Our second post in this series addresses the critical issue of no upgradeability for the Mitel MiVoice Connect system. As the system reaches its end of life, you will find that there are no options for upgrading to newer versions or integrating with modern systems
The elephant in the room regarding Mitel upgrades is the Windows Server the system resides on. The Mitel software version is not only certified up to a certain version of Window Server, the Windows updates on that server must also pre-date the Mitel software date release. This handcuffs I.T. departments into leaving their Windows servers unprotected, to remain compliant with Mitel software requirements.
Next, we move on to the fact that Mitel is not releasing new versions, which creates the inverse issue of the Windows Updates problem. Once again, the company’s server support and security policies are stuck supporting an outdated Windows server version, with outdated Windows Updates.
Now, you might say “Well, we will just update it; it should just work.” While this ask for forgiveness instead of permission approach does sometimes work, we have seen instances where the Windows Server version or updates came after the Mitel release, and “broke the system”. Mitel forced rollbacks of the server software and updates to supported versions to regain system stability. Add in that no upgrade development is being done, and you can see the carousel of No Upgradeability that we are on.
The lack of upgradeability means you will be stuck with outdated software that cannot adapt to new challenges or take advantage of new technologies. The inability to upgrade can lead to increased downtime, inefficiencies, and higher maintenance costs. It's essential to plan for a transition to a more flexible and upgradeable solution to ensure your business remains competitive and efficient.