Good Night, Sweet Prince

The definitive end of the Axxess will be on May 30, 2014. After an amazing 23 year run, Mitel will no longer provide active support to Axxess customers and Mitel partners after the End of Life date.

End-of-Life Detail

Software License Availability

We will be unable to purchase, download or make changes to downloaded system licenses after May 30, 2014. This will impact users with IP telephones, IP networking, ATA devices, premium features such as Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), Remote ACD, Open Architecture Interface licenses (OAI Events, OAI 3rd Party Call Control), networked voicemail systems, and customers with Axxess 512 and Axxess 1024 systems. We will be unable to add IP phones, add cabinets, upgrade software, network systems, or add new features.

Customers with IP telephones, premium features, and IP networking can migrate to the Mitel MiVoice Office (Mitel 5000) and transfer all of their existing licenses at no charge. All of your software and licenses are compatible with this system.

Technical Support

Mitel will not be providing active technical support on the product any longer. Partners such as Extenda will no longer be able to speak to a Mitel technician for assistance on the product, if our staff finds they need help with a problem. If a software glitch comes up, we have no way to fix it.

Mitel is maintaining some online support for dealers in the form of a technical forum and documentation for the time being, though the online resources will no longer be moderated by Mitel personnel. Extenda and other Mitel dealers are going to be largely on their own after May 30, 2014.

Software Support

Since Axxess v11, there has been no active development of the system software other than bug fixes and some compatibility work with Mitel products such as the MiCollab/Mitel Application Suite(MAS). Once the system reaches End-of-Life, bug fixing will also cease, and the then-current release will be the last.

In the event that a software bug or compatibility issue arises, we will not have a way to correct the issue. This challenge is compounded by Axxess software running on Windows 2003 Server, XP, or earlier Microsoft software that has also reached End-of-Life status with Microsoft.

Warranty Support

Warranty support for Mitel refurbished / remanufactured Axxess equipment purchased through Extenda will extend for one year from purchase, even if this anniversary date is after May 30, 2014. Equipment purchased after May 30, 2014 will carry a warranty from Extenda that will be based upon the warranty we can source from our then-supplier.

For customers enrolled in ExtendaCare, there will not be a short-term impact for the warranty and service contracts we have with your company, though pricing and SLAs may be adjusted over time at our discretion. We encourage our customers to upgrade as soon as possible, and can extend our ExtendaCare agreements to your new system at no additional charge.

Remanufactured Part Availability

May 30, 2014 is the last day Axxess parts can be ordered from Mitel. After this date, we will be sourcing equipment from gray market suppliers. Historically, remanufactured equipment from Mitel had a lower out-of-box failure rate and was more convenient for us to source.

Axxess Prices

In general, Mitel had reasonably priced remanufactured parts. We do not anticipate large short term swings in price for replacement parts. Our existing Axxess resale partners are confident in their ability to service the market.

That said, our customers will see an immediate increase in price for shipping and handling. Our second-hand Axxess parts suppliers charge more to Extenda for shipping and handling than Mitel ever did.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What happens to my Axxess on May 30, 2014

Nothing. It will run as usual on June 1, 2014, but will be worth distinctly less money.

I have an Inter-Tel 5000 or Mitel 5000. What do I do?

Congratulate yourself for having the best phone system on the market!

Customers with the Mitel 5000 HX, Inter-Tel 5000 CP, Inter-Tel 5200, Inter-Tel 5400, and Inter-Tel 5600, or the alternatively spelled Intertel 5000, have nothing to fear. That system can easily be upgraded to a Mitel MiVoice Office (5000) v6 SP1 with a simple software download and swap-out of the flash drive. We will need to enroll the system in Mitel Software Assurance to access system software upgrades.

If I need an Axxess card or phone replaced after May 30, 2014 what do I do?

We will replace equipment while supplies last through our warehouse, and then we will have to source replacements from other suppliers. Some cards that need software licenses in order to work will be much harder to replace.

Can I replace a device that needs a license to work?

Yes, so long as the total number of, say, IP phones is not more than the number of IP User licenses your system has loaded as of May 30, 2014.

I want to add an IP phone and an ACD license in one year to my Axxess. Is this possible?

No, neither will be possible. IP Phones, IP networking licenses and premium features such as ACD will no longer be available for purchase or download after the End-of-Life date.

I have a Mitel 5000 networked to an Axxess - how does this impact me?

You will not be able to add networking channels to your Axxess, as these require a license. This presents an obstacle if you are looking to add networking channels to your system. If we need to replace your CPC, CPU or CPS, we will need to find a replacement that has a matching license configuration preloaded to get you back up and running in the event of an outage. We highly recommend upgrading your Axxess to a 5000, or moving your Axxess stations to IP telephones off of the 5000 if capacity permits.

I have more than one Axxess networked with other Axxess systems. How will this impact me?

You will not be able to add networking channels to your Axxess systems, so you cannot expand your networking capacity. If you need to replace a CPC, CPU, or CPS, we are going to have to find a used replacement unit with networking licensing and channels already loaded. We highly recommend moving to a Mitel MiVoice Office system in this scenario.

I am enrolled in ExtendaCare. How does this impact me?

Extenda will continue to honor our support contracts. Obviously we cannot upgrade your system to a newer software version than v11, the final production version. Pricing may be impacted at renewal based on parts availability, and we will review our Service Level Agreements at renewal to see if, based on parts availability, we are experiencing delays in sourcing parts.

I cannot believe they are doing this to me! Why does Mitel suck so bad?

On the contrary, Mitel is pretty cool. Mitel lets you migrate just about everything from your Axxess to the Mitel MiVoice Office at no charge, Mitel supported the Axxess system for about a decade after the Inter-Tel acquisition due to the demand from the installed base of customers, and they are offering a great promotion to get you moved over to current technology. Compare this behavior to the poor Cisco, Shoretel, and Panasonic customers that are left with a boat anchor when their system is discontinued. Cisco, for example, completely abandoned the small business market.

What does an upgrade to a Mitel MiVoice Office cost?

The price of an upgrade has a few components. There is the core system upgrade, and then there are additional costs for new circuit cards to support your Axxess devices. You will find that the cost of upgrading to a Mitel MiVoice Office is about 30% less than replacing your Inter-Tel Axxess system with something from a different manufacturer, assuming that you are reusing at least some of your Axxess telephones. If you have applications from Inter-Tel or Mitel connected to your Axxess, your savings will be closer to 50% over the cost of buying everything new from a different manufacturer.