Does anyone know about BCM50 PABXs?

[bremen1874]

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?

 

[bremen1874]

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.

 

[bremen1874]

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.

 

[bremen1874]

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).