we ran into the same thing (ESI over Shoretel/ cisco)a couple of years ago and picked up Toshiba as our pure IP product, not for the fact Toshiba is a better IP product but because it has the look and feel of a pure IP product. With the Toshiba MAS we can add third party applications on it for call center, CRM, IVR, SIP Trunking, ect that you can not do with ESI.
now i have installed and sold pure IP on both and there is nothing easier than a ESI IP install. half the time half the problems.


Martin Wolfe
Wolfe Communications
Servicing the North Bay
Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Lake, San Francisco, Mendocino
ESI, Avaya, Star2Star,and Toshiba Installer