sundance-communications.com/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems NEC Telephones & Systems Need some info on NEC Aspire

Hello all,

My company is looking to upgrade current phone system and we are comparing different systems, NEC Aspire is one of them. Unfortunately I couldn't find much info on that product either on NEC site or on Internet. Anyone know of good links, forum or reviews? Two other systems are Nortel BCM400 and Avaya IP Office 406. I can find alot of info on Nortel and some info on Avaya. Any one know if there is any comparison on these products? I usually like to read the manual and go through the knowledge base of the product before purchasing to give me more idea about the product but no luck finding much info on Aspire.

The system is for about 40 local users and 5 remote users using hard IP phones.

Anyone has experience with using IP phones in remote locations? The remote offices will use Sonicwall 150 and connect to main office's Sonicwall 170 to create VPN. I read in this forum that NEC phones doesn't work well with NAT..is that mean I can not connect them to Sonicwall 150 in remote offices?

https://www.nitsuko.com/ Try the interactive demo..pretty cool. With a VPN NAT shouldn't be an issue..that's why you have a VPN. BTW almost ALL VOIP systems have issues with NAT. The only system so far I have worked with that doesn't is Tadiran and that you have to have a device called a sentinel. In that size range the Aspire is an incredible buy.

Thanks for the link Coral Tech, thats pretty cool.

Do you or anyone else here happens to know how Aspire would compare with Nortel's BCM 400? To me it looks like Nortel has more features when comes to IP side. I still have to compare other features though.

From reading on forums it seems like NEC usually cost less than other phone systems in that category. We received quote for both NEC Aspire and Nortel BCM and to my surprise Nortel cost less.

I would apprecitate any info on any comparison/review between 2 above mentioned systems.

Thanks.

From what I see here in the Nortel forum, and from some other sites, the Nortel BCM is basicly an NT based computer with a couple of propritary cards that handle the phones and trunk cards.

The Aspire is built as a digital phone system from the ground up.

Ask about software upgrades and licensing as Nortel has some pretty hefty costs in that area, AFIK and it also depends on the dealer, NEC does not charge for software upgrades.


DJ

Hmm, interesting the BCM cost less? I would be very curious on why that is and you are correct to compare apples to apples. Are the phones comparable? More features on the IP side? The IP phone for the Aspire works just like all the other phones do. That means all the features of the digital system are at your command. Remember the Aspire has ACD built in as well plus the voicemail integration is tight. I think you are right to look deeper into this. IMHO someone shoehorned you into a BCM and I would be curious what your growth is and what it costs.

Traveller - where are you located?

DJ, thanks for the info on software upgrades and licensing, i'll check that. By the way Nortel recently changed BCM to Linux based from embedded NT.

Corel Tech, Actually I mean more IP realted features on PBX itself. For example BCM comes with built in VPN concentrator with features like split tunneling, NAT-T and firewall. Just from the top of my head i believe the NEC quote is about ~22K and Nortel is ~19K for 40 digital phones, 6 IP phones and few voice cable drops.

upstateny, we are located in Michigan.
SUPER BOWL XL!!!

Traveller, look for another Aspire dealer, you may have one that is out of whack on prices