Any early ideas what might be coming?

Hopefully an improved VIP that will allow true unified messaging?

A better wireless option?

SIP wireless phones and SIP trunks would be nice?

What are you guys hoping to see?

No new product or application wish list?

I'd like to see .wav file e-mail attachments for VIP , and support for terminal services. That's top of my list.

VIP does need a major revamp for sure - full unified messaging is now everywhere.

Terminal services would open up alott of new opportunities i think.

IP based door readers would allow a better use of time line for companies that have employees that travel between offices.

I also think its time to look at phones without paper labels and xml capable.

1, any new phone should try to mimic the polycom or cisco by NOT having any Desi labels....just soft keys.

2, the NSP needs to be a true network device, and be DHCP, you shouldn't have to tell the NSP what its address is, it should just take what its given by the network, just like any PC.

Avalon,

I agree 100 percent, ESI needs some third party application development.

I have all the respect in the world for their people but they have to kick the technology up a few notches.Great tech and sales support, just shore up the IP applications and we will dominate.


It is still a great system but SIP, IP and third party integrations are at least 50-75 percent of our requests and ESI doesnt fit the bill.

For smaller systems the C + and the 50L are strong contenders but after that the competiton is on there heals and going past.

Hopefully some great new features/apps!

If I was still selling ESI.

1. Sip trunk Card.
2. IP Card Readers.
3. New XML capable phones.
4. Updated VIP with terminal services capability.
5. Open up to third party developers!

KC,

What are you selling now?

I got out of the interconnect business a few months back. I work for an ISP who is in the process of becoming a CLEC. I work mainly with our Metaswitch and deliver services via Adtran TA9xx IAD's. We are working on purchasing "Metasphere" which gives us the abilty to deliver hosted PBX's. Currently if someone wants a phone system we sell them Allworx.

I also do a little bit of side work, programming Cisco CME for a friend.

I always liked ESI. My account rep was great, tech support was great. The product just needs an update to stay competitive.

Sounds like you made a good move.

Hosted systems and comptuting in the cloud are going to be very popular in a few years.

At the end of the day, the problem as I see it, is that every manufacturer be it ESI or any one else thinks that their product is the Greatest & will sell just on the features it has......

Every sale I have ever made, was much more due to the customer making a connection, they have to trust the re-seller & LIKE the re-seller before they will part with their cash.

it doesn't matter what the product is, it first has to be sold, every install starts with a sale by the interconnect company.

I always laugh when employees of PBX manufacturers call themselves "Sales people", a more acurate description would be "order takers"

I would like to see them add a local CO port on the 48 key IP sets , like is on the cordless IP

Steve M, That's a great point. I had many requests for that in the past.

How about routing calls based on the Day of the week, for example PRI Pilot Number goes to ID 1 M-F but on weekends I want it to go to ID 2 with a different ring set-up.

nonameyet: Use function 43 to program your daily schedule. Works for PRI or analog lines. ESI has had this since day 1.

Use second level branches (e.g. ID 11 and ID 12) because the top level branches have 4 different scheduled greetings, which you wouldn't need in your situation.

I have always thought rather than have day/ngt/holiday/day2 etc, just have mode 1 thru to say mode 10.

ie, the enduser could set up 10 different call routing "personalities" for their system.

If the NSP was a true DHCP network device, ie you could maintain a constantly connected ESI system within a small office DHCP network, any admin software that could be future designed would work better as the office mgr or IT guy on site could make simple changes.

Next ESI phone to be Full Duplex??????

Has anyone heard anything about when or if there is going to be a roll out this year?

Cosmo

I know about 43....I didn't fully explain the set-up I was talking about..I need the Pilot number to something entirly Different on a Saturday only. It normally ring to ID1 M-F they are using Day, Day2 , Nite , Nite 2 already.

It is a Doctors office, on saturday , nobody is logged into the ACD group, during the week calls get forwarded out to Cell phones, on Saturday, the same Doctors want to be able to Annswer the Calls IN the office, but then at Noon, they want them back to the cell phones..There is a bunch More going on, but, I can't remember at the moment.

Other systems I've worked on (Executone IDS)would let you program for Hours And day of week.

how about SIP trunking, wav files of Voice mails to your inbox, Video Door phones?

Talked to our rep a few days ago - he said there is going to be a small scale rollout, possibaly over time, probably Orlando.

He did say (as they always do) great things are coming?

Time will tell.........