Has anyone had any experience with the IPedge yet?
What are your initial reactions?

I should be getting my sample soon then need to do TA testing for Oz.

Been through training, but I have not put my hands on one yet. Seems like an all IP version of the CIX as far as programming. Voicemial is the Strata Messaging. Conferencing Coming soon) and Netphone built-in. Every trunk is SIP. Analog and PRI will use an IP gatweay. Phones are the same IP 5000 phones.

A lot more licenses to it than the CIX and voicemail systems, but I hear that they will be doing a lot of bundling. Not sure if I like that eac department/AA requires a license.

Not sure when we would get a demo kit.

Thanks for that newtecky.

Are the IP gateways the Audiocodes ones or are they Toshiba branded ones as I had indicitive images of a 1U IP gateway unit to complement the IPedge?

Did you have hands on training or through the online TUTOR site? how was it?

We beta tested the IPEdge at our office and it went well. It acts and programs basically the same as CIX. Finally the management interface is hosted by the server itself instead of having to load any software. The gateways were all Audiocodes units. There are different ones for PRI/T1, pots lines and analog stations. The audiocodes have their own web interface for configuration. As was stated, the voicemail is the same as Strata Messaging by T3. Even in it's beta state, we didn't encounter any odd behavior. The only complaint we had was that the configuration of the Audiocodes equipment isn't integrated at all with the IPEdge and is a bit un-intuitive. Toshiba does provide some integration files which help out. Also, we integrated the IPEdge into our Stratanet network and everything worked as expected.

we were also a beta site, agree with p2ii the management being hosted on the server is a nice departure from emanger! the admin is very similar to emanager anybody comfortable with emanager can jump right in..

It takes trunks as sip only and the audiocodes boxes are definitly a pain. I realy think they should have had the server accept a pri card. you can also use your cix as the gateway for pri through stratanet.
Ip phones can be port forwarded through firewall both sip and IP5000(megaco)

the quality is great, everything on one server is so nice, 1 ip address is nice too, it uses 2 network connections bonded ..

our only complaint is there aren't many new features, (simultaneous ring, naming mcg's, etc)
they say they are coming soon ...

if this thing doesnt make those IT ***** happy than nothing will ....

It did not appear to me that they added any new features that are not already on a CIX woth the Strata Messaging voicemail. From what I could see on the training videos programming looked very simular to the CIX. I am wondering if it will still lack some features that techs have been asking about for some time, multiple CF timers, named MCGs just to name a few.

I am hoping that being on a PC platform that development of new features will follow quickly. The built in admin would be a nice change, but until you try to talk a local user on how to setup an extension, you don't realize how many steps it takes on a CIX just to create a user, assign multipe DN keys, DIDs, Mailbox, VMID, etc.

A few of our sales team is meeting with Toshiba tomorrow. I compiled a quick list of my initial Pros., Cons, concerns, altho it is hard without actually touching it.

From those out there that have touched the IP edge, any other initial thoughts?

When you create a new extension it will ask if you want to also create a voicemail box/vmid at the same time. No automated multiple dn's though.

have you guys done the online TUTOR training?
how did you find it?

My initial thoughts (although I don't haven't touched or seen one yet... just going through the certification training)

#1. I've installed systems twenty years ago that are still working. I can't imagine installing an IPedge that won't need replacing in half that time.

#2. Going to need a good stock of Audiocodes... and what would be relatively inexpensive or easy on hardwired systems are going to be expensive and complex using gateways.

If I had my druthers... I'd wait a few more years before I start installing these... (wait for the technology to mature a bit) but I'm the installer, not the salesman, so I won't have much say.

I was let to beleive Toshiba was going to use their own gateway devices.
The Audiocodes are going to be a pain in the ar** and very expensive over here, just another 3rd party bolt on that we could have done without.
There is always going to be an IT dude that thinks their gateway is better than the Audiocodes and cheaper so they will want to use that instead.
We sell lots of the CIX200 so that usually keeps the IT dudes happy.

I guess the thinking is that it wont be long before the only trunks you can get will be SIP.

Audiocodes isn't the only manufacture of gateways, from what I understand toshiba is looking at other less complex gateways.

It is a bit disapointing that from the looks of it, the voicemial is not as tighly integrated with the phone system as I wished it would be. If something such as a Name, was different when compairing the CIX programing to a IES voicemail programing, I would explain to a customer that it is because there are 2 different processors, one for the CIX and one for the voicemail. Hard to use that excuse when they are both in the same box. From what I have seen the VM and PBX communicate the same as a CIX, with SMDI.

I really wish I did not have to keep making PhDNs for multiple intercom keys. This is also very confusing when you have a user onsite that does the basic user admin. As a full IP system, that should be a selling point.

A I did not realize how many places I would have to update a name in a CIX system with an ACD and Taske. I know ACD/Taske are seperate products. Point is that I get the feeling that with several produces rolled into one, I would still have to check the phone name, VM, and netphone.