The Challenge:
Why Do I Need to Consider Migrating my current Shortel Phone System?
Mitel has made it clear to its partners that the “new” software, MiVoice Connect, is the platform that will be supported moving forward. Mitel’s current press release states that ShoreTel 14.2 will officially be at End of Life (EoL) in November 2020. ShoreTel/ Mitel explained their definition of “End of Life” as follows: “End of Life means that support renewals will no longer include the affected products, software updates and bug fixes will no longer be provided, and RMAs for hardware will not be issued. At EoL, the product enters an extended support phase in which ShoreTel will continue to answer questions and provide assistance for customers with active support contracts on the balance of their ShoreTel system.”
With this in mind, as of November 2020, there will no longer be:
- Support for older voice switch products
- Sales of ShorTel 14.2
- Sales of pre-ST Voice Switches and associated SBE 100 Bundles
- Sales and support of the VPN Concentrator products
If you fall into the category of operating on a ShoreTel/Mitel software that was purpose-built in 2005, with the required hardware at that time, your current hardware will not be adequate for the MiVoice Connect software.
We at TTx want to share with you your options in the marketplace today with complete transparency and with your best interest in mind.
The Solution:
TTx Recommendation
We’ve implemented over 50 migrations for our current clients, and understand what it takes to make an implementation successful. Depending on your specific use case, we’ve generally been advising clients to receive a quote for one of the following TTx recommended options:
- Upgrade to MiVoice Connect UC solution
- Upgrade to MiVoice Connect as a private cloud UCaaS solution
- Upgrade to a public cloud UCaaS solution
Starting the migration to MiVoice Connect is not a simple upgrade like previous releases of Mitel/ShoreTel. The current version of MiVoice Connect software was purpose-built in 2016 for new installs based on a few key advances Mitel has made over the years: cloud, virtualization, new end-user experience, and a new management portal. To receive a quote, your server environment will need to be evaluated and potentially upgraded, licenses will need to be updated, and you will incur modest professional service fees to manage and deploy the upgrades.
The Outcome:
Be Empowered and Informed
We believe it to be our job to set our clients up for success. In this case, it is our duty to empower you with the information you need to proactively make the best decision possible for your organization. We do acknowledge that in some use cases, doing nothing may serve your organization just fine. However, whatever the decision, we believe it to be prudent to make that decision actively, armed with the information needed to make an informed decision.
What’s Next?
Let’s Talk
Current TTx Customers: You have probably received this communication from us already. If you haven’t connected with your account manger yet, they will be reaching out again to discuss your use case, make a recommendation, and answer any questions you may have.
New to TTx: If you haven’t worked with us before, let’s schedule a free consultation to discuss your use case, review the options and answer any questions you may have regarding a recommendation.