.

Sorry, Chico and Bix made me do it. :toothy:

Apparently the entire PetSmarts conversion to Cisco has been fiasco. We've had to do the same thing as Mark for one of the local ones. One of the big problems is the Cisco techs come in when the store closes, cuts over to the new system and is gone by the time the store opens. Training is done via a video.

Mike Sandman's piece on VOIP is fun reading.

https://sandman.com/VoIPresearch.html

It's all in the delivery. I pulled a 14 station hosted VoIP last week and in the process of pulling a 9 station hosted VoIP solution Monday. Both had the same complaint..can't be heard by calling party.

Last Wednesday I needed an obscure part that has been discontinued for 10 plus years. Found a source on the internet and couldn't understand the sales person. I said I'll bet you're on a VoIP phone as I can understand every third word. He called me back on his Blackberry and we laughed and completed the transaction.

I make as much installing VoIP as I do replacing VoIP.

Bottom line is..if your network is crap your IP appliances are worse.

QOS QOS QOS QOS and finally QOS.