Tag: Upgrade Phone System

How to Modernize Your Mitel Phone System (without Replacing It)

Posted on by Elisa Lundquist

Many vendors are dropping Mitel support and telling businesses they need to switch to the cloud. But that’s not necessarily the best advice for organizations that depend on their Mitel phone systems to collaborate internally and communicate with customers every day.

Mitel powers some of the most reliable and cost-effective business phone systems available, and they’re capable of much more than most businesses realize. In fact, just about anything a cloud system can do, a Mitel phone system can do, too.

That said, many businesses haven’t updated their Mitel systems in years. Modernizing your system can unlock powerful communication features that improve efficiency, simplify collaboration, and – most importantly – enhance the customer experience.

Here are eight ways to modernize your Mitel system without replacing it.

Summary

  • In many cases, you don’t have to give up your Mitel phone system or your support
  • Modernizing your Mitel phone system can help your business save money, improve efficiency, and meet customer expectations
  • Top Mitel phone system modernization strategies include:
    • Switch from PRI to SIP
    • Omnichannel communications
    • Integrate AI
    • Add softphones, DECT phones, and mobile apps
    • Integrate with Teams and/or Zoom
    • Add redundancy
    • Call recording, reporting, and analytics
    • Virtualization

The Business Case for Modernizing Your Mitel Phone System

If your communications are falling behind, your vendor might be pushing you to abandon your existing on-premise system and move to the cloud – but that doesn’t always make business sense.

  • If you have Mitel MiVoice Business (aka Mitel 3300), you’ve already paid for your system, so modernization is far more cost-effective than replacing it
  • If you’re using MiVoice Office 250 (Mitel 5000) or MiVoice Connect, it’s important to carefully evaluate modernization and replacement options

Find out which path is best for your business in our Mitel Modernization Playbook. Get it here.

8 Ways to Modernize Your Mitel Business Phone System

Here are eight ways you can modernize your Mitel phone system without replacing it.

1. Switch from PRI to SIP

For over 30 years, Primary Rate Interface (PRI) was the standard for connecting business phone systems to the public telephone network. PRI circuits use traditional T1 lines – often copper – to carry voice calls.

Today, however, PRI technology is outdated, and switching to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) – which carries calls over the Internet – is one of the simplest ways to modernize your Mitel phone system.

The best part? Switching from PRI to SIP likely unlocks significant savings and ensures compliance for your business. That’s because:

  • Carriers are sunsetting PRI: Support rates are skyrocketing, so switching to SIP avoids expensive fees
  • SIP is more flexible: With PRI, you must pay for 23-channel circuits (so if you need 24 channels, you’ll pay for 46). With SIP, you only pay for what you need
  • SIP enables E911: Many PRI carriers don’t support Enhanced 911, which provides precise caller locations to emergency responders. E911 helps ensure compliance with regulations like Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’s Act

RELATED: 5 Questions to Ask If You’re Losing Mitel Support – or Being Pressured to Switch to the Cloud

2. Omnichannel Communications

Omnichannel communications enable you to meet customers where they are, and with solutions like Mitel MiContact Center Business and Mitel CX, you can even interact with them on a single pane of glass.

That means you have one dashboard for engaging customers across all channels, including:

  • Calls
  • Email
  • Text
  • Chat
  • Social media

What’s more, your omnichannel experience can integrate directly with your CRM, helping sales and support teams with access to customer histories, automated call logging, and real-time insights that help them deliver faster, more personalized customer service.

3. Integrate AI

Mitel phone systems can integrate robust AI features that enhance the customer experience while improving efficiency. Examples include:

  • AI chatbots that route calls, transcribe conversations, schedule appointments, detect customer sentiment, and escalate to live agents when needed
  • AI assistants that collect customer details, summarize conversations, and send data to live agents before calls are even answered – eliminating the frustration of customers repeating themselves
  • Real-time agent assistants that automatically display relevant customer data and knowledge base articles during calls so agents can quickly give customers the help they need

These features prevent routine issues from bogging agents down, freeing them to focus on more complex support requests.

Automation isn’t just about answering calls – it’s about connecting customer interactions to business processes, and Mitel’s AI integrations can also automate workflows such as tying calls directly to your CRM, support ticketing system, and scheduling platform.

Ultimately, AI integrations like these can reduce handle time, increase first-call resolution rates, increase customer satisfaction, and even reduce staffing needs.

4. Add Softphones, DECT Phones, and Mobile Apps

Mitel systems are fully compatible with softphones, DECT phones, and mobile apps, offering significant benefits to modern businesses.

