Cisco Room Series vs. Lifesize Video Conferencing

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco Room Series
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
The Cisco Room Series is a video conferencing solution that wakes up when users walk into a meeting room where it is installed and provides theater-quality voice and video, as well as content sharing from personal devices. For small to medium rooms with 6-8 people, there's Cisco Room 55, and for larger rooms of 7-14 people there's Cisco Room Kit (camera and codec in one device) and Cisco Kit Plus (separate codec plus and quad camera). Any of these systems can be run in the cloud or on-premises.N/A
Lifesize Video Conferencing
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
Lifesize is a web conferencing platform focused on making video conferencing systems and video conferencing apps work well together, while still being easy-to-use. Their platform incorporates web conferencing software with meeting room devices and wireless screen sharing.
$12.95
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Pricing
Cisco Room SeriesLifesize Video Conferencing
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Enterprise
$12.95 per user/month
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Plus
$14.95 per user/month
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Standard
$16.95 per user/month
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Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco Room SeriesLifesize Video Conferencing
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsWith every plan, you get the collaboration features you use everyday, at no additional cost: • Unlimited video conferences • Downloadable desktop and mobile apps • Secure encryption set by default • Unlimited meeting duration • Free, browser-based web app • Two-way and group chat with popular chat integrations • Centralized, name-based directory • Online reporting and account management • Email and calendar scheduling
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco Room SeriesLifesize Video Conferencing
Considered Both Products
Cisco Room Series
Chose Cisco Room Series
As a partner, I always used mainly Cisco products and offered them to my customers. I have personal experience with Avaya, Team and polycom but non of them provided me with the Premium feelings which Cisco does. Even the product quality and look of the product by itself gives …
Chose Cisco Room Series
The operation that it has is very similar, the reason why it is decided to acquire the room kit is that our company manages the Cisco portfolio which makes it easier to acquire and renew all our equipment every 3 years but we could use a cop if we do not have everything …
Chose Cisco Room Series
[Cisco] Webex Room [Series] devices are the most advanced devices for customer and local IT satisfaction. The installation is so simple and easy that the nearly anybody is able to install the device. Cisco takes care of software updates and monitoring. If a system has a …
Chose Cisco Room Series
[Cisco] Webex [Room Series] integrates into a room much better than the others.
Lifesize Video Conferencing
Chose Lifesize Video Conferencing
Lifesize is one of the very few, if not only, video manufacturers to develop their own software and hardware making for a very stable solution that isn't as vulnerable to changes on the market and where all the different integrations always work well on both software and …
Chose Lifesize Video Conferencing
Lifesize works into the telepresence infrastructure
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Cisco Room SeriesLifesize Video Conferencing
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Room Series
-
Ratings
Lifesize Video Conferencing
8.9
161 Ratings
11% above category average
High quality audio00 Ratings8.9161 Ratings
High quality video00 Ratings8.9159 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements00 Ratings8.8151 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Room Series
-
Ratings
Lifesize Video Conferencing
8.9
156 Ratings
11% above category average
Desktop sharing00 Ratings8.9156 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Room Series
-
Ratings
Lifesize Video Conferencing
8.8
149 Ratings
8% above category average
Calendar integration00 Ratings8.8113 Ratings
Meeting initiation00 Ratings8.8142 Ratings
Record meetings / events00 Ratings8.8112 Ratings
Slideshows00 Ratings8.897 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Room Series
-
Ratings
Lifesize Video Conferencing
9.0
93 Ratings
7% above category average
Live chat00 Ratings9.092 Ratings
Q&A00 Ratings9.062 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Room Series
-
Ratings
Lifesize Video Conferencing
9.0
114 Ratings
8% above category average
Participant roles & permissions00 Ratings9.0114 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Cisco Room SeriesLifesize Video Conferencing
Small Businesses
Zoom
Zoom
Score 8.2 out of 10
ClickMeeting
ClickMeeting
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Cisco Webex DX80 (discontinued)
Cisco Webex DX80 (discontinued)
Score 9.2 out of 10
ClickMeeting
ClickMeeting
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Webex DX80 (discontinued)
Cisco Webex DX80 (discontinued)
Score 9.2 out of 10
Google Meet
Google Meet
Score 8.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco Room SeriesLifesize Video Conferencing
Likelihood to Recommend
7.8
(73 ratings)
8.0
(162 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
5.6
(5 ratings)
10.0
(24 ratings)
Usability
7.5
(61 ratings)
8.4
(37 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(1 ratings)
8.2
(7 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(1 ratings)
8.2
(15 ratings)
Support Rating
7.8
(64 ratings)
7.0
(49 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(2 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(5 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
8.0
(136 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(1 ratings)
7.7
(10 ratings)
Ease of integration
10.0
(1 ratings)
7.4
(10 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(1 ratings)
8.2
(18 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
10.0
(1 ratings)
8.2
(6 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco Room SeriesLifesize Video Conferencing
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
Firstly from well suited: I have implemented Codec Device and Room Kit Pro in governmental place and it suited very well. It was again on Prem solution working with Cisco Meeting Servers and different countries were connected to the meeting. Network quality was perfect and Video quality voice quality were above the great. Everybody asked about the device which we were using after the call. Mainly the IT guys. For not so well experience I can say the place where we used Board Pro 55 but we have faced with the microphone problems. For the solutions we used wired Cisco SX20 devices microphones it solved the problem. But Board pro 55 itself made our experience little bit bad.
