(Updated February 2023)
We're in the final stages of changing our Toshiba phone systems for clients. If you have not already received a letter from our President, Chris Vilim, or an email, please contact us to schedule steps your small business can take with your phone system.
Currently, CoreTech has only one employee with experience with Toshiba systems. While we strive to continue caring for all our client's phone systems, CoreTech will no longer offer support to Toshiba phones soon, so we recommend reaching out for a proposal.
What happened to Toshiba?
On March 21, 2017, Authorized Toshiba Dealers received e-mails stating “We regret to inform you, that as part of its continuing global restructuring, Toshiba Corporation has deemed it necessary to wind-down our Telecommunications Systems Division (TSD) business starting immediately.”
Toshiba's 250 dealers, with over 500 offices, were stunned by this news. TSD had operated in the United States since 1975 and was in the top 3 market share for small and midsized business phone systems.
Mitel Announces Toshiba TSD Acquisition
Then, on May 11th, Mitel confirmed it would acquire this business from Toshiba. Mitel reordered equipment to replenish inventory and all of Toshiba’s product line was again available for new orders – or so it seemed.
Mitel instead announced a "Phase Out Plan" for Toshiba CIX and IPedge product lines. It followed the timeline detailed below:
- "End of New Systems Sales" - October 31, 2018
- "End of Add-On Sales" - October 31, 2019
- "End of Technical Support - October 31, 2021
This means new Toshiba equipment and support are no longer available from Mitel.
While this does not mean Toshiba phones will quit working, it does mean support and parts will be more difficult to ascertain.
So, what does "End of Life" mean for current Toshiba business phone system users?
- If you have plans for expansion or new locations, please let us know so we can confirm product availability.
- Contact us so that we can help you begin planning to budget for a new phone system. Reach us by phone at 402.398.9580 or send us an email at BrewingUpInnovations@coretech.us. We have multiple offerings for on-premise and cloud/hosted systems and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your specific needs.
Why should I switch my phone system sooner rather than later?
As stated above, finding support and parts will become harder to find over time, but there are other reasons why your small business should consider upgrading:
- You'll experience an increased amount of downtime to fix your old phone system.
- The cost of Toshiba support and parts will be more expensive.
- A new phone system will improve communication with your staff and customers.
- You will be able to utilize rich features, such as instant and video messaging, hot desking, conferencing, and more!
CoreTech offers several phone system alternatives for small and midsize businesses.
We have partnered with two vendors, Nextiva and Sangoma, as well as several different vendors who offer the flexibility of cloud and on-premise phone systems for SMBs.
Nextiva provides all-inclusive phone solutions with built-in apps and tools that small businesses can utilize easily and effectively. They offer a wide variety of products that fluctuate towards any small business cloud or on-premise need. Over the past several years, Nextiva has been recognized on a national level by Deloitte, GetVOiP, and USA Today, as well as many more, for their comprehensive-rich phone services and support.
In July 2022, CoreTech announced our partnership with Sangoma for their superior service and high-quality support, maintaining strong customer relationships for almost 40 years. In 2021, Switchvox was recognized for their innovative cloud and on-premise phone systems by receiving the Unified Communications Product of the Year from TMC. As an added bonus, Sangoma produces software and hardware in-house as an end-to-end solution for their powerful product.
If you are unsure of the next steps for your business communication needs, our expert team can help you choose the right path for your business!
