They are brought into our office and thrown onto the floor like garbage. Our technicians certainly don’t have the time to sort through, label, and re-package the old Nortel phones, so, they pile them up, stuff all of them into big boxes, and bring them back to the office. Many times they leave the common equipment (phone system cabinet, and voice mail system) at the customer’s office for them to dispose. Unfortunately, the old Nortel Meridian phone isn’t given the respect it deserves.
What respect is it due ?
20 years of solid, hard work, thousands of hours of phone calls, a slightly cracked display, a reliable voice mail light that still works, and – it now finds itself stacked like garbage waiting to find a new home (don’t worry, we don’t throw them in the garbage). More on that in a moment.
But, I am having fun reminiscing in the mean time.
I started in the Telecom business in 1990. 19 years ago. Way before I got married, and way way before I had my first kid (Jordan, who is now 11, Jessica who is now 9). At the time the Norstar was THE phone system in the market. Nortel had the number one market share in the phone system business with their Meridian Norstar and Option 11 (and previously SL-1) phone system. They maintained that number ONE market position for many years.
And quite the fall from glory.
One of the folks in my office pointed out the irony of the picture. The old garbage Nortel phone is sitting in an Avaya box (take a close look at the picture) – looks like the Nortel phone has been taken over by the box.
And where do we send those old Nortel phones ?
Avaya gives us some amazing credits for the old Nortel hardware. We pack it up, call Fedex, and say good-bye to our old faithful friend who finds it’s way to an e-waste processing plant.
Written by: Jeff Wiener. www.digitcom.ca. Follow TheTelecomBlog.com by: RSS, Twitter, Identi.ca, or Friendfeed
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Reading your Nostar sets post with keen interest. I have pet peeve for seeing all that cast-off plastic and technology laying in discard bins. Having a large installed fleet, I engage regularly in the local rebuild market. Picked up in person, rebuilt with all replacement parts needed, fully tested and delivered back to my loading dock, for about $75 CDN / set. A caveat is don’t try it with the T- series phones, they’re not tough enough to make it to rebuild shop.
Yes, out-of-date KSU’s eventually wind up as shredded plastic and picked over circuit boards, but not before we get our 10 million minutes out of them. ( about 20 years of use). Dwindling supply for parts and salvage units will eventually kill off Norstar all together, but it won’t be because it was a bad product.
but it won’t be because it was a bad product.
Kim, you are absolutely right. Norstar was the best phone system in the market.
Jeff