BCM Feedback! 3

[trabra]

We currently have appox. 200 Nortel Norstar system (8x24, MICS and CICS) deployed throughout the US at small branch offices w/Flash 2&4 Vmail on the MICS & CICS. We only have a handful that have T-1 cards and the remaining have loop start lines. All branch offices are small, typically 12 lines and under with approx. 15 telephones. The Norstar systems work great for our application and the systems have very few maintenance issues. You just can't kill them and that's a good thing!

We are looking at the BCM as a replacement when the older systems pass way and as the inventory of replacement parts shrinks. My questions is how reliable is the BCM. Is it built as well as the 0x32 and as reliable. I've encouraged our CIO to continue with the 0x32 but he is bombarded by sales types all pushing the BCM as the "Wave of the Future" and "Future Proof" your investment and as we all know this is typical sales hype. I want to know from the folks who work on the product your opinion! We've been told that we can deploy this product and network them so that we can administer them from a centralized point via Web based browsers, VOIP phones, etc etc etc.. Let me know what you think! Things like software problems, OOBF, glitches in the platform. Thanks!

 

[MarvO1]

Trabra, My question back to you is: How many times have you had to re-boot most of your Norstar systems? Sounds like you probably have Norstar systems out there that have never been shut down in many years, and still working fine.
Now, add Bill Gates to that equasion and put moving parts, including fans and disk drives in a box. You be the judge.
I'm not trying to knock the BCM, it is BECOMING a good product, BUT, it ain't there yet. I've been loading patches to 3.5 BCM's for a month or more now, and I don't even like the word "patch" any more. Nortel can no longer fire me for bad-mouthing a product. If a product is good, it should not need patch after patch after patch.
Sure, you can network them and administer them from a centralized point, but not as easily as Norstar.
Give BCM another 3 years first.
And try to find an honest salesman that actually has some technical abilities instead of greed. IMHO

MarvO said it

 

[luv2ski]

I say find a tech who knows your business and who you trust and ask him.We as techs tend to look at whats best for customer verus's sales who look for whats best for wallet.

Pat Guido
NEXTIRAONE
Pat.guido@nextiraone.com

Formerly Nextira, formerly Williams Communications, formerly Wiltel, formerly Nortel networks, formerly Northern Telecom, formerly, Nynex meridian systems formerly Northern Telecom.

 

[senk1s]

the BCM is actually 2 systems in one box ...
the MSC Card is the same Norstar part which will continue to work even when the Windows part crashes. meaning digital sets/ trunks will work.

All the applications ..callpilot/ acd/ unified mess/ IP Phones/ trunks are on the windows platform.
The patches are primarily for the applications ...

BTW i'm NOT a sales guy ...i'm a techie too ...but ive installed about 20 BCMs (BCM1000, BCM200 and 400)and they are all keeping their owners happy.

 

[MarvO1]

Ya, I agree that when they are used for Norstar functions and Call Pilot only, they seem quite solid now. It is the other applications that flop. That is why I'm a bit POed at the sales people right now. I've got quite a few installed that are running great, and I like the way you can actually work with .wav files on the Call Pilot side.
BUT, when I have a site that wants Call Center, or CDR, or Fax Messaging, or Unified Messaging, that is a different story. the IP phones seem fine right now.
Not trying to be negative.

MarvO said it

 

[DueE]

Good feedback! As a Nortel distributor we just finally got our first in-house demo BCM's and have sent a some techs to school. We've been waiting since the first release (of EE), until now because of the horror stories and honestly, rural east central IL customer haven't been asking for that type of product, but that is slowly changing. I agree with both MarvO and senk1s, both products have their applications. We have many customer's that check w/our techs after having a salesperson visit them, because they know the tech has no $ interest in the sale. The MICS & CICS have a solid place in the market & I get surprised daily on this board by the number of questions regarding the old Legacy and StarTalk systems that are still out there working. If the Norstar is still filling the need in your locations, don't fix it if it ain't broke. There will be "spare parts" around for a loooong time.

DueE

 

[trabra]

Thanks to all who have responded to this request. I've only been a member for a short time but consider this a tremendous resource! Thanks All!

 

[NARSBARS]

I am replacing 20 6x16s and 8x24s with BCM 200s and 400s and upgrading another 30 systems to 6.1 and Call Pilot. BCM telephony is solid. I have two old EE units, in service for years. I rebooted 1 system 1 time. Each system is equipped with a sine wave UPS, the batteries are replaced every 3 years.
We have 120 Norstars, and 9 Nortel PBXs to integrate with the BCMs. I will not scrounge for discontinued parts. My job can depend on making the right prediction and I support the BCM because of my experience with the unit and the fact that my vendor trains his people.
The management capabilities are far beyond the Norstar if you can use IP. I am solely responsible for 120 systems myself and the difference is a relief.
That said, I do not feel that the applications are robust enough to support everything needed i.e. ACD is shoddy at this point. I also expect the release of a smaller BCM to to fill the 6x16 niche for both capacity and dollar cost. WE tested VoIP applications extensively and compared against Avaya products and Avaya is providing no competition.

 

[senk1s]

the BCM200 is a 2 slot model ...which address the 'tech savvy' CICS customer

 

[spotless]

BCM 3.5 and soon 3.6 has excellent applications.

I agree that BCM has had its share of "Patches" and indeed in many small environments it is probally overkill.

I also agree that Norstar has been solid as a rock.

However, BCM becoming more solid as time passes and an excellent product for those that seek robust applications.

Call Pilot, ACD, IP Phones, Unified Messaging all function right on the box. In my opinion, I think Nortel will address the Windows connection (or maybe shift to Linux) in a furture version (both for cost savings and stability).

BTW: Call accounting is available for BCM from the Nortel Networks partners website.

Stockman16

 

[MonkAZ5]

I work in a 911 environment and Plant Equipment Inc is using the BCM in thier CTI Vesta product. If you can avoid it, I would it has been nothing but headaches to our PSAP's the minute we put them in. Like some of the threads above the BCM seems to act fine as a switch but the TAPI interface to the Vesta application product is one of the worst I have seen. Plant didn't do their research on this one.

 

[spotless]

MonkAZ5

Have you tried using the LAN CTE product from RSI.

I think it is called: tools CTI Pack. It has a 911 security feature based on LAN CTE and not TAPI.

Look at the Nortel Developer Partner Products site for it.

I don't have a link.

S16