What is ShoreTel?
ShoreTel is a brand of business phone systems, built around an on-premises IP PBX with ShoreTel phones and later the ShoreTel Connect platform. Mitel acquired the company, so support and replacements now come through Mitel.
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What it is
A PBX is the system that connects extensions to each other and to outside lines. It handles ring groups, voicemail and auto attendants. In an on-premises IP PBX, a server or appliance in the building does this work, and the phones connect to it over the office network.
ShoreTel Connect was the company's later platform, and Mitel went on to sell it as MiVoice Connect. Plenty of offices still run ShoreTel systems that were installed years ago and are still working.
Why it matters to a business
- Support: vendor support now runs through Mitel, so confirm what coverage your system has.
- Aging hardware: the voice switches and phones are now many years old, and spare units get harder to find each year.
- Phone numbers: your numbers belong to a carrier and can move to a new system through a port, so a replacement does not mean new numbers.
- Phones: desk phones from one vendor often work only with that vendor's system, so plan for the handsets.
How this shows up in our work
We have worked with ShoreTel phone systems and support offices that still run them. When one reaches end of life, we replace it with a FreePBX system and port the numbers. See our VoIP phone systems page.
Related services
VoIP phone systems
Business phones on FreePBX, with extensions, queues, voicemail and number porting.
Managed IT
The network, support and monitoring that phone systems depend on.
Learn more
- ShoreTel on WikipediaA history of the company and its products, for readers who want background.
- MitelThe vendor that now owns ShoreTel, for support and product information.
Still running a ShoreTel system?
Tell us what you have and how many extensions. We reply within one business day.
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