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Back in January of 2008 I wrote a review of the Microsoft Response Point Phone System compared to more established products. One of my concerns about the product was long term support. Phone systems ideally are something a business will have for a decade, so you want to purchase a system that will be supported and continue to improve during that time. Unfortunately for Response Point buyers Microsoft has officially killed the product off as of May 2010.
Its not to say those businesses who invested in Response Point can’t continue to use their systems, but over time they’ll find no local technicians for support, poor availability of replacement parts, limited out of warranty repair options, and no bug fixes for issues that crop up.
While I like Costco for many things, I don’t think its the right place to buy an IP PBX. The last two IP PBXs at Costco have gone the way of the dodo bird. IP PBX manufacturers typically prefer to sell through local Partners so customers can get the installation help and ongoing support they need – selling through Costco appears to be a last resort for these businesses.
My best advice is think long term about the purchase of an IP Phone System. How long has the manufacturer been in the telecom business? Are they profitable enough to stay in business? Is this product important to their business plans or just a side project? The answers to questions like these can steer you away from the one-hit wonders and to a system that will serve your business for years to come.
The Author: Kevin Selkowitz
About: Kevin Selkowitz is the founder and lead consultant for Selkowitz Technology, a Seattle-area small business systems consulting company. We focus on the four major technology needs of small businesses - phone systems, phone and internet service, servers/network infrastructure, and business applications.
This entry was posted by Kevin Selkowitz, on Sunday, May 30th, 2010 at 10:26 am and is filed under Phone Systems. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response on the right, or trackback from your own site.
One Response to “The Importance of Picking a Brand that Lasts – Microsoft Kills Off Response Point”
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May 28th, 2011 at 6:20 am
Another example of this is 3Com, with their NBX and VCX lines, although that’s kind of a special case because of being taken over by HP. In the case of a takeover it’s unavoidable for product lines to be killed. Also 3Com’s background is networking, not phone systems.