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Lifesize
Lifesize Video Conferencing is a real-time meeting and video conferencing solution that works simply and immediately with features that fit our needs. I recommend it because it is professional, easy to configure, with maximum security, and where collaboration and teamwork are essential. possible, increasing workflow and productivity, to increase communication and efficiency in projects, it offers positive results and a pleasant experience for all.
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Pros
Cisco
  • Probably one of the best ones we had recently was using some of the new layouts within the room kits. We've had some kind of hybrids of large groups on site as well as individuals connecting through WebEx and being able to display things out properly and have the presentations easily visible as well as still seeing the presenter. It just makes things a lot easier to work with.
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Lifesize
  • The touchpad makes it extremely easy to join or start conference calls with a single pushbutton.
  • The Lifesize solution is affordable and has been extremely reliable for our video conference calls.
  • Camera quality is great and provides clear video for our organization.
  • The pan/tilt/zoom features are very helpful to focus in on specific people or items during a training or demonstration.
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Cons
Cisco
  • Does not work with other platforms like Zoom or Microsoft team
  • It is very expensive compared to other similar products on the market like Polycom.
  • Needs cisco webex licensing which makes it even more expensive to have this equipment in small offices.
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Lifesize
  • Lack of features or options to integrate with other solutions
  • Audio was just ok. If it was a meeting with more than 3-4 people, it seemed it was too much
  • I had a hard time with support. They were not very responsive and felt like an up-hill battle at times.
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Likelihood to Renew
Cisco
We like our Cisco endpoints a lot. However, the technology is getting better in the Zoom room market and we are interested in exploring those options. I'd really like to see some new improvements in the room kit series such as wireless controllers and the ability to mount the room kits in multiple configurations. I would also like to see the Room Kit and Room Kit Plus series standardize their audio line inputs to accommodate 3rd party microphone and DSP solutions.
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Lifesize
Other than the HIPAA compliance, we have no compelling reason to retain LifeSize when we can already pay for similar services included with our UCaaS service. Our UCaaS vendor, Fuze, includes video conferencing with the VoIP services via single, integrated client software package. Additional limitations include minimal implementation assistance, training service, training materials and assistance driving internal adoption. Issues with slow speed for desktop sharing and audio quality make the technical aspects of Lifesize inferior to competitors.
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Usability
Cisco
There is a considerable amount of tech know-how needed to really make the Room Series work for most scenarios. This might be a due to the stark increase in remote based productivity as a result of COVID-19 and quarantine protocols. But CISCO support and documentation have not caught up the increase in adoption of these technologies. As a result, only personnel with substantial technical expertise are able to really make these systems work for the use-cases that is most relevant to our setting here at Clemson University.
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Lifesize
Overall experience with Lifesize Video Conferencing has been great. While it serves it's basic purpose of allowing smooth video/audio meetings of people located at different places with option of screen sharing/chatting/ recording, what add to it's pros are it's accessibility from various platforms, flexibility to switch to a listen only mode in case of network issues and ease of operation.
