Cisco Room Series vs. Skype

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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Skype is well suited for quick calls back and forth, in both video and audio, among team members who have it already installed and who know how to use it. It is less well-suited when trying to do a presentation for somebody who does NOT have it installed or who lacks internet speed.

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• 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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• The instant chat function is great. Very straightforward, easy to use, easy to learn, no technical issues.
• Video calls are pretty easy also, user friendly and a mostly stable connection with no issues.
• Voice calls are easy also, eliminates the need for an external landline or the need to use your cell phone. Clear connections, not really any dropped calls.

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• 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.

• This is really small, but I'd love to see the emoticons updated to emojis.
• Make calling free like some other communications app providers.
• Grant the ability to not show that you're online even when you are. Sometimes you want to make a call, but you don't want other people to see you're online and start messaging you.

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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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I have given this rating as this need to give more than that as it's very helpful for us and makes our work more efficient and fast.

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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Skype is not as good as Facetime in terms of ease to glance at it and figure out how it works. I think that's a result of Skype trying to be too many things at once. A lot of the menu and UI could be streamlined, and I would jettison some of the additional functions that have been tacked on over the years to simplify. That being said, while some options are slightly hard to find, they all work flawlessly once found.

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Once the order was place we received very quickly

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Great product with a great user experience

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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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I am not aware of the current support level for Skype for business, as I have never used even though I have the product. However, the support for Skype's personal paid users is not where it could be. Users who pay for Skype features do not have a clear path to reach out to support. So, rating 6, can be better as soon as I need to use Skype for business support and get a good experience. I will say that I will renew Skype for Business subscription, which is a significant inconsistency on my end. The explanation is that Skype for Business comes bundled with Office for Business, with no additional cost, so why not.

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Very easy to implement. Integration into our Unified Communications platform was simple and quick

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It can be used on the phone via mobile application as well as on the desktop by logging in to the website. Easily installed and ready to use.

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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.

Microsoft Teams provides basically the same services. Local number calling is not available (that I know of) but that only matters if you have any need to use it. Teams is a little more stable, especially with a lot of people on a call. Skype is easier to set up and to operate. Skype also has a larger install base.

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The product and backend systems are designed to scale from small to very large organization seamlessly and easily

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The service provided is up to date, as discussed before buying.

• 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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• Overall Skype is a good investment. We use regular Skype so its a product that comes with Windows PC's as a standard app. We dont use Skype for Business so this cuts cost overall.
• Using the basic functions of Skype and not Skype for business does have some downsides but you do save money. There are many other apps we use as well as Skype in order to accomplish all of our goals.
• The downside of course is that the more you want Skype to do, the more money it will cost the organization as a whole. It does have many more functions which you have to upgrade to Skype for business for. That is my only criticism.

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