VoIP Evaluated - (vendor selection)
CIO Todd Argal did his homework when it came to investing in a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system at Madison, Wis.-based Rural Insurance Co. He needed call center capability but didn't want to pay for fancy features he wouldn't use. So he made himself a short list of VoIP players and researched their top stats. Check out the pro/con list Argal compiled before choosing Mitel.

Vendor Price Other factors
Avaya Inc. * The system had limited functionality
Cisco Systems Inc. **** Cisco made it more technical than necessary.
NEC Corp. **** Business partner selling product had little experience.
Nortel Networks ** Rural insurance couldn't justify the cost.
Mitel Networks Corp. * Is an established player; lets agents work at home

Stefanie McCann was formerly editor at large at CIO Decisions magazine. To comment on this story, email editor@searchcio-midmarket.com.

This was first published in July 2006