This post originally appeared on the Mitel Freedom Blog.

As vice president of the Mitel User Group, I’m often asked, “Why should a Mitel customer join the user group?” I can’t answer for everyone, but I can relate my company’s experiences as one example of what a Mitel customer can expect to get out of group membership.

I have worked for SkillPath Seminars for 14 years in various IT capacities.  In that time, we have migrated from a Mitel SX200D PBX to two SX2000 systems, and presently utilize three Mitel 3300s. Over the years, we’ve found the Mitel product line to be a great fit for the way we do business.

We initially joined the user group in order to interact with other similar users, ask questions, and generally get a feel for what other Mitel customers were doing to fill the communication needs of their companies. We also saw the value of having a more direct method of communicating with Mitel R&D regarding our needs and suggestions for product development, etc.

We got our questions answered, and we in turn were able to help other members by explaining the ways in which we used various Mitel products. This interaction was very valuable to us because it helped us to maximize our investment in the products.

Once our initial questions were covered, it became obvious that group membership brought a wealth of information to us about current and upcoming product enhancements. We got to hear how other folks were actually using Mitel solutions in their environments, and we heard and saw product roadmaps from Mitel personnel which allowed us to make plans for our future utilization of that technology.

Our reseller does an excellent job of understanding our business and listening to our needs, but the reality is that he doesn’t live and breathe in our environment. He offers suggestions, of course, but he can’t possibly predict every business use we might have for any given product. There have been numerous times when we have heard about a new product from another customer or from Mitel itself during a user group meeting. This inevitably leads to a phone call to our reseller to find out more about that solution and how it might benefit us.

Another benefit we’ve taken advantage of is end-user training and the documentation available to us on Mitel OnLine. Our IT department has always tried to be as self-sufficient as possible. With respect to Mitel equipment, this means that we want to be able to perform basic administration like moves/add/changes for ourselves, and leave the larger tasks to our reseller partner.

In almost 10 years with the group, I’ve found that people tend to get from it what they put into it. By that, I mean that if they are actively participating in calls and attending meetings, then there is a lot of value to be gained by group membership. There are members I’ve developed strong friendships with over the years, and I continue to look forward to making new contacts, as well.

Jason Spainhour is the Director of Information Systems for SkillPath Seminars, headquartered in Mission, KS. SkillPath is the premier provider of business training in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. He also currently serves as vice president of the Mitel User Group. In his spare time, Jason enjoys spending time outdoors and working with his children’s youth sports teams.