atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems NEC Telephones & Systems Looking at the NEC Aspire

Hello all,

I'm looking for some advice on replacing my aging phone systems. I'm looking at the NEC Aspire systems, mainly due to the networking capabilities that seem to be far above what I have currently.

I have two sites joined by both P-P T1 and internet VPN. The VPN is new and is also used for data between my two sites and a third location, my corporate parent. The P-P T1 has been around for quite some time and I have multiplexers at either end to give me voice and data channel seperation.

My current phone systems are two Lucent Merlin Legend Release 4.1. The multiplexers I mentioned earlier break down the P-P T1 into 4 tie lines, two off premise extensions, and the rest of the bandwidth to data. The Legend's each have a 4-port E&M card for tie line communication and the off premise extension capability is used to access paging from one site to the other. Voice mail systems are located on both sides.

So far, I am pleased with what I've been presented as far as the NEC Aspire goes. For the near-term future I plan to use the P-P T1, segment the entire circuit for IP and dedicate to the phone systems. With centralized voice mail and the ability of the two locations to have the appearance of a single site to my receptionist, it looks like a good setup.

My real questions to this group are:

1. Why not use the Aspire in my situation? So far, everything I've seen says it should be a good solution.
2. Where might I find information to help me evaluate the pricing of the Aspire system? I'm used to buying mostly commodity items, servers, PC's, routers, switches, etc... For these types of items there's enough competition and definitely I know when I am getting good pricing. These phone systems aren't nearly as easy to sort out from that perspective.

Thanks in advance for any advice

You cannot use an "in skin" voicemail when you network these systems for a centralized voicemail. Unfortunately, like it's i-series cousin when you put an external voicemail on it, it's SLOW. If you can live with this great, we sell NEC Aspires and when someone says networking and centralized voicemail we turn to Tadiran ie Sprint Flexicom. While the Aspire is impressive for it's price there are pitfalls as I have seen first hand networking them. Another example of the difference between a true PBX and a Hybid I am afraid.

I'm actually being quoted a Vangard 4-port voice mail to go with the system. Does that make a difference?

Tx.

I think the vanguard has been discontinued if I am not mistaken. It would be an analog one and yes it's slow. Not the voicemail...the PBX.

Coral Tech,

Thanks for the input!

I'm assuming you mean that there is a delay in getting the call transferred between the Aspire and the VMS. Truth is, I'm not sure how sensitive we are to that issue. I guess it will depend on how bad it is. I can see that I'll have to get a demo of the system if we continue down this route.

It's interesting that you say that there are pitfalls when networking these systems. I don't want to drag through gory details but would you see the pitfalls are avoidable with good tech's or are they inherent in the system and insurmountable? This is my primary concern as the current systems I have(Legend) never worked as the salesman said they would. We had quite a time even getting to an acceptable level of functionality and spent a lot of money to get there. I don't want to go through that again.

Thanks again.

I, like Coral Tech, deal with the Aspire and the "Sprint Flexicom" (Tadiran). As far as networking, there are some bugs still to be worked out but still isn't bad. Leaving a Legend to this will be night and Day. However, the networking in the Tadiran is well proven, the system is a true PBX so flexibilaty is there, and we did a 5 site ASPIRE system and for $500 less we could have gave them a Flexicom, so the price is comprable. Unfortunately, Tadiran dealers are not on every corner like NEC dealers are.

the problem has plagued these systems from the i-series from which they sprang. The voicemail delay, IMHO, is terrible with a centralized VM. The Aspire HAS gotten its ARS (Automatic Route Selection) ie selecting a line to call out much better. Used to be if you were placing a call from a remote system through a PRI on the host system it could take damn near 18 seconds! It's better now. Don't get me wrong I like the Aspire, but like I said when they want networking I goto my #1 system to do it because I don't want to explain to someone why they can't do this or that or that. Good luck!

I'm only a little over an hour from Port Washington, NY so I imagine I can probably find a Tadiran dealer.

Since this thread is about the NEC, I gotta say, I'm not exactly inspired by your confidence in the Aspire. Now normally, I'm the kind of guy who likes to live a little. Roll the dice, accept some risk, go for it. But I hate it when phones don't work. It's a surefire way to ruin your entire day, as I'm sure you guys are aware.

So, although you're not saying "Don't do it!", it sounds a whole like, "I wouldn't if I were you." CT, you seem to think the Aspire will be less than capable. BF, you seem to think that the Tadiran is just better (or at least a more proven system)and not that much more expensive, if at all. Does that about sum it up? Either way, I think I'll check out the Tadiran systems. I'm not giving up on the NEC, just backing up a bit for different viewpoint.

Depends on the size of your system. The Tadiran is generally more pricey in most configs. But hey, you get what you pay for. Think of it this way in basic terms...teh NEC is like a Chevy and the Tadiran is like a Hummer.

Hopefully you mean the HMMWV not the H2 which is just a fancy Chevy. But that is another thread.

I like the Aspire for the 1 office and not using DIDs as trunks application. And for the smaller applications, it prices way under the Tadiran.

This is why most companies stock different brands. We sell what works for the application. In your case we feel that a Tadiran is well worth a look at.