Avaya’s product lifecycle marches on and on, releasing new products and software on a regular basis. Even so, Avaya systems that end their time on the lifecycle remain with many organizations across the globe. These are legacy systems, and there are many reasons for their users to keep them despite their age.
Legacy systems are mostly if not entirely on-premise. While one would think a cloud-based solution automatically outclasses them, it’s worth considering what kind of specific needs these systems meet. They provide users reliable communication even without an internet connection and integrate with more complex analog devices.
Then there’s the more common and most cynical reason. Legacy systems are often so expensive to upgrade or replace that it’s just not worth it. When this happens, legacy Avaya users look for an alternative solution to maintain these systems.
Third-party maintenance from companies like Continuant is the solution. This guide will go over many of the most prominent legacy models Avaya has provided over the years, showcasing their strengths, weaknesses, end of life situations, and the ways Continuant can help current users.
Avaya CM has been a staple of unified communications for many years. A completely software-based system, it supports voice, video, messaging, and conferencing. Its flexibility allows it to integrate with both legacy and modern hardware.
While powerful, it requires constant management and updates. Over time, components like servers or media gateways may become obsolete, making that management even more difficult.
The current version of CM, 10.1, will reach EoMS on January 1, 2026.
Continuant provides end-to-end support for Avaya CM, ensuring ongoing performance through proactive maintenance, even with versions that have long since passed End of Life.
Avaya Definity PBX systems were built for reliable and feature-rich telephony, making them popular in industries like healthcare and education. They offer excellent call management and routing capabilities.
The biggest weakness of Definity is its age. These systems rely on older hardware that often doesn’t integrate with modern communications environments. They’re difficult to maintain, and even more difficult to justify keeping.
Not surprisingly, the Definity PBX doesn’t have an upcoming EoMS date. Avaya’s newer products have succeeded it, meaning the whole series has come to the end of its life.
That said, organizations that still use a Definity PBX can rely on maintenance from Continuant. However old the system may be, Continuant can source replacement parts, provide expert repairs, and offer continuous support to keep it operational.
The Avaya IP Office is a hybrid solution that bridges old-school telephony with modern VoIP capabilities. Its modular design allows businesses to scale easily and customize features to suit their needs.
The IPO’s hybrid nature means it can face compatibility issues as technology evolves or in environments that lack the requisite hardware and software. Maintaining these systems post-EoL can be resource intensive.
The current version of IPO is still supported, but its EoMS date is still unknown. Determining exactly when that is may require help from a certified expert.
The experts on Continuant’s Avaya team can provide the information you need to stay ahead of your IPO upgrades. On top of that, Continuant offers comprehensive maintenance, addresses hardware needs, and ensures smooth system integration with modern technologies.
Known for its scalability and robustness, the old but gold CS1000 supports advanced telephony features and integrates well with existing enterprise networks. It is particularly favored in industries that need secure and reliable systems, such as manufacturing and government.
The CS1000 has a similar weakness to other systems from its time. It’s heavily dependent on legacy hardware and is vulnerable to compatibility issues with newer infrastructure.
The Avaya Communication Server 1000 (CS1000) reached EoMS on April 9, 2019.
There’s definitely one advantage to this system’s age. Continuant has extensive experience in maintaining and supporting the CS1000 and can offer expert troubleshooting and hardware replacement services even so many years after EoMS.
The Aura Platform is the evolved form of the Avaya CM, and one of Avaya’s most recent offerings. It offers powerful collaboration tools to enable modern unified communications.
It’s not exactly a legacy system, but it’s still worth mentioning. The Aura platform functions very similar to other platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. It can be relied on for flexibility and low costs, but can face user adoption issues, especially in organizations that also use other UC applications.
Given the nature of Aura, it doesn’t necessarily fall into place on the traditional Avaya product lifecycle. Aura is updated to new versions regularly, making upgrades easier but still risky in other ways.
With experience in modern UC as well as legacy telephony, Continuant can support Avaya Aura by providing user adoption services and determining when to update to a new version and when not to. The Continuant specific platform Continuant Connect offers a cost-effective consolidation of all UC platforms, making Avaya Aura run in tandem with Teams, Zoom, and others.
When it comes to legacy Avaya support, and even modern Avaya support, Continuant is the partner of choice for many organizations.
Our teams have spent the past several decades helping global enterprises with 24/7 on-site and remote support with Avaya systems. This includes Fortune 500 companies like 3M, Boston Scientific, and Tenet Healthcare. On top of that, we’ve provided equally essential support for smaller customers like Cornell University and the City of Fort Meyers, Florida.
In addition to 24/7 proactive maintenance, we also offer guarantee part replacements, tier III engineer access, and flexible support plans to fit your budget and environment. It all will help you extend the life of your Avaya systems to protect that key investment and make future technology transitions that much easier.
Give us a call to see what our Avaya support services can do for you.
* Editor's Note: This article was originally published in September 2024 and has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.