Likelihood to Recommend The Cisco Unified Communications Manager platform would be most suited for the below scenarios. 1. An organization with very restricted policies and compliance where can't move to cloud-based solutions for data security. They can install the CUCM on-premises. 2. An organization that is still on a legacy phone system could adopt CUCM to save costs and have better services.
Read full review The reporting part is essential in our line of business, we must measure everything and report it, which is why it is one of its main strengths. They are fast and adapt to the needs, also the ease of being very easy to use, which entails relatively short training for new agents who would use this platform.
Read full review Pros This solution is extremely stable and has been running in our environment for several years without (unscheduled) downtime. The ability to have voicemails automatically sent as an email message is extremely helpful in helping us to keep in touch while away from the desk. The Call Manager provides us very granular settings to route our calls as we want. Read full review VOIP calling - call quality is excellent and has replaced our traditional landline phones Video meetings - video quality is great(provided you have a good webcam) and the video features(multiple hosts, screen sharing, multiple room management) is 2nd to none. Screen sharing - As an unexpected benefit, the ability to do a screen share has helped our IT crew in being able to remotely diagnose and fix problems with faculty or staff machines. Read full review Cons Administration web page is little bit hard to understand at the beginning specially if you are not familiar with naming convention and GU Interfaces. Call Detail Record interface is fine but would be desirable to include more options that fit organization needs in terms of reporting purposes. Self Care Portal interface could be more useful to the end user if it includes options to manage some features without administrators involving. Read full review Pricing for SMB space is high compared to other solutions Still lagging behind 8x8 with desk phone support and integrations UI for managing Limited Extensions is significantly more cumbersome than user extensions Video meeting software still lags behind industry leaders (such as Zoom and MS Teams) No licensing option for Common Area Phones with routing features Read full review Likelihood to Renew We have been using this product for 20+ years and will continue too. This is a great product and new features are always coming out.
Read full review We are grandfathered into our unlimited toll-free minutes plan. We are very unlikely to switch because of that. It has been the major factor saving us a lot of money compared to switching to other solutions. I don't know any other company that still offers these unlimited plans.
Read full review Usability Although it's very easy to use, once you understand the concepts of IP telephony, as I said before, I think Cisco could have improved the management interface of the platform, adding modern technologies and the design language of the other platforms like DNA Center, etc. This interface hasn't had a substantial improvement for about 10 years
Read full review They were working on updating a few of the modules while we were going live, so this made usability difficult to train on once they did go live with those changes. Now that the changes are in place, we have really enjoyed the usability of the platform
Read full review Reliability and Availability The self-service ticketing system and SR creation is extremely simple and intuitive to use. The online University resource is invaluable - we often find a resolution to our query through existing KBs, thus negating the need to even raise a new support request. On the occasions we have raised a new SR, the support staff are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. The response times are some of the best I've ever experienced.
Read full review Performance Occasional bandwith issues. In addition to this, I have one individual whose calls are blocked. We were not able to determine whether this was a RingEX or a carrier issue.
Read full review Support Rating CUCM is supported by most third-party vendors for related products, so it makes finding solutions to specific needs easy. Also Cisco TAC is very knowledgeable, and we have never run into a problem they have not been able to resolve. Usually they are resolved without the need to escalate tickers either.
Read full review I have called RingEX a few times for assistance in setting up call handling or implementing changes in our call handling structure. The wait time to speak with an agent is usually minimal and the ones I have spoken to are excellent at walking me thru what changes I am trying to make as well as ensuring I understand what is being done so I can handle it myself next time if the need arises.
Read full review In-Person Training I really didn't know all the capabilities
Read full review Implementation Rating This was the first phone system we implemented that could span multiple locations. We were very satisfied once fully implemented
Read full review If someone has an existing system I tell them to keep that running initially and keep RingEX separate initially until the system is configured and tested to one's satisfaction. After testing and configuration is completed, then roll over the main phone numbers to the new RingEX system. I've seen one person who immediately flipped over to RingEX without properly configuring/testing the software and had many issues with missed customer calls until I helped him sort out his configuration.
Read full review Alternatives Considered We have been a Cisco based shop and have looked at other cloud voice options such as MS Teams pbx, and others, but ultimately, the features, endpoints, and reliability of Cisco has been the common factor in staying with them as our voice provider. Their integrations, room systems, and hybrid design allows for us to be flexible and keep a high up time vs reliance on 100% cloud.
Read full review RingCentral MVP provided a more cost effective and complete solution than the competitors we evaluated. Reliability and call quality was of paramount concern for us. RingCentral provided a higher level of reliability than many of the competitors we evaluated. The completeness of their product offering was also unrivaled. Other competitors offered similar features but they nickel and dimed their customers and licensing became very difficult. The MVP licensing plan was simple to understand and implement.
Read full review Contract Terms and Pricing Model not to sign up for it or give them any money for a product that does not work
Read full review Scalability There is a browser version which allows the product to be used by almost anyone.
Read full review Return on Investment Communication and collaboration - Our offices are able to communicate both internally and externally due to this system. Down time - Struggles with CUCM has caused a lot of down time due to the instability of the system. High Costs - the cost of both the license and the maintenance was much higher than other systems. Read full review Better connectivity and communication with team messaging. Enhanced customer experience with call routing, after-hours messaging, and emergency routing. Better privacy for my team by not having to share their mobile numbers as users within RingEX. Easier onboarding of new teammates as new users in RingEX. Read full review ScreenShots