Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Call Manager) vs Webex Calling

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.

Webex Calling has provided me with a quality service, that adapts to my needs, the video and audio work very well without delays or interruptions, and the wireless connection is excellent, adapting to our needs and with unique features. It is an intuitive and powerful program that offers everything that we require to be successful in our meetings this program is wonderful and what you really need.

• 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.

• Audio quality is high as we can control the bandwidth assigned to the voice traffic
• The App is very comprehensive as well as being easy to administer from both a user and admin perspective.
• Automatic updates of the service and the soft client mean no effort or impact is required to keep the solution up to date

• 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.

• The cost of dialing normal numbers using VoIP is higher than the base rate.
• Webex Calling is expensive compared to its competitors.
• There are only a few connectors with other platforms.
• To receive the best audio quality, the software requires a decent internet connection and a lot of bandwidth.
• I would like to see Webex Calling offer a free trial edition with many features and capabilities.

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.

because have been using it and its easy to configure and manage

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

It is a very easy product to deploy and configure and to really take advantage of. It does not matter if you are using it in an office or your home, or for a security office or a collaboration meeting room - you have the right endpoint available for each case and the configuration parameters to improve the functionality you need.

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.

I have been working for a long time with Cisco as a provider and also Cisco TAC and Cisco Support Engineers.

The support starts right beforehand in the documentation of the product you are interested in. From the start you have a good, complete, and detailed and easy to read datasheet and there's always someone available to answer any questions.

This was the first phone system we implemented that could span multiple locations. We were very satisfied once fully implemented

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.

Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) does provide more flexibility in design, but is also more difficult than Webex Calling to configure to meet the requirements of the Ray Baum Act where there are multiple locations. CUCM also requires periodic updates, including security updates, periodic replacement of hardware and maintenance and support contracts. Webex Calling (including Webex Teams and Webex Meetings) requires significantly less work to implement and maintain than does the equivalent on-premise solutions.

• 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.

• Very good in terms of ROI. Although it took us a while to get to market, the uptake has been impressive.
• There is a real push from our customers to replace their current "telephony" system whatever that is, and Webex is a good option in most cases.
• With a selectable feature set, it would be better as this is something our customers would like, for example, a workspace license with voicemail.