General Question....My company is thinking of purchasing the Inter-Tel system with a PRI and 2 T1s. One for phone, one for data. Any maybe unified messaging. My question is...What is everyone's satisfaction with the Inter-Tel system, customer service, are there many bugs in the system, recommendations.

Also, how user friendly is the system for the non-tech savvy person? What you like or dislike about the system? Thanks.

Inter-Tel IMHO is by far the best system out there. Now saying that, the company leaves somethings to be desired. To place a service call you call into there call center in Utah (I think), then they dispatch a tech from the local Inter-Tel Office. If you take the Admin course, 1 week in sunny Arizona, again I think, and they load the programming software on a local PC, it is easy to program and maintain.
As for the users, it is simple if they are in one of the training sessions during the install, if they join after and can read the users guide, it is also very easy for them.
The system will do anything you want it to do, in 99 or 00, I even saw one set up that when the boss called in to a special number, it would turn on his coffee maker so he had coffee waiting on him when he walked in the door. Now of course he had the money to set that up.
All in all you can not go wrong with Inter-Tel. If your company makes your money on the phones, then it is well worth the price of the system, the install, and the AMC's.

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Voice and Data Cabling in DFW, [email protected]
DnR Communications

Travis, which Inter-Tel system are you considering? I think you mentioned something to the effect of non-tech savy. The Inter-Tel systems are not the low end, small cabinet, program from the phone type system. They have moved into a graphical user interface like windows where you can point and click, but someone who had no background and didn't understand what was going on would be lost in setting up a system. In reality, I think most people would agree with the statement that the vast majority of Inter-Tel system owners don't even know how to do their own adds, moves, and changes unless you get into companies that have their own I.T. departments.

I don't mean to scare you away. Inter-Tel is my phone system of choice. It's what I have chosen to run in all of my offices and even in my home. I just don't want you to think that you can purchase the switch and set it up yourself over a weekend.

As for support I have had good luck with them and as for the independent vendors out there that work with Inter-Tel products most all of them I have ever met are very sharp techs.

You asked about bugs. While every system is going to have a few issues I have to say that I've never had an issue that couldn't be dealt with.

I hope this helps.

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There are only 10 kinds of people in the world; those who understand binary & those who don't.

I've been working with Inter-tel phone systems for 5 and a half years (I'm now with Inter-Tel Seattle.)
They have gotten much more user friendly and powerful since then.
Very scalable and very stable phone system.
There are Basic Admin courses in Chandler (near Pheonix) and Houston. They'll show you how to do most of your basic programming.
We can always help with some of that here as well

Hey Bullcube: Tell Scott Randy says hello!!

As someone who makes their living repairing broken phones,I have to say that I hate Intertel phones! They do not break nearly enough!
Seriously, Intertel makes a very nice product.
As long as you have a good vendor to handle you service and training, you will not be disappointed.
That said, if you do plan on doing your own administration, take a class or two. It wil be well worth the time and expense.

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Business Telephone Repair

Thanks for your help, this are some great comments.

I have been working with inter-tel phone systems for a year and a half, and I find them very powerful and useful. How ever, learning all the software versions let alone one can be very tricky and not as straight forward as the computer world. Inter-tel's website has a lot of useful information, that is if you can find it or if you can gain access to it. Training on the product locally in other states or online or cd material is very difficult to get if not none at all. You only have two choices. Goto Arazon or try your luck with a online course. Very expensive either way. Makes you kinda wonder monopoly??? Microsoft? So if you get past this and can handle paying big fees for service your golden.

Inter-tel in Atlanta service rates $225.00 per hour.Now thats theres funny,I don't care who you are.

Will do Randy.

And that's exactly what the Cable Guy would say.

If you've ever paid $225.00 an hour to have your phone system repaired by a guy who is in training to go out on his own and make $100.00 an hour, you might be a redneck.