Update, November 2026: NEC’s manufacturer support for its on-premise phone systems officially ended on March 31, 2026. Rhode Island Telephone continues to support NEC systems. See our NEC phone systems page for repair, support and upgrade options.
In May 2024, NEC Corporation announced it was leaving the on-premise business phone market outside Japan. This affects the UNIVERGE SV9100, SL2100 and related on-premise applications. Here’s the timeline:
December 31, 2024: End of new system and add-on sales
March 31, 2025: End of hardware shipments
March 31, 2026: End of NEC manufacturer support
What Does This Mean for RI Telephone Customers?
It is not uncommon to see phone systems, like Toshiba, Samsung, and Panasonic for examples, reach end of life as technology evolves. Rhode Island Telephone is prepared for this change and we are aware that many of our customers are using UNIVERGE SV9100 on-premise communication platform. We will continue to support customers with these phone systems. While parts and services will no longer be available through NEC, we have available telephone parts in stock and technicians to help you with your phone service for the foreseeable future.
What Your Business Should Do?
Your NEC phone system will keep working, but with NEC support now ended, any hardware failure depends on available spare parts. If you experience issues, contact Rhode Island Telephone support right away.
While we have parts to continue to service your phone system, and you may also see parts available on third-party websites, these parts will become more challenging to find as NEC discontinues the products mentioned. We encourage you to make a plan for your communication system.
NEC Phone Users Switching to A VoIP Solution
As phone systems phase out, we are continuously seeing brands like NEC move to VoIP products. We expect this trend to continue as the industry moves away from premise-based systems. A business, like yours, may choose to move to this technology for many reasons. Some of the benefits include:
- Cost-effectiveness
- Hybrid work models
- Advanced features and integration
Our Cloudworx VoIP phone system can support your business communication needs into the future. We have additional resources on our website and information about why businesses are investing in VoIP, which we encourage you to review. We also offer a FREE E-BOOK that outlines all the steps to consider before switching to VoIP.
Additional Options for NEC Phone Users
We recognize that some businesses may not want a VoIP product. Our expert technicians can help you make an informed and cost-effective decision about the right phone system for your organization as we have a variety of business phone solutions.
Feel free to reach out to our Rhode Island Telephone support staff. We will continue to update our valued customers with any changes as they come through from other phone brand providers.
