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Compare Cisco VOIP to 61C and Symposium
- Thread starter 1brc
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- #3
cisco does not have a product that will come close to the symposim.. nortel does not have a voip as easy as cisco's.. we are using ccm with isdn to the 81c, plus syumposium plus call pilot.. cisco's mail is a joke compared to nortel's.. cisco has the best ip offered but nortel has had a decent tdm switch for 20 years and it's getting better.. symposium and call pilot ivr/menu service/voice mail along with there miran card and mica card and misp provide a single source for any tdm app most people can dream up... that said i do not care for there wireless ip or there soft ip.. we are vendors for both, and i've got heavy training in both... i have installed both and would never recogmend anything less. i also work/train/certified on about a dozen other systems but still think today, nortel tdm and cisco data make the best package
john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc
john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc
jneiberger
Technical User
John, I'm curious about your comment regarding Cisco Unity voice mail. Are you comparing it to Meridian Mail or Call Pilot? If so, are you comparing a recent version of Unity to those products or an older version?
If you're familiar with the more recent versions of Unity, I'd really like to hear what features it is missing in comparison to the Nortel products.
With regard to Symposium, are you saying that even Cisco Enterprise version of IPCC doesn't stack up against it?
Thanks!
John N.
If you're familiar with the more recent versions of Unity, I'd really like to hear what features it is missing in comparison to the Nortel products.
With regard to Symposium, are you saying that even Cisco Enterprise version of IPCC doesn't stack up against it?
Thanks!
John N.
- Thread starter
- #6
Cisco Enterprise version of IPCC, i haven't played with, and i think the Unity has a way's to go.. BUT that may be because i have done 10 times more call pilots then cisco.. if i wanted pure voip only, i would have a pure cisco system. if i want a system that will stay up for years with 10,000 users and 4000 voice mails, along with all the whistles and bells, i don;t see cisco as a contender.. if my 81 does and ini once a year and does not drop a call, i have to send 20 emails, get nortel on the line... i have been on site here for going on 3 years, except for an upgrade this box has been up 7/24.. and the upgrade took it off line for 4 minutes.. i do not have a cisco time line with this size customer to compare it to..
john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc
john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc
Well I have been using opt 61 and 81's (all at or around 25.40) with mermail and some callpilot
and callmanager 3.3 thru 4..1.3 with unity 2.x thru 4.0.5
for about 7 years total
started using nortel exclusively the first 2 years approx, then trunked it to a cisco callmanager...within another year we were using cammanager/unity exclusively...
changed jobs and did teh exact same thing...nortel/mermail for the first 2 years...first trunked then migrated to cisco callmanager/unity unifed messaging the last year or 2
as a regular PBX, assuming no call center, i feel its a no brainer/no contest - cisco callmanager and unity all teh way - dopes everything nortel can do and more, all with a user friendly, easy to navigate and get custom with, interface. Custom app's and serfvices can be written and added liek nothing! truly an open architecture where nortel is truly prioprietary and cryptic in copmarison (TDM or VOIP, doesnt matter)
my biggest gripe with nortel, is tech support. THER IS NONE unless you are a vendor..or you need to contract a vendor - they have a useless website too unless you want borderline useless sales manuals (or again unless you are a vendor)
cisco - well theres enough info in their website to perform or troubleshoot any task or issue, otherwise their TAC center and sales reps/product specialist are always willing to assist (yes some of this comes with a cost but well worth it, and you stay hands on in the process)
the ONLY thing i would research in your scenario is the fact that you rely (or will) on call center software. Symposium is tried and tested and a great application. Cisco's call center software and setup has come a LONG way but i dont have enough exposure to it to comment or advocate (or dismiss) its values or its pros/cons. I know of people that love it for the same reasons they love cisco IPtel - VEREY user friendly, very customizable, and you can write or have a programmer write anything possible to enhance its value since its a 100% open architecture system and uses well known and standardized protocols, etc
ideally, you would have a nortel based call center and a cisco callmanager handling everything else like i have had over the years..but the cisco IPCC has been showing up much more in call centers around here in NY, prob for good reason
and callmanager 3.3 thru 4..1.3 with unity 2.x thru 4.0.5
for about 7 years total
started using nortel exclusively the first 2 years approx, then trunked it to a cisco callmanager...within another year we were using cammanager/unity exclusively...
