I JUST came across this forum while scavenging the net for info about the sx-50 I inherited with a small 50 room motel in the New Orleans area back in 2001. I don't see how I never came across it before because I've tried looking for help on so many different occasions, but support info is scarce, especially from Mitel itself. I've even tried chasing down a van with a Mitel logo on the interstate... unsucessfully. So before I even begin; just from all the old sx-50 posts I have read over, I already feel a lot less alone and hopeless, and I want to thank every tech answering those sx-50 posts. You guys already seem like a great bunch, and I've learned more in reading those posts than I have doing anything else.
On to business. My most immediate need (hopefully before Thanksgiving) is to get an Auto-Attendant and Voicemail system added to the sx-50. Frankly, I'm tired of answering the damn phone for people who have no idea who they are calling or for telemarketers that think they are calling a residence and for those guests that get incoming calls like it's going out of style. Ok, enough of that. Anyway, I am only assuming that VM and Auto-attendant comes together because there used to be a guy named Warren who ran ads in the back of a lodging magazine who was selling an Auto-attendant with VM (100 hours I think) for like $3000 and lodging while he was here installing it. It seemed like a great deal and I was ready for it, but I can't find the ad anywhere anymore. So I'm here to inquire with the forum techs hoping that someone is able to handle this type of job. Now, I don't know if the advertised units were new or used or if that price is even still current, because things change over time and it's been a few years.
What I am looking for now is current info on what I am looking at spending for such a setup; what options I have when purchasing such a setup; or if anyone happens to have one sitting in their shop they are unloading or know of where to acquire one (cheaply), and can make arrangements for setting it up onsite, or (depending on complexity) instruct me on how to install it and just provide phone support in case I get stuck on something.
I am totally ignorant of PBX systems so all longwinded enlightenment replies are welcome because I am great at digesting technical info, but there is so little of it and I still don't know the basics of exactly how a PBX works so I am afraid to touch anything in the phone room. It just looks huge and intimidating. All I fool with is the Attendant console and I've even had to learn a lot of that from hearsay, guesswork, and trial and error. So now I'm ready for someone from among the group on this forum to take me under their wing and really get me on a level where I can maintain the system, do some basic diagnostic work, and understand exactly how all the parts (hardware and software) in the "big scary box" work together so when something breaks, I'll be able to gather information from the system, pose a few questions on here, and then take a course of action. As things stand now, I don't know anything about model numbers, trunks, COS cards, SX-50 types, programming, etc etc. Hell, I didn't even know you could dial into the system to reprogram it until I read it here. But just give me some instructions and we'll be on our way.
So I thank all of you for your patience in reading this long post and all your replies both here and in PM is extremely welcome. I know some of you guys on here know each other pretty well so if you want to discuss amongst yourselves who wants to take this task on, that's fine too. I'll warn you that I like to learn fast and ask a LOT of questions when learning about new things. If you guys need to know anything about my system, feel free to ask on here too so I can post it for anyone else who might want to know.
Thanks again everyone,
Jun
