ShoreTel has served us so well, I make sure I tell all I can about it

Be sure to involve all the members of your organization who currently know how your present phone system is used. Discuss current deficiencies and preferred features or call handling etc., then consult with the ShoreTel partner (assuming you are using one) to develop a configuration that servers your organization best. Hammering out these details before deploying the solution is key to a smooth deployment that requires little change afterwards.

We have been using the ShoreTel solution for 14 years. We have gone from primarily analog phones to all IP. We have upgraded switches at least twice, and the server three times (we are now on a VMware based Windows 2012 R2 server). In that time we have had fewer than 6 outages, most of which simply required a server reboot to resolve. Our most disruptive outages have been the carrier, not ShoreTel.

Being a very reasonably priced solution compared to its competitors, ShoreTel would be well-suited to small, medium and large organizations. The recent cloud offerings afford deployments with minimal capital outlay for equipment. The solution makes management of an IP telephony solution much easier and centralized if so desired. Other than a very small organization conducting business without a physical facility, I think ShoreTel is capable of being successfully deployed in most organizations.

The client application is easy to navigate and intuitive for all the frequently used call and phone management features. On the server side, well-organized menu selections appropriately grouped by function, make locating specific settings much quicker. As you drill further into the detailed settings, the pages with their various fields are well-labeled, and help is easy to find on their intended contents. As an administrator of the system I became proficient in its use with little training.