| Nortel Networks, Northern Telecom and Meridian are | | | | Meridian on it doesn't identify it, but it does lead to a |
| terms that many end users have said to me when | | | | path that will help you to do so. |
| describing what phone system they have. It's easy to | | | | Look at the bottom of the telephone. Ignore the serial |
| get confused here, but we can sort some of this out. | | | | number. There is sometimes a model number. It may |
| Northern Telecom became Nortel some years ago. | | | | have a model number such as M7324, M7310, M7208, |
| More recently, they have taken the name of Nortel | | | | M7100, T7316, T7316e or T7100. If it has any of these it |
| Networks. This company has been and remains one | | | | is a phone on a Norstar phone system. |
| of the largest phone system manufacturers in the | | | | The Meridian PBX and SL-1 have model numbers |
| world. They have made everything from the Central | | | | including M2008, M2006, M2616D, M3901, M3902, |
| Office phone switches that provide phone lines, | | | | M3903, M3904 and M3905. There may be many |
| Centrex, T-1's, and PRI's to Norstar and Meridian phone | | | | variations of these. |
| systems for business offices to single line phones for | | | | Nortel and Aastra (that's another story for antoher |
| residential use. | | | | day) also make Centrex phones and other single line |
| Finding the model number for your phone is one of the | | | | and two line phones that say Meridian on them. These |
| first things you need to do in order expand your | | | | include M5316, M5208, M5008, M5312, M5216, M5212, |
| system or replace bad phones. If you order the wrong | | | | M5209, M5112, M5009, M9417CW, M9316CW, M9110, |
| phone model, it won't have the same features and | | | | M9116, M9120, M8004, M8009, and M8314. |
| may not work at all on your phone system. | | | | The model numbers may be absent. If so, look for the |
| One of the most confusing things is that the word | | | | part #. It will almost always begin with NT followed by |
| Meridian is used across much of their product line for | | | | several numbers and usually some letters. For instance, |
| business office phone system equipment. If you have | | | | an M7310 is also known as NT8B20. The Aastra |
| a Northern Telecom or Nortel phone system in your | | | | phones may begin with an A. |
| office, there is a fair chance that it says Meridian | | | | Remember, Meridian labelled phones may be on a |
| somewhere on it. Meridian was put on Centrex | | | | Norstar system, a Meridian PBX or as part of your |
| phones, Norstar phones and Meridian and SL-1 PBX | | | | Centrex. |
| phones. If you are trying to identify what type of phone | | | | I hope this helps some of you understand your |
| or phone system you have, the fact that it says | | | | Meridian phones better. |