Free Offer to upgrade to 3300 from 5000...take it or leave it?

[unclejemima]

This kind of falls in the 3300 and 5000 section

I've been offered by our phone provider to upgrade our 5000 mitel to a 3300 mitel for no charge...

I'm not sure what to think of this.  There is a few road-blocks we've ran into with the 5000 they say will be solved with the 3300.

We've become so used to the 5000 interface (the mitel system administrator) I'm reluctant on the change.  I've heard the 3300 is totally different beast in the back end.  Not better or easier...just different.  Like French and English.

So from those who have worked in both the 5000 and 3300, would a user of the 5000 be able to perform simple admin tasks in the mitel system administrator on a 3300 or will they have to relearn everything?

Looking forward to input.  Would you take this "upgrade" or is the 3300 even an upgrade to the 5000?

Thanks!

[ralph]

I've worked on both.
I've been on the 3300 interface since 1986 (SX2000) back before it even had menus.
I started working on the 5000 a few months ago, then switched jobs where I don't touch the 5000 any longer.

Yes, it's a bit like French and English.

I found the 3300 to be more intuitive but then I worked the 3300 so many years that I "just know" where everything is.
I know the 5000 techs will same the same thing about the 5000.

But don't let the interface be the deciding factor.
It won't take long to know where everything is in the PBX.
I've taught basic administration so many times I know it the rare bird that can't get it.   (And I'm sure that rare bird wouldn't get the 5000 either.

Ralph

[unclejemima]

So in your opinion, will it be advantageous for me to take the 3300 considering its no charge to me?  Would you do it?

Would it be fair to say the 3300 is an "upgrade"...my understanding is the 3300 is more expensive typically and used for larger phone installs???

Can the 3300 potentially do 'more' than the 3300 or is it just the same difference?

[NTEDave]

The question I would be asking is why?

Do they struggle to maintain your system so it would be advantageous for them to swap you to a 3300?

We have done the same for a couple of customers swapping 3300 to 5000 because we don't do 3300, we can achieve this if the customer takes our lines and calls so it's not actually free, you do pay for the system over the three years or so the lines and calls contract runs for.

I'm under the impression the 3300 costs more licensing wise, do you have a setup that may be expensive to expand, call centre maybe?

[unclejemima]

Its a bit of a long story.  We pay for our own equipment, and we pay for our own lines so no service contract.

We've had a bit of a gong show with them trying to connect a Panasonic wireless system to the Mitel 5000 via a T1 card...just did not work.  They tried many other approaches and are finally giving up...as they know the Panasonic devices will work on the 3300 with the T1 card communication, just is not working on the 5000 as they had first quoted essencially making our cordless units functionless.

This has been 6 months in the process and is essentially a forgiveness offering in respect to the 6 month of cordless phones not working as promised.  They are pushing the fact we are getting a "much more expensive system" at their good will with no cost to us.

I'm just not looking forward to learning all the admin aspects of the 3300 as we've grown used to the 5000.

[ralph]

So in your opinion, will it be advantageous for me to take the 3300 considering its no charge to me?  Would you do it?

Would it be fair to say the 3300 is an "upgrade"...my understanding is the 3300 is more expensive typically and used for larger phone installs???

Can the 3300 potentially do 'more' than the 3300 or is it just the same difference?

There are some things that the 5000 can do that the 3300 can't.  The application processor is one of the features that comes to mind.
But..  The 3300 can do some things that the 5000 can't.   Your application appears to be one of them.

It's tough to compare the two.  They are pretty different.   If cost was not an issue I'd go 3300.  (This is where the 5000 techs come out swinging  )

Ralph

[unclejemima]

What about voice mail to email?  Is this possible with the 3300?

The Unified Communicator still works with 3300 I'd imagine.

I think this might turn into a Ford vs Chev debate...:-)

To me it seems like a very odd marketing strategy mitel has with the 3300 vs 5000.  Sounds like there is no clear choice for one over the other from the outside.  Really, they should have designed the 5000 in-house (vs purchasing another company) base the architecture on the 3300 and call it a day.

It would be like Apple purchasing Google, stop selling Android phones and have just the all new Iphone 6 and Iphone7.  Then they make the Iphone 6 runs Apple OS, the Iphone 7 running android. 

Just my 2cents...

Its took a LONG time for us to get the 5000 where its at now (as you can understand).  Most of the custom work was done by us, not by the phone company.  I'm assuming we will not be able to "copy" and "paste" the set-up from the 5000 to the 3000?

[sarond]

We have only recently taken on the M5000 and both systems have their pros/cons.
Something to be aware of is adding any additional licensing e.g. The 3300 has a per mailbox license where as the 5000 is licensed on ports. Dynamic extension is enabled or not on the 5000 where as the 3300 is per user.

Yes the 3300 will do voicemail to email. No way of copying and pasting and data, they are completely different beasts.

[chrismitel]

I have worked on the 3300 a lot longer than the 5000 but I think the 5000 is a brilliant product.  You get a lot more in the box features with the 5000 than you do with the 3300 like teleworker and CRAs for example.

The 3300 is aimed at larger end customers really and 5000 small to medium businesses.  3300 can be a very large resillient system and is a very sturdy product.  I haven't worked on the 5000 as long to say the same about stability but the systems I have installed have been very reliable.  Both systems are always being updated.

Have the support guys spoken with Mitel about your issue?  The tech guys over here have been brilliant in the past.  I would strongly recommend pushing them to speak with them if they haven't already done so to fix the cordless phone issue.

[TravisM]

I cannot help with your original question of 3300 vs. 5000 as I don't know anything about the 3300, but I may be able to help with the underlying issue of making some making Panasonic cordless phones work on your 5000. I did something like that with an Inter Tel Axxess system once. Could you maybe be a little more specific with what you're trying to accomplish and include model numbers?

[theohiopatriot]

I have worked on both systems for many years.  The short answer is the 3300 has much more flexibility with T-1's and programming in general.  While it is a bit of a learning curve from the 5000, in the long run the company is offering a more flexible solution that is in your best interest.

[fredted40x]

Never used anythin but the 5000 series and every problem ive come across seems to have the answer 'They have removed that feature in the 5000 series'.

Im starting to follow the rule, if it aint broke dont try and fix it.

[NTEDave]

I have been installing 5000 since V2 and they have added and added features all of the time, especially since Mitel took over Inter-Tel.

Mitel have brought the 5000 on a long way.