Hello Chris: Just a note here with regards to your comment, --- "As consultants/integrators, we evaluate the products/solutions based on their actual capabilities and real life performances, and we have to know their pros and cons which are not supposed to be biased regardless of connections or not" ---
Respectfully, please do not jump to a value judgement conclusion here. My analysis and feedback is *not* based on "connections" as you have indicated. They are based on couple of hundred phones deployed directly under my supervision, along with several hundred phones under my indirect supervision and a strong working relationship that I've experienced with Aastra, and the support they have provided above and beyond (when requested). My "connections" didn't establish through back doors, but rather through a working relationship over the years. We have not experienced any of the problems that you have faced (both technical features and technical support). If you are a true consultant/integrator - then bring forth your concerns and suggestions to Aastra and they will look into it. It would be to your benefit, because if the bugs/concerns you bring forth is fixed - then you have just another solid product to extend to your clients as a choice. My only bias and preference for deploying Aastra phones is because it has worked for us well. What works for us well and flawlessly - may not work for you. That's why there are choices in the market for different vendors/integrators. Just for your correction and attention again, this thread was not about "which phone is the best" -- It was merely a response to a question targeted to me, with regards to which phone *I* prefer. My preference no doubt, without a question are Aastra phones. Your preferences along with others is well noted and interesting. It is an interesting perspective to hear about success of other integrators with a different preferred product. Kind regards, Reza. On Thu, Sep 2, 2010 at 4:29 PM, Chris Chen <[email protected]> wrote: > Reza, thanks for your offer of Aastra inside contact help. > As consultants/integrators, we evaluate the products/solutions based on > their actual capabilities and real life performances, and we have to know > their pros and cons which are not supposed to be biased regardless of > connections or not. Both Erik and Lloyd have similar experience of mine > when it comes to deploying Aastra phones, be it 91xx or 675xx phones, their > firmwares cannot be called even close to rock solid which is a MUST for > anything you call "PHONES", otherwise you just spend big bucks for toys. > I always evaluate Aastra phones' firmwares to track if they made progress > improving their features/reliability, I gave up hopes of them quickly fixing > their bugs so I try to avoid Aastra phones where their bugs will have > business impacts depending on my customer requirements. > Best regards, > Chris > > On Thu, Sep 2, 2010 at 3:43 PM, Reza - Asterisk Consultant > <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Erik, Chris; >> >> This is quite interesting! I think both of you should address this >> to Aastra. Contact the Canadian Channel Manager, Robert Hurlbut and >> he will note your complaints very seriously. >> >> I am sorry to hear the challenges both of you have faced. In my case, >> their support and assistance has been above and beyond. Much better >> than what I received from Cisco/Linksys and other vendors. My >> queries have been responded to (always) in less than 24 hrs. Access >> to their engineers were made immediately upon request. >> >> Granted there are bugs and issues that need to be rectified in every >> VoIP product. Yes, the Web Interface sometimes appears to be flaky - >> and a "refresh" takes care of it at my end. >> >> Once the phones are deployed, we rarely ever log into the web >> interface. **ALL** future changes are done through our provisioning >> server (configs on prov. server somewhat manual) -- and we send a "sip >> notify" signal for the phones to reboot and fetch new configs. >> >> Contrary to both of your experiences, all of our phones deployed, >> including the 914x series up to the latest ones have been exceptional. >> We've never had any of the issues that both of you have been >> describing. We've also deployed the phones in a small call centre >> environment that handles about 2,000+ customer service calls per day >> and the phones just keep on working and have kept on working for the >> past 3+ years and they just keep on working! >> >> However its interesting to note both of your experiences and I highly >> recommend that both of you contact Aastra with the issues that you >> have faced and give them your blunt perspective. >> >> Cheers! >> Reza. >> >> >> On Thu, Sep 2, 2010 at 9:59 AM, Erik Schwartz <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > I may not know a lot about phones, and I start from the position of >> > liking >> > Aastra because they are Canadian and have a good reputation, but here >> > are >> > things that I don't like about Aastra. >> > >> > 1. firmware can't be updated from a file. I have to fire up a TFTP. >> > 2. call waiting isn't reliable despite the latest firmware (9143i) and >> > you >> > have to register another line appearance as the same extension to get a >> > 2nd >> > call (completely dumb). >> > 3. BabyTel's VoIP service won't stay registered in there. It will in >> > Linksys PAP2, Mitel 5220, X-Lite & others, but not Aastra. >> > 4. the web interface often becomes unusable in IE, or changes to some >> > ugly >> > text only mode, this happens more often in HTTP, but also in HTTPS mode. >> > 5. one of the firmware updates 6 months ago disabled the reset buttons >> > from >> > the web page. Apparently they still work in IE, but not firefox.... >> > whatever. >> > 6. sometimes the phone doesn't get the update from Asterisk that all VM >> > has >> > been reviewed and it's still presenting the stuttered dialtone and >> > blinking >> > message light. After a reboot it suddenly realizes that there are no >> > messages (9143i). >> > 7. My brother's 9143i sometimes spontaneously reboots in a call, even >> > though >> > his firmware is up to date and the