Toshiba Phone System End-of-Life: What Are Your Options Now?

Toshiba phone systems are on an end-of-life path that ends on October 31st, 2021 when support comes to a complete halt.

You may be thinking, "We’ve got still got some time - nothing to worry about yet." But that looming deadline is coming up fast. Phone system transitions can easily take 30-90 days (or longer) depending on equipment availability and support resources, so planning ahead is imperative.

Toshiba Phone System Phaseout Started in 2018 and Ends in 2021

Before we go into detail on end-of-support and its impact on the usability of your phone system,  here's an overview of the situation.

• Toshiba was acquired by Mitel in 2017. They continued to offer and support Toshiba phone systems – specifically the IPedge and Strata CIX models. Mitel announced in 2018 that they’ll be phasing out these platforms.
• The phaseout schedule started with discontinuing sales of hardware in 2018, although handsets and parts have still been available through Mitel partners such as VC3.
• October 31, 2020, marked the deadline for purchasing licenses for your Toshiba phone systems.
• Mitel's support for Toshiba phone systems will end forever on October 31, 2021.

Where We Are Now: No More Licensing

The October 2020 deadline was significant because every single phone number that you’re using in your Toshiba phone system needs to have its own license. Licenses are only available through Mitel, and Mitel has to install them.

As of now, the stock of licenses you have is static. This might not be a huge problem if your organization isn’t growing or in need of support, but if you want to add employees in the future, that ship has sailed - you can’t give them a phone line. Even if you can get hardware, you can't use it without a license.

Your Decision: Replace Now or Delay?

You’ve got two options to consider as your Toshiba phone system continues to march down the road to complete phaseout – keep using it or replace it.

The choice to continue using your Toshiba phones will be stop-gap because using an out-of-warranty, out-of-support phone system is not going to be a good business decision in the long run.

Option 1 - Stick It Out Until October 31, 2021

There could be reasons why you want to delay replacing your phone system.

Maybe you’re allocating resources in a different direction. Perhaps you’re anticipating an acquisition or merger this year that will change your situation.

Again, you won't be able to buy any new licenses, so you won’t be able to add users to your phone system. If you've stockpiled licenses, you might be okay getting closer to the end-of-support date. 

End-of-Support in 2021  is a Hard Stop

If you decide to continue this year without replacing your phone system, keep the October 31, 2021, end-of-support date on your radar.

After that date, support by your IT company or phone system vendor becomes a matter of "best effort." If something breaks, you may be able to get an aftermarket part, but no one can promise reliability anymore.

Additionally, if your system has a major issue, you can’t just replace it overnight. Figuring out a workaround while you go through the planning process for replacing your phone system could cost not only money but create confusion that will frustrate employees and customers alike.

Option 2 - Replace Your Phone System

The thought of going through the process of replacing your phone system might cause you to groan. There will be costs and disruption in the transition. 

But on the bright side, there are tons of benefits that a new phone system can bring to your organization.

Modern phone systems have capabilities that can help your employees to be more productive. When you give your employees the communication tools they need to better serve your customers, customer experience will improve too.

If yours is like a lot of businesses right now, you’re looking for ways to optimize your remote workforce. You'll be astounded at how operations can be improved and streamlined when you integrate voice communications into the other software that your employees use every day.

It's Decision Time

Now that you know that you’re going to have to say goodbye to your Toshiba phone system, you really need to decide WHEN you’re going to replace your phone system – now or later – because both of the options open to you right now lead to the same place.

If you're an VC3 managed IT services client, reach out to your Technology Advisor to chat through your options. They'll help you evaluate the pros and cons of each option for your business's specific situation.

If you don't use VC3's IT support services yet, we're still happy to help. Give us a call at 800-481-4369 or contact us at any time.