  • Softphones reduce costs by eliminating desk phones and supporting remote and work-from-home employees
  • DECT phones enable mobility beyond Bluetooth, with headsets that work over 300 feet away from your desk and access points that keep phones connected anywhere in your facility without the risk of dropping calls. They’re ideal for healthcare, manufacturing, warehousing, retail, hospitality, and education – any organization on a large campus
  • Mobile apps such as MiCollab ensure all employees use the same integrated communication system no matter where they’re working from, keep business activities off employee personal lines, and can even allow calls to follow employees from desk phones to laptops to mobile devices

5. Integrate with Teams and/or Zoom

Mitel’s Teams and Zoom integrations simplify collaboration, allowing your Mitel phone system to work with the tools many employees already use.

These modern integrations allow calls, chats, and customer data to follow employees across platforms, so Mitel conversations can be managed in Teams or Zoom. It’s another way to introduce modern features like unified communications and collaboration to your Mitel phone system.

6. Add Redundancy

Redundancy ensures your phones work during power and Internet outages. Many cloud phone systems can’t do this out of the box – if the power goes out, your telecom goes down – but you can modernize your Mitel system to protect business continuity and maintain reliable emergency calling through:

  • SIP failover routing
  • Cellular backup
  • Redundant servers
  • Hybrid deployments (for example, local infrastructure with cloud-based failover)

7. Call Recording, Reporting, and Analytics

Solutions like Mitel MiContact Center make it easy to modernize your Mitel phone system with call recording, reporting, and analytics that lend valuable insights into customer service and overall business performance.

Call recording benefits include:

  • Automatic call transcription
  • Keyword and sentiment analysis
  • Training and sales coaching
  • Quality assurance
  • Dispute resolution
  • Compliance
  • Legal protection

Reporting and analytics add business intelligence, accountability, and forecasting capabilities, enabling you to proactively improve customer service. These tools identify patterns like peak call times, bottlenecks, and common customer complaints, giving managers greater visibility into contact center performance and how to improve it for measurable business outcomes.

8. Virtualize Your Mitel System

Another way to modernize your Mitel system is to run it on virtual machines such as VMware or Hyper-V instead of physical hardware. Virtualization can:

  • Reduce hardware and maintenance costs
  • Simplify upgrades
  • Potentially emulate instances of your phone system or deploy it in dual data centers for redundancy and business continuity

It’s also important to understand that modernizing your Mitel system doesn’t mean choosing between on-premise and the cloud. Mitel supports multiple deployment models – including on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments – so you can keep your existing infrastructure while adding modern capabilities like AI and advanced communications tools.

Every business needs to modernize to stay competitive, but that doesn’t mean giving up your existing investment or disrupting your business. Like all successful enterprises, Mitel has evolved, and today’s Mitel phone systems are fully capable of supporting modern communications tools.

Instead of replacing your Mitel phone system, modernize it, and continue to enjoy a smooth, intuitive experience that benefits your business and your customers – all while keeping the Mitel support you depend on for success.

Mitel Business Phone System Modernization FAQs

How can you modernize a Mitel phone system?

You can modernize your Mitel phone system by switching from PRI to SIP, adding omnichannel communications, integrating AI, adding mobile apps and softphones, adding redundancy, and with virtualization.

Should we replace or upgrade our Mitel phone system?

It depends on which Mitel business phone system you have and your business goals. If you have a Mitel MiVoice Business (Mitel 3300), you can probably modernize your system without replacing it. If you have an older system, it’s a good idea to speak with an expert to evaluate whether your system should be modernized or replaced.

Do Mitel phone systems integrate with Zoom or Microsoft Teams?

Yes, modern Mitel phone systems integrate with Zoom and Microsoft Teams, allowing your business to manage your Mitel conversations from within Zoom or Teams.

Do Mitel phone systems support AI?

Yes, modern Mitel phone systems support AI capabilities like chatbots, real-time agent assistance, and workflow automation with CRM and support ticketing systems.

Gold Level Mitel Support (That Won’t Abandon You)

Cady Business Technologies is a Mitel Gold Partner with 8 Certified Mitel Technicians on staff, and we can help you modernize your Mitel phone system while keeping your Mitel support. 

We offer: 

  • Industry-leading white glove service
  • 10-second average answer times with live local technicians
  • Guaranteed emergency response times

What our customers say:

“Cady’s support team has never let me down. I am always impressed by the depth and knowledge shown by their employees. I know that if I reach out to Cady, whether for a purchase or support, the issue will be addressed with competence and confidence.” – Matthew Haga, System Administrator, City of Crystal (Mitel phone system connects 130 employees across 3 locations to 23,000 citizens)

“With Cady, we get problems resolved in hours instead of days, weeks, or months, and that’s what we were looking for. When we call, a real person answers instead of getting a call center with a calling tree where a machine answers and sends you to voicemail.” – Lee Stewart, Manager of Information Systems, Fairmont Area Schools (Mitel system supports 225 full-time employees serving 1,800 students between 2 sites)

Speak with a trusted technology advisor today.