same as mine. Mine doesn't do that, >> > but >> > his does from time to time. >> > >> > Having said all that I like the features and the quick boot up time is a >> > plus. We're still using them, but I'm interested in seeing other phones >> > as >> > well. Cisco is giving me a pain right now in switching from their SCCP >> > mode >> > to SIP. I think as a rule it's good to avoid phones that have their own >> > proprietary mode. >> > >> > Erik. >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: Reza - Asterisk Consultant [mailto:[email protected]] >> > Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2010 1:05 AM >> > To: Mark Little >> > Cc: Asterisk Users Group >> > Subject: [on-asterisk] Which VoIP phone is better? >> > >> > One of our Asterisk servers we have close to 200 Aastra phones >> > connected that I can speak of personally. Combined with our >> > resellers and other ITSPs who purchase bulk trunks from us, our last >> > count of known Aastra phones deployed exceeded over 2,000 in the past >> > 3+ years. >> > >> > Within my 200+ phones personally deployed, not one had been returned >> > after deployment. Clients who had the Aastra phones for over 5+ years >> > now, are still happy and phones are working great. >> > >> > + POLYCOMS: At the quality & stability - I will say Polycoms are >> > **THE BEST**. However provisioning them is a REAL PAIN in the behind >> > and boot up time is a real pain too. Their firmwares are all >> > standardized and firmware for one unit is compatible with the rest of >> > the product line. Overall, I will say POLYCOM has the best >> > engineering efforts put behind them but they have one major flaw: >> > Provisioning and Bootup time. >> > >> > + AASTRA: At the deploy-ability, ease of configuration and short boot >> > up time - Aastra phones have been beyond perfect in our real world >> > deployments and MUCH easier to troubleshoot. The customer service & >> > support from Aastra (at least to me) has been beyond what I expected >> > (direct access to their engineers if needed). >> > >> > + LINKSYS/CISCO: Linksys/Cisco Phones (the new ones) are equally >> > reliable and competitive. But I don't like them because they look >> > like toys (We are a Linksys/Cisco partner but I hate their phone >> > designs. I think it needs to look more business like and their series >> > needs a face lift in terms of design) >> > >> > + SNOM - I know a lot of people like them, but to me they look like >> > cheap plastic toys (Sorry SNOM supporters) >> > >> > + GRANDSTREAM - Grandstream phones - Well, I know my good friend Henry >> > will stand by them! I think he's had good luck with them. But my >> > experience with Grandstream phones has been extremely poor in terms of >> > reliability. Another good friend stands by the product and has >> > requested me to give Grandstream a 2nd chance. Supposedly they've >> > changed their philosophy and vision and now making good products. >> > (I'll let others give feedback on this) >> > >> > + No Name Chinese Aastra Knockouts - stay the heck away from them! >> > >> > I can also tell you first hand, that everyone who had SNOM or >> > Grandstream, when we provided our loaner Aastra units to try out - >> > never looked back on Snom or Grandstream. I think because the Aastra >> > phones (original design bought out from Nortel) - are phones that most >> > corporate users could relate to, as they somewhat resemble their OLD >> > Meridian/Norstar phone systems. >> > >> > My preference is Aastra mainly because their phones have **never >> > failed**. The phones that were broken because of negligence were >> > replaced. They are also a Canadian company with amazing executives, >> > tech support staff and engineers, most of whom I know personally. >> > >> > I am *very* pleased with the Aastra product line. If you like to be >> > connected with the distributor of Aastra or wish to be a reseller, >> > contact me off list and I will be happy to make the proper >> > introduction. >> > >> > Alrighty now... enough postings for a day here :). I will visit >> > again in a week or two. >> > >> > Cheers! >> > Reza. >> > >> > >> > On Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 6:49 PM, Mark Little <[email protected]> >> > wrote: >> >> >> >> Hey, >> >> >> >> Just wondering what phones you go with/recommend instead now? >> >> >> >> >> >> Cheers, >> >> Mark >> >> >> >> >> >> On 01/09/2010 5:09 PM, Reza - Asterisk Consultant wrote: >> >>> >> >>> Erik: >> >>> >> >>> Trying to send you the necessary files but google is preventing it. >> >>> Please send me a userid/password with an SSH account and/or FTP >> >>> account (off-list) and I will drop the necessary files. Where did >> >>> you buy the phone from and how much? These phones are considered >> >>> "End of Life" -- and are not the best SIP phones if you ask me. We >> >>> no longer use this phone on a production basis, but we do use them as >> >>> test tools and demo units for customers. >> >>> >> >>> Kind regards, >> >>> Reza. >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Toronto based VoIP / Asterisk Trainer, >> > I.T. Consultant and Hosted PBX Solutions Provider. >> > +1-647-476-2067. >> > http://www.linkedin.com/in/seminar >> > >> > --------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] >> > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] >> > >> > No virus found in this incoming message. >> > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> > Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3108 - Release Date: 09/02/10 >> > 02:34:00 >> > >> > >> > --------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] >> > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] >> > >> > >> >> >> >> -- >> Toronto based VoIP / Asterisk Trainer, >> I.T. Consultant and Hosted PBX Solutions Provider. >> +1-647-476-2067. >> http://www.linkedin.com/in/seminar >> >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] >> For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] >> > > -- Toronto based VoIP / Asterisk Trainer, I.T. Consultant and Hosted PBX Solutions Provider. +1-647-476-2067. http://www.linkedin.com/in/seminar --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
