sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems ESI Telephones & Systems New ESI Policy - Pay to be a dealer

They started charging by selling "Tokens" for support on systems out of warranty.
Now, they are charging 350.00 per quarter for support!
Not a smart business move IMHO

It will be interesting too see what happens if many of the reseller's including myself don't participate in this new program. I would like to continue to sell esi but why not put that $1400 toward equipment purchase instead.

This is very disappointing. We have been a ESI reseller for years. We have several systems with warranty left on the units. When we asked them about that they said some other company would take care of the warranty but not us since we no longer will be a dealer. What they don't understand is that we sold the system from our companies reputation not ESI's.
So goodbye ESI.

Three or 4 years ago I had and ESI rep contact me about pitching their hosted product. when I asked about their PBXs their response was why do you want to sell equipment? So even at that point they didn't care about equipment sales or for that matter, dealers

Now that Samsung is going away I was going to look into ESI but not for $1400.00 a year I’m not, I guess it’s NEC now

Panasonic appears to be staying strong in the TDM market for now without such silly requirements. Same for Vertical Communications. Both are perfect plug-for-plug replacements for existing Partner systems. Why anyone would want to replace a perfectly-good Partner system is beyond me, but then again, this jump to hosed (oops, I meant hosted) leaves me shaking my head as well.

Yes, very disappointing.
The ESI Comm Servers are a great product that offers a lot of bang for the buck and does IP about as efficient as any manufacture on the market today.
Just seems as if some bean counters are getting greedy IMHO.

Wait...Samsung is getting out of the phone system market?

Justin

I just contacted ESI to have my Tech ID restored from my last employer. I left under good terms, they gave me all the mom and pop locations, some are ESI. But all my tech info was with them. They are glad to reinstate my tech info for $x.xx per quarter and to buy a small esi and phones system from them. I think the ESI is a great small system. But wondering if it worth their pricy cost per year.
I would think if i start then drop my quarterly fee they probably wack me again ? Any comments.
Thanks Gary S.

Sad they hold ex dealers hostage. I am only an ex dealer because the product is old and cannot compete in my market. CS server. NEC whips their ass on everything!. Their game plan is to convert traditional CS clients to hosted!, Great thing to do, and is the future. Problem is the dealer agreement to do such. Read the agreement, as you build this base, SIP trunks, or hosted, if you fail to continue to meet your commitments, you lose all your residuals you built. I am miffed on why anyone would be so dumb to sign such an agreement. Their hosted first off does have "diferentiators" a staple of ESI. But seriously, at the cost they charge and your residual, bad deal!Then, when they get a hair up their ass, they cut you out! My hosted solution returns 50% profit!