Avaya IP Office is a communications solution for small and medium-size businesses. It is available in the cloud, on premise or hybrid deployments are all supported with IP Office along with the ability to migrate from one to the other. The included Avaya Equinox experience provides a single app for voice, video, messaging, conferencing and calendar and keeps employees productive on any device, from any location.
$82
per user/per month
Broadvoice
Score 9.2 out of 10
N/A
Broadvoice is a provider of hosted voice, UCaaS, CCaaS, and CX solutions for small and mid-market enterprises and BPOs. Broadvoice solutions offer enterprise-class features to simplify communications and streamline operations.
So I haven't had one where it's not appropriate at all unless somebody was going pure cloud. Obviously, this is not a cloud product, but from an on-premise solution like the IP office is, we've sold it to companies that have five users and we've sold it to customers that have thousands of users. So it's very expandable, adjustable to be it's hybrid, so it's IP and digital mix capabilities. So that's a strong suit.
I think it depends on the services you enroll in. Broadvoice could be used for basic business perfectly, but allowing for tracking calls and recordings makes it great for businesses where legalities come into play. Were I to leave the firm I am with, I would hope to either utilize a service that offers everything Broadvoice does, or just continue with Broadvoice itself.
Centralization is key. If you want to have all of your facilities on one phone system, to help mitigate telecom costs this is the system for you. You purchase the necessary licensing (one time purchase) and the licenses stay with you as long as you stay on that platform!
Flexibility is fantastic. Whether you want to use the IP Office as a key system, or replace your existing partner system, or run as a PBX. This system will do it all, I was very impressed with the compatibility of the IP Office with legacy equipment. Have a Partner system? Not a problem. Have a Definity system? Not a problem!
Broad based technology. You can utilize CO trunks (POTS lines), ISDN/PRI, T1, SIP, etc.... What ever your carrier hands off to you the IP Office can integrate with. No need to work with a third party vendor to get your interface up and running. AVAYA is a one stop shop, and if you have an existing warranty, just upgrade your IPOSS information on the system and your new hardware is covered.
Rush for updates. At times an updated will fix one problem, and inadvertently create another. However with due diligence from your business partner (Tektivity) patches are tested before being rolled out in production environments.
Part itemization. If you purchase a new system, the power cord does not come with the unit, that is a separate part. Very minor in the grand scheme of things but as a reseller and a customer still somewhat annoying.
Large convoluted organization. As a user trying to navigate the AVAYA website, and track down information can be daunting. Even calling support can be challenging, you never know if your call will be routed to India, Brazil, or Denver. That is why the relationship with Tektivity is so important. You can leverage your business partner to get the answers you need so you can spend your time tackling issues that need your attention.
The terminology used in the self-service drop-down options for outbound greetings is akin to reading a foreign language; it's hard to tell which drop-down option will yield the appropriate results for the appropriate time periods (during or after hours). I'm also still not sure whether I should set all outbound messages using my b-hive account, or if it will work if I do that from my phone handset.
The TCR brand registration process is difficult. I followed the instructions to register my brand, and after months of checking to see if it was verified, I was told I needed to provide a 147C letter, which certifies my EIN number. I am a sole proprietor, with no employees, so I am not required to have an EIN. If I file taxes using my SSN, I would think a W9 would suffice. This has held up my ability to use the texting platform. It would have been good to know upfront that an EIN would be needed in order for the registration verification to process -- like maybe getting an error message of some sort instead of just a "status."
Overall, there seems to be way too many sub-sections within the b-hive screens. To go back from the call log to what I view as the main dashboard, you have to click on "portal," which is okay once you know that it takes you back to the page that has all the tabs for "reports, voicemails, communicator," etc.
Oddly enough I have been impressed with the IP Office platform so much that I have integrated one into my home. My wife was not happy with it initially but once she started using it she was very happy with the results. It helped that I programmed it to work just like a home phone but with features and options that I can utilize remotely. I would be more than happy to put an AVAYA IP Office against any other phone system on the market, and let you be the judge.
Our last phone system was very outdated and we were left not getting calls that we needed nor having a seamless way to change voicemail or to get voicemail if we were out of the office for longer periods of time. Broadvoice has erased these issues and has really made our agency more responsive.
Avaya IP Office is a great system that is somewhat affordable for most SMB's. However, In our experience, Avaya IP Office has a tendency to shelve some of the license as you upgrade the software release on the PBX switch without giving back any comparable license to compensate. The Voicemail Pro license is quite expensive and most of the functionality that most business needs are not covered in the standard voicemail offering.
Broadvoice has been a great investment so far! Its system allows you to easily handle multiple lines & provides you with many useful, easy-to-use, features. It delivers faxes right to your email inbox, how much easier can it get? Through their app, it enables you to easily determine if the call is business or personal related. And you are able to answer calls no matter where you are
Any issues are usually overcome fairly quickly. We don't utilize reports offered by the system - we are a small company and the monitoring that would provide is just not something we would utilize.
Laura H. our Service Coordinator was exceptionally helpful when the inevitable hiccups occurred along the way. She calmly sought out solutions that kept the project moving so that we could meet our move-out/move-in deadlines. Also, their 24/7 Business Support line is staffed with knowledgeable people that answer my questions quickly and accurately.
Overcame obstacles of everyone being in different places. Trainer was excellent (do not remember her name!). Open to all questions no matter how technical. The feedback from my colleagues were they were happy
It was straightforward to set up. The phone was delivered prior to installation. The script and routing of calls were established prior to installation as well. The on-site technician installed each phone and offered training to anyone who asked. The main setup for hours, calls, and extensions was already set up via online meeting, making the phone install on-site a seamless experience.
Much better feature set with Avaya IP Office, and I really feel you're getting feature-rich telephony for a well priced switch. The system is very adaptable and a much better fit than legacy key systems and cloud-based UCaaS solutions competing in the same market.
We've had a few phone vendors over the years and their main item, the phone, usually worked. Now past that, all other features or needs were hardly ever met. With Broadvoice, our experience has been amazing. The call quality, the ease of use on the admin portal and b-hive app, the flexibility of implementing new users. And if something ever seems to stump us, we can quickly reach out to support via email or phone and they are amazingly fast to respond and resolve the issue.
Sadly I can't quite gather any hard numbers since my use of the product don't extend into the admin level where I can see everything. I can say that since installing the phone at my desk though, I've been more reachable by other staff and therefore more present with current happenings in the workplace.
It took a while to get a line for my desk, so I can compare the before and after very clearly. Communication is like night and day, and any questions or problems other coworkers had that in the past they may have had to deal with themselves, they can now reliably reach me and have a convenient option to. This has improved the relationships between me and others at the workplace.
