Broadvoice | GoContact vs. MiCloud Connect

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.

Mitel is excellent at allowing me as a user to setup up custom call routing in response to rapidly changing work flows. If I need to work from home for a period due to medical or other reasons, logging into Mitel and setting my office phone to ring through to my home or cell is quick and simple. Changing back is just as quick.

Incentivized

• Broadvoice is quick to furnish the phone numbers before we even have the store built.
• Broadvoice gives us temporary numbers until the port occurs.
• Broadvoice monitors our accounts so we Dont have to.
• Most times we get the replacement phones within 1-2 work days.
• Broadvoice is very easy to work with.

• The system up-time has been 100% over 3 years.
• With separate systems and two locations we used to have to fake the system into 4 digit dialing by forwarding all remote extensions to DIDs. Now with Shortel extended to the remote location we have true 4 digit dialing.
• The Shortel desktop application makes managing calls and call routing a breeze for even our most novice users.

Incentivized

• 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.

Incentivized

• There are persistent problems with the app's functionality on mobile devices.
• At times, the web conferencing service may have delays. It appears to be less stable than competing approaches.
• Using a headset instead of the microphone and speakers integrated into a desktop computer slows down the softphone's performance.

Incentivized

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.

Although the price is higher than some of the other Hosted systems out there, the value is definitely worth a renewal. Everything is relative: there are some companies out there who need phones, but don't necessarily care how they work, the functionality/features available/durability etc., they just care that they have phones that make and receive calls. There are other companies that are completely reliant on phones and certain functionality that is provided by the system. There are even some companies who are straight up dependent on the phone system and are losing tons of money anytime they are down, ShoreTel is the perfect fit for theSMB client who sees value in a solid,robust, reliable and high functioning phone system

Incentivized

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

Incentivized

I have not used a wide array of communication software, but this far ShoreTel/MiCloud has been the simplest and easiest to get into. My work employs several temps at certain points throughout the year, and they use this piece of software frequently, and new hires seem to have little to no issue using this software. Additionally, this is our primary telephone communication infrastructure, and I have yet to encounter any issues when signed in and regularly using it handling external calls to our department.

Incentivized

AWAYS available to assist when I call. I could not be happier about that!

Incentivized

The system has gone down on us MULTIPLE times. We asked them to move us to a different cluster. Shoretel declined. Basically we had problems or outages every month of the year from June 2012 to date. Our old phone system was just that: OLD, no bells or whistles. But it was up every day and I never had to think about it much until it was time for an upgrade. That's how I want Shoretel to be. I want it so reliable that I never have to think about it.

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.

Incentivized

Even though the system uses a lower bandwidth connection we have experienced a higher call quality than our previous system which required a T1 line and back up broadband connection.

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.

Incentivized

ShoreTel Sky's support is amazing. The only reason why I didn't give it a 10 is that we still need to contact them for stuff that we should be able to do, for ourselves, within the management portal. I know their portal is being worked on, so hopefully they will get the "little things" included for self-management.

The in-person was done by phone and was GREAT!

Incentivized

I attended the first ShoreTel installer class in Austin,TX. It was a week of intensive study with a live lab and having hands on experience made the class worthwhile. I have taken all of the sales courses and remaining technical courses either online or self study to keep costs down. I send my techs to the first installer course in Austin as I feel it gives them a solid foundation and most of teh other courses they have taken have been online.

Incentivized

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

Incentivized

The training identified some things M5 (ShoreTel's cloud division) could provide, however it was only using it every day and asking the Shoretel support several questions that I got the hang of it. The training was able to highlight functions but I did not learn how to use the phone from the training.

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.

Incentivized

Each of our locations has a dedicated ShoreTel router and managed QoS. With full management, it provides us a breath of space and bandwidth to use our resources in other means. Strongly consider the managed solution as you have to maintain more technical issues when hosting with your ISP. You have to make sure your ISP can provide you the best service for voice and data. Plug and 'hope' doesn't work with just routing your phones over any Internet connection....especially when your handsets run int he 100's

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.

Incentivized

Aptela. I chose M5 (ShoreTelSky) because their platform puts call quality first. Their system also uses Cisco endpoints, which are very compatible with the rest of my Cisco network. I also liked the fact that ShoreTelSky uses the internet only as a backup for transport; I use MPLS as my primary connectivity.

Answered in previous question

We keep adding phones to each of restaurants every month

I believe that ShoreTel can be used by a minimum company size of about 25 to almost any size of a company and this can be achieved while the company grows, hence makes it pretty scalable when required. For companies which are smaller in size i.e. smaller than 25, I am not sure how useful it would be, it may be depending upon the type of business

Incentivized

• 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.

• At my branch alone, we are saving over $500 a month using Shoretel Sky versus the phone company we were using before them.
• Shoretel Sky has increased customer service by allowing our employees to easily transfer a call to the proper department or branch no matter where they are located instead of giving the caller a phone number to call.
• Most of our locations did not have caller ID before Shoretel Sky. That feature has increased employee efficiency because when they know who is calling before they answer allows them to professionally greet their caller and have their info up on their computer as they answer.