I would welcome some input on a client we currently service. Currently they have 40 sites using ESI CS-50 systems with 6 to 8 phones. This will be doubling to about 80 sites in the next two years. Their corporate offices is using ESI's Hosted PBX product. The question that was posed to us was "why shouldn't I pull out the ESI and install a Shoretel or Cisco UC?" They have already invested in the ESI products and could possibly use ESI Link to give them a unified look. We could drop in an IP900 or CS-1000 at the corporate office and link up to 99 sites. Is this what some of you would recommend or would you not even consider going this route? Your feedback is appreciated.

Whats the application? Do they actually call the other sites?

I would look at all options. The biggest advantage would clearly be cost. Considering that ESI is roughly half the cost and they already have half of what they will need it will be roughly 4 times the cost to deploy a whole new solution.

Biggest disadvantage is ESI Link goes to 99 sites so if they go beyond that they won't have any integration.

Thank you upstateny. I agree with you on the disadvantage. So you really think 4x the cost for the Cisco or Shoretel? I have no experience with those systems and did not know the cost. That is a huge difference. Thanks again.

Thanks for replying Coral Tech. They do call the other sites occasionally and if they were connected they might route more calls via ESI LINK. However at each site they would have local or SIP lines coming to each location. Occasionally they would have a need to transfer that call to another department on the network. Basically I am trying to emulate the Cisco or Shoretel system with ESI and ESI Link. What do you think??

I think they need a cost / benefit to network IMHO. If you are talking really once in a while calling site to site and we have unlimited national calling someone needs to justify this IMHO. Worst thing you could do is network everything and have almost no benefit, more complexity and added cost IMHO.