Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 Series vs. Crestron Mercury

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 Series
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
The vendor provides the Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 Series as an affordable, reliable voice and video communications endpoint, and state it is also user- and eco-friendly. It is designed to improve productivity, foster collaboration, and reduce operating expenses with simple, full-featured, and cost-effective communications to deliver a superior user experience.N/A
Crestron Mercury
Score 6.1 out of 10
N/A
Crestron, headquartered in New Jersey, offers the Crestron Mercury line of conference phones, a tabletop solution providing voice capabilities along with other collaboration features for the conference room.N/A
Pricing
Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 SeriesCrestron Mercury
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 SeriesCrestron Mercury
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 SeriesCrestron Mercury
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Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 SeriesCrestron Mercury
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Medium-sized Companies
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Enterprises
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User Ratings
Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 SeriesCrestron Mercury
Likelihood to Recommend
4.6
(7 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 SeriesCrestron Mercury
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
The 6900 series is the best option for offices that need IP telephony flawlessly making and receiving calls and can fit on most of the user types due to the number of models. It does not fit for companies that want to use video, none of the models has a video embedded and the tools to integrate those devices with video are that good[.]
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Crestron Electronics
It is well suited for small to medium sized conference room where video calls with your own device can be utilized. The Mercury essentially allows you to use any communication platform that you currently are using on your own devices. Works well as a stand alone speaker phone as well
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Pros
Cisco
  • Compatibility with Cisco enterprise telephony platforms.
  • All the basis and essential telephony features included.
  • Ergonomic design and high quality materials.
  • Excellent voice quality.
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Crestron Electronics
  • The interface is simple to use and intuitive
  • The speaker and mic provide ample coverage
  • Everything you need for a basic conference room is included
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Cons
Cisco
  • I wish the color was jazzier ( I know that's not a word probably) but something that allows you to give your phone character.
  • The cord tangles to easily.
  • The phone could be a little smaller.
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Crestron Electronics
  • Camera functionality
  • there is no option for PTZ cameras
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Likelihood to Renew
Cisco
he Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 Series has proven to be reliable and efficient for our communication needs in live production. Its integration with our existing systems, ease of use, and strong call quality make it a great choice. However, there's always room for improvement, especially with features like more advanced integration with cloud-based systems and additional customization options
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Crestron Electronics
Ease of use and simple features. Intuitive user interface.
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Usability
Cisco
The interface is intuitive, and the phones are easy to use for daily communication, making call handling, conferencing, and directory access seamless. The design is simple yet effective, which is great for a fast-paced environment like ours. The only reason it’s not a perfect 10 is that some advanced configurations and integrations require a bit of technical knowledge, which can slow down deployment for non-technical users."
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Crestron Electronics
No answers on this topic
Reliability and Availability
Cisco
The system has been extremely reliable, with no major downtime or unplanned outages in our experience. In a live broadcast environment, where uninterrupted communication is critical, this level of dependability is essential.
Even during high-demand situations, the phones perform consistently well, and any issues we've encountered were related to network configuration rather than the phones themselves.
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Crestron Electronics
No answers on this topic
Performance
Cisco
Calls connect quickly, audio quality is clear with minimal latency, and the phone interface is responsive.
The system integrates well with our VoIP and broadcast communication tools, and we haven’t noticed any significant slowdowns. The only reason it’s not a 10 is that some advanced configurations or firmware updates can take a little longer than expected, but overall, it’s a fast and reliable solution for our needs.
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Crestron Electronics
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Cisco
When we’ve needed support, the response times have been good, and the team is knowledgeable. The support resources provided, like online documentation and troubleshooting guides, have been helpful. However, at times, the support can be a bit slow with complex technical issues, especially when dealing with integration into our live production systems. Overall, we’re satisfied, but there's room for improvement in the speed and depth of troubleshooting.
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Crestron Electronics
No answers on this topic
In-Person Training
Cisco
The training sessions were interactive and tailored to our specific needs, which made them highly relevant for our live production environment. The instructors were knowledgeable and provided hands-on experience, allowing us to apply what we learned immediately.
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Crestron Electronics
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Cisco
The training materials were clear and covered the essential features of the Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 Series, but we felt that some advanced use cases, especially for live production environments, were not addressed in enough detail. While the training helped with basic functions, additional scenario-based learning would have made it more useful for our specific needs.
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Crestron Electronics
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Cisco
he process was generally smooth, and the Cisco team provided excellent support during setup. There were a few minor challenges with network configuration, but they were quickly resolved. Overall, the implementation was efficient, and the phones were up and running with minimal disruption to our operations, which is crucial in a live production environment
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Crestron Electronics
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Cisco
When looking at phone models, it's really important to consider not only the price tag, we all care about effective pricing, but also remembering that actual humans will need to leverage that device to accomplish work, connect with another human for some reason, or save a life.
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Crestron Electronics
The Poly can use any video platform, but you have to pick only one. You do not have the ability to BYOD and use a different platform. Both the camera unit and the controller are connected to your network separately and sometime come un-paired and will not "speak" to each other and must be reset
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Cisco
The unit pricing was reasonable given the quality of the product and the fact that it's a well-established solution in the market. Additionally, the billing frequency was flexible, which worked well for our budget cycles.
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Crestron Electronics
No answers on this topic
Scalability
Cisco
the system is highly flexible, allowing easy deployment across multiple departments and locations. It integrates smoothly with existing Cisco infrastructure, making it a great fit for expanding operations.
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Crestron Electronics
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Cisco
  • Very high ROI and competitive price.
  • By providing the essential telephony services the 6900 series IP Phones increase employees productivity.
  • Company saves a lot of money when it comes to communication between branches, and this model provides all the necessary facilities for that.
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Crestron Electronics
  • It has allowed us to continue with hybrid working with remote customers or workers still working from home
  • being able to use my own device in a conference room for video calls help bring back together the workforce that has been able to return to the office onsite with those who are not.
  • Reduced travel when fully functioning options like are a great solution for meetings.
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