Millenium to FreePBX?

We have a millennium system in our office that would like to replace with an FreePBX based one as the millennium requires outsourced reprogramming for even the simplest thing.
I have some basic skills in that I have set up a Pbx in a Flash system( voip only though) in another office and love the functionality. I would switch to this but for an existing long term contract.

Basic set up analog lines(4) and t1 PRI - a box(which i guess converts signal) - millennium/eOn voicemail - 2 small modem typeboxes (ata?)- millennium exchange - analog handsets(extension on desks)

Any idea on how complicated this might be?

I would be happy to supply more info, just let me know what you need.

What is your background? Do you have Linux experience? Ever played with asterisk or FreePBX before? understand networking? Can the network handle it? What is the budget?

Many, many, many questions… For somebody with experience in it all, a good pre-existing network and given a decent budget it’s a piece of cake.

I have some Linux experience and as stated in my original post, I have set up a PiaF system that has been running pretty well for about a year.

The existing system seems to handle ok and is independent of our computer network. The budget is minimal as the system works but does not supply the functionality that exists in the other office. I think i have all the parts I need in the existing system.

I guess my main question is “Is it as simple as removing the existing millennium box and replacing it with a FreePBX or is there going to be tons of programming involved”

Is there a guide somewhere on how to do this?

A guide on how to rip system vendor x off the wall and replace it with a asterisk/FreePBX Solution. No

What makes Nortel, different from Lucent/ATT , different from Millennium, different from Panasonic, … it is the cost and feature set. Everybody has something unique and if you are not using that stuff then the answer is nothing but if you are then it becomes important and you might need to do some programming.

I riped out a old Lucent phone system off the wall and replaced it with a asterisk/FreePBX Solution and in a single day we had everybody trained (at least those that could be trained) and there was not a single feature that had that it didn’t address right off the bat.

Were there some things to get used to, yes. Speed dial is different, voicemail worked different, we went from 2 digit extensions to 3 digits (Oh was that a learning curve), but the following week we rolled out all the remote employee’s and replaced the second office’s phone system with the same. Used Dundi and a IAX tunnel and then we started using the main offices Conference setup in house instead of using the external service we used to use and suddenly we were not paying thousands of dollars a month for that service and in local regional calls between cities. We broke even in 9 months (that includes some serious network gear overhaul, new firewalls, 2 new routers (used but new), 12x bandwidth increase as we develop software and our old pipe sucked) 2 phone systems, 45 phones.

We now regularly do company phone conferences once a week with 20 people on the phones at a time and have better quality the we had before for no additional cost. I can pick up my phone and call a developer three states away by dialing three digits and he answers, no cost.

So you need to carefully evaluate what features you use and do they exist, if so then you are all set, if not, can you either live without them or take some time and write the code for it.

Have you ever looked at the documentation (see bottom of the page under resources)? Or have you found the without tears series ( http://members.optusnet.com.au/bsharif/contributions.htm )? For PiaF they have a nice 240+ page manual that can get you up and running in under 45 minutes.

Thanks I will take a look at that stuff.

I am sure the current system has many features but with minimal documentation and a difficult to understand GUI, I would rather change it if I can.

Maybe my question should be
"Is there a step by step guide to setting up a FreePBX system with analog lines, T1 PRI and analog handsets"

I have to believe someone has done this before.