One of the things I like about being an ESI reseller is that every year (or so it seems) there is a product rollout of some sort, and whether or not I get to attend I always enjoy speculating on what changes or additions they will make to the product line. This year the rollout will be in Dallas only rather than the roadshow of last year.
I met with my new regional outside sales Rep this week and she confirmed that there will be some expansion of the product line that will definitely make us more competitive. I think ESI has been making good use of the Access control built into the system to keep sales staff out of the R&D part of the building, because she was real short on details.
Any guesses as to what it's going to be? I have some ideas, but I'd like to here some others first!
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Damn, didn't see this post, posted another Rollout topic... sorry! See my post, maybe we can schedule a meet up on Thursday night?
I don't know if you've been involved at all with the beta program but we've installed some interesting new products in the past few weeks.
All I can (or will) say is that it makes sense when you rollout a new product in 2006 which is the basis for all new software production (ESI-600) and it becomes painfully obvious that there are features on the 600 that should be available on different (maybe smaller) systems to allow you to sell the 600 feature set to a smaller customer?!?
OH and maybe, just maybe you've got customers that are stretching the port limits of the 600? Hopefully you do, anyway!
I think that you will also see software tweaks that make things a little more "Standard" across the line, and a web based ESI-Access, but those are just my guesses from previous discussions with ESI Sales staff.
I have to ask a question of the ESI folks here. Have they been depriving you of decent product enhancements? It seems like this "rollout" is the first major news I have heard about ESI in quite some time. I know that I don't follow as closely as I probably could, but it seems that all they do is expand their systems' sizes but other than that, it's pretty quiet. Maybe I am wrong, but I had to ask.
I gave up carrying their products some time ago since they weren't moving forward fast enough. It seems from what I have seen in posts that this is still the case. Tell me more please.
I hope that they incorporate a automated holiday schedule for the Automated Attendant. All other systems I work on have preset scheduled closed days, I have many that can't believe the system has all of it wonderful features but no Holiday schedule.
Ed: I think ESI's product movement is quite aggressive. They rollout large scale once a year (rollout) usually in March. They offered a brand new converged product and feature set last year in the ESI-600 and from what I have knowledge of, they are continuing forward with new products that make they line that much stronger.
I don't follow ma of the other manufacturers real closely, but from what I see and hear with new products from Toshiba, Comdial and others, ESI is aggressively expanding and enhancing their line to compete with the so called "big boys". We feel like the line is easy to sell, install and use and although like any technology they have a glitch here and there the stuff simply works!
Originally posted by Phone-Dog: I hope that they incorporate a automated holiday schedule for the Automated Attendant. All other systems I work on have preset scheduled closed days, I have many that can't believe the system has all of it wonderful features but no Holiday schedule.
There is Holiday Mode, must be activated manually or by remote call-in.If you're talking about a calendar activated mode such as Christmas Dec-25 then no it doesn't but how would you program Thanksgiving?
I like the way it works now. It's simple. Set it in Holiday mode when you leave for a 3-day weekend. Change it back to Day or Auto when you return from the holiday weekend.
I like the way it works it is a good selling point to show the customer how to put it in holiday mode when we have cold weather. I feel that is a good selling point if they made it better than it would be even nicer.
I just want ESI to pick up the pace on marketing. I have lost alot of sales to other name brands that we carry such as Cisco and Avaya. I would rather sell ESI but some customers just want to see a branded name on their desktop.
I am flying in from orlando direct to d/fw and I am getting in around 3:00, I should be in the hotel by 4:30. Look forward to meeting with you and the other ESI Resellers.
same on the marketing mabey the came make it ESI stadium for the cowboys. oh that might hurt me up here in Santa Clara 49er country
Martin Wolfe Wolfe Communications Servicing the North Bay Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Lake, San Francisco, Mendocino ESI, Avaya, Star2Star,and Toshiba Installer
Well I don't necessarily thingkthat it came from discussions on this board, I was simply stating that it was discussed here! But I do know that ESI now has a "BETA" National Accounts Program that will be announced at the rollout.
I don't have all of the details but what I've seen looks pretty promising.
Don't get me wrong, I like the ease at which you can put the system into Holiday mode. I would like to believe that it wouldn't be that difficult to incorporate a date driven schedule that you could pre-record the greetings for the upcoming year and then pardon the phrase "Set It and Forget It!". For the holidays that are day driven like Thanksgiving, you just change the date each year to reflect the new day. :dance:
I don't know anything about ESI but I'm trying to learn. Samsung has both the daylight time and holiday as a schedule. You just set the dates much like an Excel spreadsheet. If they can do it then ?????. This meeting would be a good time to bring it up. Talk to Dave Gantt when your there. He knows both systems.
If any company has been re-inventing itself and advancing the product, ESI would have to be one of the most agressive. Remember that not that long ago the DSP controlled "all-in-one" system was revolutionary. And, with last years roll out of the 600 and the complete overhaul of the platform, these guys just keeping thinking up more and more. How many other systems has the presence management that auotmatically does payroll and logs you into your "in" status when you come to the front door? Think about how much R&D goes into a product, then all of the phases before release - not to mention the beta before launch. Toshiba took over 12 years before they changed the phone. ESI has taken a very small business system that was extremely simple to install, maintain and use, and has expanded the basic platform into one that is now competition for every other "player" (in the under 200 market). No other company can match the tech support. What other telecom company are you able to call and speak with the COO and or the CEO directly? I have been an authorized dealer on over 10 major product lines (still am on three), but I sell ESI as my main because no one can match the company for the above reasons. If there is a better product that has the same support, please tell me.
Trust me breeze there's not a better product out there I have been a dealer for over 1 year and I love the product and every factor from sales to tech support. I think the tech support is the best of all. I use to sell Tshiba but when I met ESI I went solely Esi and I never looked back. The resellers and the product are great. I have never met a better bounch of dealers any where in the world than I have met here on the board and through ESI sales dept. Keep up the good work resellers and Esi are great.
Amen Matthew! Your post is exactly why we started selling ESI. They are strong and getting stronger! AND wait to you see the new products (we've beta'ed a few) at teh rollout! I also talked with Dick Martin last week (like you said, where else can you call and speak directly to the execs?) and he said that another thing to look for at the rollout is that they know that they need to be more aggressive on Ip products, so ESI is going to make some aggressive changes to IP pricing!
BTW, we'll have to find a way to make sure we get a chance to meet on Thursday PM !
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