changed jobs and did teh exact same thing...nortel/mermail for the first 2 years...first trunked then migrated to cisco callmanager/unity unifed messaging the last year or 2
as a regular PBX, assuming no call center, i feel its a no brainer/no contest - cisco callmanager and unity all teh way - dopes everything nortel can do and more, all with a user friendly, easy to navigate and get custom with, interface. Custom app's and serfvices can be written and added liek nothing! truly an open architecture where nortel is truly prioprietary and cryptic in copmarison (TDM or VOIP, doesnt matter)
my biggest gripe with nortel, is tech support. THER IS NONE unless you are a vendor..or you need to contract a vendor - they have a useless website too unless you want borderline useless sales manuals (or again unless you are a vendor)
cisco - well theres enough info in their website to perform or troubleshoot any task or issue, otherwise their TAC center and sales reps/product specialist are always willing to assist (yes some of this comes with a cost but well worth it, and you stay hands on in the process)
the ONLY thing i would research in your scenario is the fact that you rely (or will) on call center software. Symposium is tried and tested and a great application. Cisco's call center software and setup has come a LONG way but i dont have enough exposure to it to comment or advocate (or dismiss) its values or its pros/cons. I know of people that love it for the same reasons they love cisco IPtel - VEREY user friendly, very customizable, and you can write or have a programmer write anything possible to enhance its value since its a 100% open architecture system and uses well known and standardized protocols, etc
ideally, you would have a nortel based call center and a cisco callmanager handling everything else like i have had over the years..but the cisco IPCC has been showing up much more in call centers around here in NY, prob for good reason
This thread is actually humerous to a degree, in that I am currently planning an egress strategy to back out of a Cisco IPCC, Dual Call Manager Servers and all the bells and whistles Cisco system. This implementation has been haphazzard at best. By the by, John was going to ask for some help on the building of come ACD ques to handle call flows while the Symposium System is implemented. Cisco needs to stay with network fabric and leave telephony to the professionals. Can't wait to see their stab at land mobile public safety radio recently announced.
jneiberger
Technical User
n3ywi, can you tell us more about what went wrong with your Cisco implementation?
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- #11
Meridianman5
IS-IT--Management
yes I would be very anxious to hear more as we are in the same boat here. We have had a VERY difficult time making the Cisco solution work for us networking Unity through 3- seperate Opt 81's. I need to know the best option either IPCC or Symposium, please elaborate if you can thanks!
jneiberger
Technical User
Meridianman5, have you been working with Cisco TAC or your local Cisco office, or perhaps a reseller?
Meridianman5
IS-IT--Management
yes all three....very painful. I am going to Cisco training for a month starting tomorrow. I am a "traditional voice guy" so to speak and we are going to be implementing IPCC soon. I think the other issue is in my opinion, we are trying to implement this way to fast.
What are the pros/cons of Symposium in relation to IPCC? I need to qwell the storm here so to speak, we are burning out here. Thanks for any and all input.
What are the pros/cons of Symposium in relation to IPCC? I need to qwell the storm here so to speak, we are burning out here. Thanks for any and all input.
There is some issues that might be forgotten here. We are talking about Cisco and Nortel, from very much a technical aspect.
Voice solutions is mostly something that should gain the users, not the technicians.
Nortel has so much more functionality for the users.
Thats a fact.
The IP solutions.. The fact is that I cant see so big differences. My colleague A cisco specialist is sitting next to me, and we are aften doing solutions for our customers. So its easy to compare.
There is absolutely no need to integrate a cisco call manager to a nortel pbx to get proper IP functions!!!!!!
The nortel solution is much more economic in the long run.
Total cost of ownership for a nortel solution can be so much as up to 50% less expensive as a cisco solution.
To buy the two systems could be about the same price..
Symposium is soon changed to CC6.
CC6 is a Contact Center solution for all media types.
Voice, fax, web chat, multimedia.
Both incomming and outgoing traffic.
So, CC6 is a nice and complete solution with a lot of capacity without the need to install a bunch of servers.
Voice solutions is mostly something that should gain the users, not the technicians.
Nortel has so much more functionality for the users.
Thats a fact.
The IP solutions.. The fact is that I cant see so big differences. My colleague A cisco specialist is sitting next to me, and we are aften doing solutions for our customers. So its easy to compare.
There is absolutely no need to integrate a cisco call manager to a nortel pbx to get proper IP functions!!!!!!
The nortel solution is much more economic in the long run.
Total cost of ownership for a nortel solution can be so much as up to 50% less expensive as a cisco solution.
To buy the two systems could be about the same price..
Symposium is soon changed to CC6.
CC6 is a Contact Center solution for all media types.
Voice, fax, web chat, multimedia.
Both incomming and outgoing traffic.
So, CC6 is a nice and complete solution with a lot of capacity without the need to install a bunch of servers.
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