Roy, Any way you slice it, transitioning to a new telecom environment will be stressful and emotional. I've done a lot of PBX installs, and the only time there was no drama was when the users and management just didn't care.
Integrating Asterisk with a legacy PBX is technically not that complicated, but managing user expectations is. People will constantly be comparing the two, and you will discover all kinds of things that do not work between the two systems, even though they work fine on one or the other. Unless you have a clearly-defined need for integration, it's probably time to replace the whole system. Having said that, pick up a copy of a good book on Project Management (such as O'Reilly's The Art of Project Management) and follow a strict methodology with respect to outlining needs, goals, deliverables, timeframes and such. Also, keep in mind that using the old phones will predispose people to expecting the new system to work as the old. With new phones, people will be more tolerant of the fact that there are a new set of skills to develop. Price out new IP phones in addition to the integration piece. You may be surprised that there is not as big a price difference as you might think. Really the trick to acceptance of new technology is managing people's expectations. If you know exactly what is required of the new system, you can build it, test it, and get buy-in before you cut over. Then, when you finally do cut over, make sure that you plan for several days of bitching, whining, and sometimes even yelling while people adjust emotionally to the change. Make sure you have some user training sessions. This is a good way to get a feel for how people are responding to the new system, and it allows you to catch complaints before they escalate. If you have never done a PBX installation before, make sure you plan this out very carefully, or you will be in for some serious pain. This holds true whether you integrate or replace. Never a dull moment. Jim > -----Original Message----- > From: Roy Morris [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: March 5, 2007 4:52 PM > To: Asterisk Group (E-mail) > Subject: [on-asterisk] Nortel Integration > > G'day, > > I have been working with our Asterisk system for a while now > and getting close to final stages. I hate the thought of just > pushing all the users over to a new system over night and > hoping for the best ;) > > Anyone seen any integration between the old Nortel stuff and > Asterisk (hardware/software) ? My current plan just uses a > box that converts my existing Meridian phones to SIP. > > Thanks in advance for any advice. > Roy > >