Bus Companies Improve Call Quality While Reducing Costs by 75%

Posted on by Cady Business Technologies

When statewide busing shutdowns threatened longstanding Minnesota businesses, they turned to the Cady Proven Process to modernize their phones to a VoIP phone systems while cutting costs.

Summary

  • The Challenge: Outdated telecom technology caused poor call quality and escalated costs for communications-critical businesses – at a time when COVID shutdowns threatened their survival
  • The Solution: Cady replaced aging T1 lines with modern VoIP phone systems, backed by upgraded Internet bandwidth
  • Results: The new systems delivered crystal-clear customer calls while cutting costs by 75%

“Our phone rings all day long. If you call and don’t have a good experience with the phone system, are you going to hire us? The solution Cady provided helps us project a professional image and make sure we don’t lose out on opportunities that we need to grow our business.”

– Jon Eckhoff, Finance director, Rochester City Lines & Richfield Bus Company

The Challenge

When Minnesota shut down bus travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rochester City Lines and its sister business, Richfield Bus Company, audited every expense to ensure survival until the restrictions were lifted. The companies rely on their phone systems to provide outstanding customer service to college sports teams, high schools, and corporate clients, but they employed outdated, expensive technology at a time they needed to save.

The Solution

We applied the Cady Proven Process, a structured methodology for choosing and deploying customized voice communications for companies that need to modernize their phone systems.

Discovery

We documented the current environments at Rochester City Lines and Richfield Bus Company, then made recommendations to meet the companies’ needs at the best price-performance point. We found that both systems ran on outdated T1 connections, unnecessarily driving up costs, and we recommended switching to a more cost-effective VoIP phone systems.

Installation

We worked closely with each company to understand their communication needs, employee schedules, and call volumes, which enabled us to coordinate smooth cutovers from the old T1 lines to the new VoIP phone systems with minimal disruption. After installation, we found that Richfield’s limited bandwidth caused a metallic echo during calls. We helped them upgrade their Internet, identifying the best price point and technical fit to restore crystal-clear quality.

Support

Post-installation, Cady Business Technologies provides ongoing support, complete with a dedicated contact, regular reviews, and a technology roadmap to keep Rochester City Lines’ and Richfield Bus Company’s phone solutions up to date.

“When I call, Cady answers. If there is a problem, they fix it. Not only do we get great support, they’ve done such a great job that we don’t really need it very often. With all the pressures that affected our business during the pandemic, the last thing we want to think about is our phone system and who supports it. And we don’t because we use Cady.”

– Jon Eckhoff, Finance director, Rochester City Lines & Richfield Bus Company

Results

The new VoIP systems gave Rochester City Lines and Richfield Bus Company superior call quality and reliability while simultaneously reducing telecom expenses by 75%. They now have a dependable support process and a roadmap to future-proof critical communications.

The City of Wayzata Eliminates Dropped Calls, Slow Support & Costly Infrastructure with Cloud Phone System

Posted on by Cady Business Technologies

When unreliable communications and slow support disrupted operations, the City of Wayzata turned to Cady Business Technologies to modernize its failing phone system to a new government cloud phone system and eliminate expensive infrastructure.

Summary

  • The Challenge: Outdated technology disrupted daily operations and put emergency response at risk. These issues were compounded by slow, unresponsive vendor support
  • The Solution: Cady BT replaced the city’s aging phone system with a modern cloud-based solution that immediately improved call quality and reliability
  • Results: The city reports greater efficiency, productivity, and security – all while reducing costs by eliminating expensive on-site infrastructure

The Challenge

The City of Wayzata, Minnesota, faced a major communications problem: its aging phone system was incompatible with modern technology, increasingly unreliable, and vulnerable to security risks – an untenable situation when city hall, public works, police, and fire departments depend on telecommunications for daily operations and emergency response.

Worse, the city struggled to get vendor support when things went wrong.

“The City of Wayzata is the face of the community. We must stay connected with all our residents, and telecommunications is a big way that we do that,” says Deputy Registrar Nick Heider. “We must make sure our phone system is reliable, and if any issues arise, we need to have good backup and support from our vendor to fix things efficiently and effectively.”

Nick says the city was experiencing issues such as:

  • Poor call quality and dropped calls
  • Lack of remote calling features
  • Complex call transfers
  • Difficulty saving and accessing voicemails
  • Slow support with long hold times
  • The inability to add phones

“Not being able to order more phones when our employee base continues to grow was a huge inconvenience,” Nick says. “Also, any time we needed to make a change to the system, we had to call customer support – we should be able to easily make the change ourselves – which took time and was always an additional cost. As our vendor support became less and less, we needed to make a change that would get us up to date with our phone system and carry us into the future.”

