Does anyone know about BCM50 PABXs?

bremen1874

bremen1874

bremen1874

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I have a client with a Nortel/Avaya BCM50 PABX. All their existing phones are digital.

They’re now extending into the building next door. Next door has structured cabling already in place and I’ll be extending their LAN to cover both buildings.

Extending the LAN won’t be too much of an issue, but installing sufficient pairs to allow digital phones to be used would be tricky. I suggested that they looked at using IP phones to make life easier.

They’ve contacted their usual local BT reseller and have been told that IP phones aren’t supported. The suggested solution was to replace the entire PABX, but this definitely isn’t going to happen as they were sold the BCM50 relatively recently (when it would have been known to be EOL, but weren’t given any warnings :().

I can find resellers for both the IP handsets and the necessary licence codes, and there’s reference to IP handsets when I access the BCM50’s configuration pages. I can only assume that the reseller either doesn’t know the kit they’re supposed to be supporting, or it’s a deliberate attempt at upselling.

Is there anyone here who has had dealings with the BCM50 and could shed some light on the situation?
 
I have a client that has a Nortel BCM50 PABX that's been in place for about 4 years running off ISDN I believe. I have largely kept away from maintaining it as the local BT reseller set it all up and it just seems to work (i.e. the client never asks me about it)!

I do know, however, that it integrates with the local LAN and all the handsets (Avaya) are IP based. By that I mean they are assigned a static IP address from the local subnet - a reserved chunk of addresses on the SBS system I maintain - and connect via ethernet into a dedicated switch that came installed with the BCM50. This switch is then linked via ethernet to the main switch that I installed used for all the other office devices.

Does that help?
 
Thanks for that. The setup you describe is more-or-less what I suggested the client should look at implementing.

I'll get them to make further enquiries.
 
We have a Nortel BCM50 system at work on ISDN30 and its set up pretty much the same as jameshurrell says except we aren't using Avaya IP phones.

We're using Nortel handsets at the moment which run over the ethernet (using a PABX adapter) and back to our main switch then the relevant port gets patched into a specific switch installed for the phone system.

We are in a similar situation to you bremen1874 actually in that we got sold the system when it was pretty much end of line. There's potential for us to be buying premises next door to where we are at the moment which would require a significant increase in capacity on the BCM system we have at the moment and no doubt our BT reseller won't touch our system anymore and push for us to upgrade to a newer Avaya system - the swines!
 
I've looked into the BCM50 situation since I first posted.

The base unit will support up to 12 digital handsets. With an expansion module it'll support a total of 44 digital handsets. The expansion modules are expensive new, but pretty cheap to buy refurbished. To use the expansion modules there are some additional licensing to be taken into account, but the costs aren't too bad.

It will also support IP handsets if the necessary licence codes are purchased.

The reseller is still pushing for the system to be replaced, and is trying to make upgrading the current system look at difficult and expensive as they can. The problem at the moment is that there are maintenance contracts in place that could make any d.i.y. upgrading a problem.
 
Tell the reseller to do one and supply you with what you're asking for. They aren't going to walk away from money so you need to make it clear that their options are either to help you out with a cheaper alternative to ripping and replacing a phone system, or get nothing at all.

If your rep isn't being helpful then I'm sure their manager would be interested to hear about it.
 
With any luck the existing supplier will get dumped. Their recent performance has lost them a lot of the confidence that you need where SLAs and the like are involved.

Luckily a fairly easy cabling route between the buildings was found. There's now enough copper pulled between the buildings to meet the immediate requirements.

The problem still needs to be fixed, but there's now time to look at the options properly (as I've been asking them to for the last three months).
 
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