Following its application for Section 11 bankruptcy protection in January this year, Avaya has announced that global support for many of its products will be ending in 2018.
This need not be a bad thing, says Anriko Opperman, product manager for SS Telecoms. "If you have Avaya telecommunications systems, you may be able to use turn this into a positive by installing a hybrid telephony solution now."
According to him, what is key is investing in a solution that is able to integrate with as much of the businesses' current solution as possible, and to limit disruption for users.
"Basic telephony is a critical capability. Choosing a solution that minimises disruptions, installa-tion issues, user training and other migration drag factors will be the key to a successful transi-tion."
Opperman says Avaya PBX telephone systems are popular in healthcare and medical facilities, where communications systems are a life or death concern, and a critical part of delivering the necessary care.
The options
He advises that those with CS1000 units would be able to move to pure cloud products, but these organisations have probably already significantly invested in on-premises communica-tions, based on reliability, scalability, performance and integration with other business applica-tions.
Although a 100% cloud strategy has merit for those customers who are on a cloud-based sub-scription model, in reality, on-premises systems are alive and kicking. "These organisations need to leverage their existing investments with maximum choice and flexibility," he explains.
In terms of SS Telecoms, he says this offers a balanced approach through a hybrid system that combines both premises and cloud-based communications, ensuring that existing systems can be easily integrated into established systems.
It is clear that time is running out on older systems, and for the good of patients and the ongo-ing business of healthcare facilities, considering alternatives is important.
"Transitions are never easy, but with the right partner, your transition can run as smoothly as possible. And transitions like this can be a great opportunity to take stock of your communica-tions infrastructure and strategic plan. Look for communications partners who are willing to work with the investment you've already made into your system, who can operate with your existing ethernet and non-ethernet phone lines and deliver the features of an IP phone no matter what in-frastructure you're starting with," concludes Opperman.
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