asterisk users - Dec 2003 - Cisco 7960, Nortel MICS, Digital sets, ...

I have a couple of questions I'm hoping folks can help me out with.
When I search the mailing list, I see folks doing what I'm interested in
so here's hoping !
 
- How are people making out with interfacing to the 7960?  I'm
considering buying a number of these as they look quite feature rich.
But, are they easy to interface to?  
     - Will I be able to interface with softkeys on the phone?  For
example, I see the phone has a 'Services' button that I'd like to
program, maybe even with material that gives agents real time
information (such as any real-time network information I want flashed to
agents),  
 
- As an alternative to above, we are considering the Nortel MICS
approach (like a low cost 6x16).  Our ILEC supplies us currently with a
CO-based PBX service and we've come to love the Meridian sets.  As an
alternative to the IP phones, I've seen refurb'd MICS systems for sale.
I read in the group that the phones themselves are a proprietary Nortel
signalling but I can front-end the PBX with an Asterisk setup.   If I do
this, is it possible to maintain the ability to:
     - .. select from a list of multiple lines that might be ringing?
(makes sense if each trunk is fed separately from Asterisk)
     - .. intercom access between phones seems as though it would be
through the MICS and not touch Asterisk at all
     - .. Can I light a message-waiting lamp? (So a VM waiting in
Asterisk would light the lamp on a particular Meridian set)
 
If it wasn't for those damn friendly Meridian sets haha...  but maybe
the Cisco set is a good substitute.
     
- Just another final question, has anyone had success in running a
real-time, low cost Internet-based trunk between office locations using
Asterisk and going through setting up dialing plans, etc.  I want to
push ahead for a trial of this but I'd like to know what I should be
expecting?  Can I expect toll-quality voice?  Any problems with
full-duplex? etc  This is a basic question, I know, but I'm trying to
understand what my expectations should be.
 
Thanks for the help, this project is quite exciting stuff.  
Derek
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Stay away from the MICS.  I realize the handsets are nice but the entire 
system is far too complex for it's own good.   The M in MICS stands for 
modular.  My MICS supports a 15 seat call center.  The system has 4 
modules daisy chained together, a remote access box, a separate system 
for music on hold, wiring galore and a hooky user interface to program 
with.  Worst part is if one module goes down it can bring the entire 
sysetm down!.  The kicker for me is that I don't have someone one site 
so it can take hours to troubleshoot and fix my problems remotely.  The 
MICS new cost me almost 20 G's.

In contrast, I am very satisfied with asterisk.  I have a 12 seat call 
center and the total cost was about $6000.  It took me about two weeks 
to get comfortable with * but now I'm addicted. 

I suggest you take * for a test drive.  Get two Cisco phones off ebay 
and install asterisk on any old P3 or better.  Sign up for nufone.net 
and find out for yourself how good VOIP sounds.  All my phones are Cisco 
7940's.  Programming the services button is easy if you can do web 
programming and it's reliability is fair to good or no worse than 
Nortel.  I have no experience with paging but I hear the Snom phones can 
do an auto answer so if that is a requirement you may want to check the 
list archives for some paging background before you buy cisco, you may 
want Snom.

Good luck, Todd Lieberman

--
Todd Lieberman
todd@tlsolutions.net
tlsolutions.net
215-500-6913

Derek Billingsley wrote:
> I have a couple of questions I'm hoping folks can help me out with.  
> When I search the mailing list, I see folks doing what I'm interested 
> in so here's hoping !
>  
> - How are people making out with interfacing to the 7960?  I'm 
> considering buying a number of these as they look quite feature rich.  
> But, are they easy to interface to? 
>      - Will I be able to interface with softkeys on the phone?  For 
> example, I see the phone has a 'Services' button that I'd like
to
> program, maybe even with material that gives agents real time 
> information (such as any real-time network information I want flashed 
> to agents), 
>  
> - As an alternative to above, we are considering the Nortel MICS 
> approach (like a low cost 6x16).  Our ILEC supplies us currently with 
> a CO-based PBX service and we've come to love the Meridian sets.  As 
> an alternative to the IP phones, I've seen refurb'd MICS systems
for
> sale.  I read in the group that the phones themselves are a 
> proprietary Nortel signalling but I can front-end the PBX with an 
> Asterisk setup.   If I do this, is it possible to maintain the ability to:
>      - .. select from a list of multiple lines that might be ringing? 
> (makes sense if each trunk is fed separately from Asterisk)
>      - .. intercom access between phones seems as though it would be 
> through the MICS and not touch Asterisk at all
>      - .. Can I light a message-waiting lamp? (So a VM waiting in 
> Asterisk would light the lamp on a particular Meridian set)
>  
> If it wasn't for those damn friendly Meridian sets haha...  but maybe 
> the Cisco set is a good substitute.
>     
> - Just another final question, has anyone had success in running a 
> real-time, low cost Internet-based trunk between office locations 
> using Asterisk and going through setting up dialing plans, etc.  I 
> want to push ahead for a trial of this but I'd like to know what I 
> should be expecting?  Can I expect toll-quality voice?  Any problems 
> with full-duplex? etc  This is a basic question, I know, but I'm 
> trying to understand what my expectations should be.
>  
> Thanks for the help, this project is quite exciting stuff. 
> Derek