The Solution

We applied the Cady Proven Process, a structured methodology for choosing and deploying customized voice communications for organizations that need to modernize their phone systems.

Discovery

We thoroughly reviewed the City of Wayzata’s unique needs and recommended a new government cloud phone system featuring:

  • Improved call handling and effortless call transfers
  • Collaboration tools and mobility options for remote staff
  • The ability for city employees to make real-time system changes
  • Enhanced security and compliance

Throughout the discovery phase, we offered expert guidance and live demos to ensure the solution would solve current challenges and provide scalability for future growth, all within the city’s budget.

“One of the main reasons we went with Cady is the affordability of their product. We could see this was the best long-term option in terms of cost savings,” Nick says.

Installation

We worked closely with the City of Wayzata to plan a smooth cutover that minimized disruptions to daily operations. Since the city was transitioning to a cloud phone system, they were able to eliminate the need to purchase and maintain an on-site server.

“Cady provided us with two in-person demos, had many open discussions, and were always quick to respond if we had questions,” Nick says. “They completed most of the work behind the scenes, so we had to put forth minimal effort to assist with the switchover.”

Support

Post-installation, Cady Business Technologies continues to provide ongoing support with a dedicated contact, expert local technicians, and 10-second average answer times.

“Cady provided us with a great customer service experience. They cared about making a difference in our workplace, were always quick to respond if we had any questions or concerns, and made it personal versus a normal business transaction,” Nick says. “Their staff is very knowledgeable about their products, and we could tell that they pride themselves on exceptional customer service.”

Results

With its new government cloud phone system, the City of Wayzata now has reliable communications with the modern features needed to support operational efficiency and dependable emergency response, along with the flexibility to add future enhancements such as virtual assistants, intelligent call routing (IVR), and AI-powered call analytics.

“The customer and employee experience have improved our operations greatly, and Cady’s support has made the change easier for all of us,” Nick says. “Cady ensures our system is budget-friendly, productive, and suitable for today’s business environment, yet able to grow to meet future business expansion needs.”

Download this case study

How Cady Business Technologies Saved One Business $25,000/Year on Its Phone Bill

Posted on by Cady Business Technologies

Imagine opening your monthly business phone system bill and discovering your cost has increased by 359% overnight – with no warning or explanation.

That’s exactly what happened to Cady Building Maintenance. In August 2024, their bill was a manageable $545. In September, it skyrocketed to $2,504.

For Cady Building Maintenance – which provides commercial cleaning and maintenance across a nine-county area – reliable business phone system is critical for scheduling jobs, dispatching teams, and delivering 24/7 emergency service. But like all businesses, they don’t want to pay an exorbitant rate.

Owner Tom Cady needed answers. How could they stay connected with clients and employees – without getting gouged on cost?

Tom turned to the people he trusted most – his brother and sister, Cady Business Technologies Founder Dan Cady and Vice President Sue Rivera. Here’s how they helped Tom save nearly $25,000 a year on his phone bill – and enhance his communications capabilities in the process.

Cady Hosted Business Phone System to the Rescue

We replaced Tom’s Mitel 5000 system – a 20-year-old platform that Mitel has officially sunset – with a modern, cloud-based Cady Hosted business phone system.

Cady Hosted is a user-friendly, cost-effective option for businesses that don’t want the worry and overhead of having a dedicated network administrator on-site. All data is stored in a secure off-site cloud, eliminating the need to purchase and maintain on-site infrastructure.

The upgrade vastly reduced Cady Building Maintenance’s monthly bill to just $428 – less than they were paying before their previous provider skyrocketed rates – and even expanded their communications capabilities with features like collaboration tools and computer-based faxing.

With our help, Cady Building Maintenance was able to slash their bill by $2,076 a month – which amounts to $24,912 a year – with a new, modern business phone system that did more for less.

“Our phone system is critical to our success, as our customers need to be able to reach us quickly – especially for emergency service. But we didn’t want to overpay,” Tom says. “The surprise bill was a real shock, but one call to Cady Business Technologies solved it. Now, we’re spending less than before the price hike, and we have a more capable business phone system that helps us work better as a team.”

Make the Switch Before It’s Too Late

Tom Cady may be family, but this level of support isn’t just reserved for Cady family members. It’s the same white glove service we provide to every Cady Business Technologies customer.

If you think you might be overpaying for phone service, Cady Business Technologies is here to help. Contact us today to explore your options for modernizing your communications with a cost-effective business phone system tailored to your unique business needs.

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