Vantact
warning End-of-Life Hardware

Your Nortel died.
Your Avaya is next.
Here’s the plan.

Thousands of Ontario businesses still rely on Nortel and Avaya hardware that’s no longer manufactured, patched, or supported. When a card fails, there’s no replacement. This guide walks you through a zero-downtime migration to Vantact Cloud PBX, designed by a team that’s done it hundreds of times.

Get a Migration Assessment arrow_forward call 1-800-805-3590
timeline Migration Timeline avg. 10 business days
1
Audit & Discovery
Map extensions, DIDs, call flows, analog lines
Day 1–2
2
System Design
Replicate routing + add modern features
Day 3–4
3
Number Porting (LNP)
All DIDs and toll-free numbers transfer
Day 3–8
4
Hardware Deployment
Pre-configured phones ship, plug in, auto-register
Day 7–9
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Live Cutover
After-hours switch. Team arrives to a working system.
Day 10

The Reality

Why legacy PBX systems are a ticking clock

Nortel declared bankruptcy in 2009. Avaya followed in 2017. Parts aren’t manufactured. Patches stopped years ago. Every month you wait, the risk grows.

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No More Parts

T1 cards, power supplies, and expansion modules are eBay-only. When one dies, your system goes down with no quick fix.

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Security Gaps

No firmware updates since EOL. Known SIP and TDM vulnerabilities sit unpatched. Toll fraud costs businesses thousands per incident.

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No Remote Work

Legacy systems are building-bound. No mobile apps, no softphones, no way for remote staff to use the company phone system.

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Rising Costs

PRI lines from Bell and Rogers cost $400–$800/month per trunk. Maintenance contracts for dead hardware keep climbing.

Side-by-Side

Legacy PBX vs. Vantact Cloud PBX

An honest comparison to help you make the right decision for your business.

Capability
cancel Legacy Nortel / Avaya
check_circle Vantact Cloud PBX
Remote Work
Work from anywhere capability
 Not supported. Extensions are wired to physical ports in the office. Staff must be on-site to use the phone system. Full support. iOS, Android, and desktop softphones. Same extension, same caller ID, from any internet connection worldwide.
Mobile Apps
Smartphone integration
 None available. Nortel and Avaya never released mobile apps for their on-premise platforms. Native iOS and Android apps with call, transfer, conference, presence, chat, and voicemail. Push notifications included.
Monthly Cost
Per-user operating expense
 $45–$75/user when factoring PRI lines, maintenance contracts, and emergency repair callouts. Costs rise as hardware ages. Flat-rate per-seat pricing with unlimited Canada/US calling. No maintenance fees, no PRI charges, no surprise invoices.
Reliability
Uptime and disaster recovery
 Single point of failure. If the on-site PBX, the T1 line, or the power goes down, all phones go dead. No geographic redundancy. 99.99% uptime SLA. Geo-redundant data centers across Canada. Automatic failover to mobile devices during internet outages.
Scalability
Adding users and locations
 Requires physical card installation and PRI circuit orders. Weeks of lead time. New offices need their own PBX. Add a user in 60 seconds from the web portal. New locations connect instantly with no hardware and no truck rolls.
Business SMS
Two-way text messaging
 Not possible. Legacy TDM systems have no SMS capability whatsoever. Send and receive texts on your business number. Customers reply directly. Conversations sync across all devices.
Vendor Support
Ongoing technical assistance
 Nortel: bankrupt. Avaya: exited on-prem. Third-party contractors charge premium rates for dwindling expertise. Canadian-based support team. Phone, email, and portal. Included in your subscription with no per-incident charges.

The Migration

What changes vs. what stays the same

Your team keeps dialing the same way. Behind the scenes, everything gets better.

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What Changes

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PBX Moves to the Cloud

The closet server gets decommissioned. Your phone system runs on geo-redundant infrastructure maintained by Vantact. No UPS batteries to replace, no fans to clean.

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PRI Lines Disappear

No more $400–$800/month per trunk from Bell or Rogers. Calls route over your existing internet connection with QoS prioritization.

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Every Phone Goes Mobile

Staff get softphone apps on day one. Call from the lot, the courtroom, or the kitchen table on the same extension and same caller ID.

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You Control Everything

Add users, change call flows, update greetings, all from a web portal. No technician visits, no $150/hr service calls.

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What Stays the Same

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Your Phone Numbers

Every DID, toll-free, and fax number ports over. Customers, Google listings, and business cards stay unchanged.

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Your Call Flow Logic

Rings, queues, hunt groups, and auto-attendant menus are replicated exactly. Staff dial the same extension numbers.

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Your User Experience

Pick up, dial, transfer, conference. It all works the same way. Zero retraining for your team.

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Canadian Support

Vantact is headquartered in Ontario. Same timezone, same business hours, same regulatory environment. We speak your language.

Real Numbers

What a typical 30-seat migration saves

$1,200
Monthly PRI savings
$0
Maintenance contracts
40–60%
Total cost reduction
10 days
Average migration time

Systems We Replace

We’ve migrated them all

Nortel BCM
50 / 200 / 400 / 450
Nortel CS1000
Option 11C / 61C
Avaya IP Office
500 / 500v2
Avaya Aura
CM 6.x / 7.x / 8.x
Mitel MiVoice
250 / 5000 / MX-ONE
Panasonic
KX-TDA / KX-NS

Migration FAQ

Will there be any downtime during the switch?keyboard_arrow_down
No. We run both systems in parallel before the cutover. The actual switch happens after hours on a scheduled date. Your team arrives the next morning to a fully working new system. If anything needs adjustment, the old system is still available as a fallback until you give the final sign-off.
Can I keep my existing phone numbers?keyboard_arrow_down
Absolutely. We handle the entire Local Number Portability (LNP) process for you. Every DID, toll-free, and fax number transfers to Vantact with zero downtime. The porting process typically takes 5–8 business days and we coordinate the timing with your cutover date.
Do we need to replace all our desk phones?keyboard_arrow_down
In most cases, yes. Legacy Nortel and Avaya digital phones use proprietary protocols that aren’t compatible with SIP-based cloud systems. We supply modern Yealink IP phones that ship pre-configured and auto-register when plugged in. Your team can also use softphone apps on their existing computers and smartphones at no additional cost.
What about our fax machines and elevator phones?keyboard_arrow_down
Analog devices like fax machines, elevator phones, and alarm panels connect through an Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA). These small devices convert analog signals to SIP and plug into your network. Your fax number stays the same and you can also receive faxes to email.
Is our internet good enough for VoIP?keyboard_arrow_down
Each concurrent call requires approximately 100 Kbps of bandwidth. A standard 100 Mbps business internet connection supports well over 100 simultaneous calls. During our audit, we test your connection for speed, jitter, and packet loss to confirm readiness. If QoS configuration is needed on your router, we handle that too.
How long does the entire migration take?keyboard_arrow_down
A typical migration takes 10 business days from audit to cutover. The longest lead-time item is number porting (5–8 days), which happens in the background while we configure your new system. Larger organizations with multiple locations or complex integrations may take 2–3 weeks.

IT Consultants & MSPs

Have clients stuck on Nortel or Avaya? Partner with Vantact and earn recurring revenue on every migration. We handle the heavy lifting and you own the relationship.

Join the Partner Program

Ready to retire your legacy PBX?

Book a free migration assessment. We’ll audit your current system, map your call flows, and give you a fixed-price quote with no obligation and no pressure.

Get a Migration Assessment call 1-800-805-3590