Hey Arch & Marty!
Due to declining sales and the introduction of the IP Office line, Avaya pulled the plug on the Merlin Magix back on April 1, 2006.
Some new equipment is still available, but for the most part, the pipeline is now dry. There is, however, a ton of high-quality refurbished hardware out there and the pool should continue to grow as more & more companies switch from the Magix to managed VoIP services. In short, the Magix will be around for a long time to come! Figuring that the cost of "refurbished" is less than "new", the Magix may now be in the reach of smaller companies that could not afford the system if it was comprised of all new hardware.
There is a well-known dealer based out of Troy MI that still has some new Magix equipment in stock, but it appears to be limited to carriers, ETR mods, 800GS/LS-ID mods and 4400 series telephones.
I believe that there are 2 pieces of Magix hardware that tend to be in short supply.
1) The 016T/R module (provides 16 Tip & Ring ports)
2) The Avaya Merlin Messaging R4 voicemail
Avaya ended Magix training shortly before the system was taken off the market. Being an end user, attending an Avaya training class was out of the question. I learned my way around the Magix by purchasing hardware, putting it together, reading the manuals, poking around the menus, asking a
ton of questions and getting excellent online advice from a fine group of guys who have either installed Partner/Merlin equipment for years or actually worked for AT&T/Lucent/Avaya.
While my knowledge of the Magix is somewhat limited, I think it would make a fine system for a company that isn't ready to take the VoIP plunge. I am actually a Central Office technician for a CLEC/IXC, but I installed and maintain a Magix for my church. I also installed a Partner ACS there and it acts as a "hot standby" system.
Not to stray too far off topic, but the Partner ACS is slated to end in 2010.
Sorry for droning on.
I'm a laid-back kind of person, so call me Dex!
Paul