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Reliability and Availability
Cisco
Once the order was place we received very quickly
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Lifesize
Since we are an educational institution we not only have scheduled classes which must be available, but we have staff members in a variety of areas ranging from recruiting and admissions to advancement and the President's office who need to connect with students, alumni and other interest groups, often at odd hours. I have not, since using Lifesize had anyone complain of not being able to connect
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Performance
Cisco
Great product with a great user experience
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Lifesize
Lifesize is an amazing platform for VC. However, it is a costly solution for any scaling startup. However, implementation and user acceptability was fairly easy and worth the additional spend. Quality has always been on point and support has always taken care of us. Our account manager also ensured a seamless transition process for Google Hangouts. Will go with this solution again at any other organization.
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Support Rating
Cisco
With our Cisco service contract, NBD replacement and 24/7/365 support are included. We have not had any issues with trying to get a replacement for defective parts or for support (ie: software or troubleshooting). Very satisfied with the level of support available.
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Lifesize
Support has been decent throughout our use of Lifesize Video Conferencing. There were times we needed to make changes, customizations and additions to the application which took a little longer than expected. Overall the support team for Lifesize was very responsive to our requests. When we experienced issues with the application they were resolved to our expectations.
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In-Person Training
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Lifesize
Sensus was really helpful in the initial setup and training of our technical Support Team. Sensus gave us training on site so that it would be our own equipment that was set up. Then the in house tech team took over to train other users who would be using the system. When needed the Sensus and Lifesize tech support were really helpful in trouble shooting or guiding us through any difficulty.
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Online Training
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Lifesize
I gave this rating because Lifesize's website offers multiple quality videos that shows you exactly how the software works. The videos are divided into different categories which makes searching for a video fairly simple! If for some reason you have a question not answered in one of the how-tos you can always contact support. Excellent product, excellent service!
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Implementation Rating
Cisco
Very easy to implement. Integration into our Unified Communications platform was simple and quick
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Lifesize
Great for companies that need to accomplish multiple things at once while at different places. From our experience, broadcasting news is most favorable considering the level of excellence you get with the product plus the affordability. It can be used both privately amongst employees, or shared publicly through covering events
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Alternatives Considered
Cisco
The Webex Room Kit is without a doubt a much higher quality experience with audio and video. Especially with the recent enablement of USB passthrough mode in certain models, there is almost no comparison. Cisco has committed to the Room Kit being an open solution that will work in any use case on any platform. To get the best collaboration room experience there is no better choice.
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Lifesize
When compared to Zoom, one of the massive benefits that Lifesize brings is total peace of mind with security. Call encryption is part of the core in Lifesize and not an optional feature as in Zoom. I don't know about you, but every conversation can contain private and confidential information, so protecting me, my team, and my customers is totally covered with Lifesize! When compared with other providers, the quality of the video and lip sync on Lifesize is simply flawless. With the ability to deliver a call at 4k ultra high definition at 60 frames per second, the platform is simply awesome! Zoom is only 720p and the data share is only 5 frames per second. Zoom is simply substandard when compared to Lifesize. We often speak with clients who are using Teams or Skype for Business, but when you compare the video and audio quality with that achieved by Lifesize, they simply do not match up. If you want excellent quality video and ultra-sharp audio, then Lifesize is the only way to go!
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Scalability
Cisco
The product and backend systems are designed to scale from small to very large organization seamlessly and easily
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Lifesize
With LifeSize Cloud, it's very easy to simply add another Icon to your system and join it to your cloud. You can easily and instantly create meetings and add users both in your organization and out without any difficulty. The cooperation between the Icons and cloud users running on their laptops makes it easy to scale this out to your entire company, including joint venture without difficulty.
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Return on Investment
Cisco
  • With this system, our staff is able to collaborate remotely, eliminating the need for an expensive office space.
  • So that HR can handle a steady workload, we can plan meetings using this tool.
  • Facilitates problem solving, reducing the need for product replacement.
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Lifesize
  • Training users on how to use the software is quick and easy.
  • Calling abroad saves a good chunk of money for both the end user and company.
  • Does save on travel as remote users are able to have a similar experience as the people attending the meetings and no need to travel to the other locations for meetings.
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ScreenShots

Cisco Room Series Screenshots

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Lifesize Video Conferencing Screenshots

Screenshot of Lifesize Web App directoryScreenshot of Lifesize Web App screen sharing and five-way callScreenshot of Lifesize Desktop App home screenScreenshot of Lifesize Desktop App group video call with moderator controlsScreenshot of Lifesize Record & Share personal video libraryScreenshot of Lifesize Record & Share personal video library - video feed