Polycom RealPresence Group Series vs. Webex Meetings

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Polycom RealPresence Group Series
Score 6.1 out of 10
N/A
The Polycom RealPresence Group Series is a video conferencing codec that connects to a standards-based video conferencing infrastructure to allow users to make video conference calls. There are three products in the series – RealPresence Group 300, RealPresence Group 500, and RealPresence Group 700. It is certified to use with Office 365 and Skype for Business.N/A
Webex Meetings
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Webex Meetings is a video conferencing solution powering hybrid work. It enables a seamless collaboration experience and better results with meetings that are designed to give everyone the ability to engage no matter their location, language, or communication style.
$11.95
per month
Pricing
Polycom RealPresence Group SeriesWebex Meetings
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Webex Free
$0.00
user/month
Webex Meet
$14.50
user/month
Webex Suite: Meet + Call Plan
$25.00
user/month
Enterprise
Contact Sales
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Polycom RealPresence Group SeriesWebex Meetings
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsWebex Meetings are available at no cost to users. They are included in the Webex Suite, starting at $11.95 per user/per month for Enterprise Agreements.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Polycom RealPresence Group SeriesWebex Meetings
Considered Both Products
Polycom RealPresence Group Series
Chose Polycom RealPresence Group Series
Polycom RealPresence Group Series stands head and shoulders above Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex Meetings both for dependability and robust delivery of function. One established the meetings were very hard to break apart but easy to end when so desired. The installation of …
Chose Polycom RealPresence Group Series
Polycom is the most flexible video conferencing hardware solution on the market. They provide a fantastic infrastructure but also have the option to directly register or convert to a cloud service endpoint!
Chose Polycom RealPresence Group Series
We compared Polycom against Cisco and the potential need for Skype for Business was a deciding factor.
Chose Polycom RealPresence Group Series
I have not used other formal VC software rather used WebEx Video and FaceTime which are more intuitive to use.
Webex Meetings
Chose Webex Meetings
There are different options I have explored, like Polycom Group 500, Logitech MeetUp, Avaya Equinox, and some other. I chose Cisco Webex Meetings because of its ease of use, low cost, and ability to connect 1,000 people in one call. There is a very easy to create whiteboard on …
Chose Webex Meetings
Cisco Webex Meetings has better quality and integration with our on-prem.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Polycom RealPresence Group SeriesWebex Meetings
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Polycom RealPresence Group Series
-
Ratings
Webex Meetings
8.0
767 Ratings
0% below category average
High quality audio00 Ratings8.6762 Ratings
High quality video00 Ratings8.5756 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements00 Ratings7.1729 Ratings
Mobile support00 Ratings7.9691 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Polycom RealPresence Group Series
-
Ratings
Webex Meetings
8.3
758 Ratings
4% above category average
Desktop sharing00 Ratings8.7756 Ratings
Whiteboards00 Ratings7.8657 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Polycom RealPresence Group Series
-
Ratings
Webex Meetings
8.3
767 Ratings
1% above category average
Calendar integration00 Ratings8.4726 Ratings
Meeting initiation00 Ratings8.3754 Ratings
Integrates with social media00 Ratings7.7311 Ratings
Record meetings / events00 Ratings8.5716 Ratings
Slideshows00 Ratings8.4652 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Polycom RealPresence Group Series
-
Ratings
Webex Meetings
8.3
726 Ratings
2% below category average
Live chat00 Ratings8.7706 Ratings
Audience polling00 Ratings8.1625 Ratings
Q&A00 Ratings8.2632 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Polycom RealPresence Group Series
-
Ratings
Webex Meetings
8.4
722 Ratings
0% above category average
User authentication00 Ratings8.3672 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions00 Ratings8.4704 Ratings
Confidential attendee list00 Ratings8.4417 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Polycom RealPresence Group SeriesWebex Meetings
Small Businesses
Zoom
Zoom
Score 8.2 out of 10
ClickMeeting
ClickMeeting
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Cisco Webex DX80 (discontinued)
Cisco Webex DX80 (discontinued)
Score 9.2 out of 10
ClickMeeting
ClickMeeting
Score 9.4 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Webex DX80 (discontinued)
Cisco Webex DX80 (discontinued)
Score 9.2 out of 10
TeamViewer
TeamViewer
Score 8.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Polycom RealPresence Group SeriesWebex Meetings
Likelihood to Recommend
7.7
(26 ratings)
8.5
(778 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.3
(1 ratings)
9.9
(46 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(3 ratings)
8.5
(102 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(450 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
8.8
(425 ratings)
Support Rating
8.3
(4 ratings)
7.8
(108 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(3 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
5.5
(3 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(14 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(7 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(10 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(5 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(421 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(9 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.5
(7 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(8 ratings)
User Testimonials
Polycom RealPresence Group SeriesWebex Meetings
Likelihood to Recommend
Poly
If you're always working in the Polycom ecosystem then the Group Series codecs are reliable and the quality of the camera and microphones are extremely good. However, the system relies heavily on either having onsite server technology and/or cloud based bridging capability. In addition, the peripherals like cameras and microphones are quite expensive. Maintenance and support costs also make the ongoing investment a costly one
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Cisco
Webex Meetings is more suitable for 1V1 virtual meetings. The tool helps us to engage with the candidate and able to understand their emotions and expressions in real time. Though it is a virtual meeting tool but If we use it effectively it is a high ROI tool for all. We use Webex Meetings in our company for HR interviews, Sales meetings, And for webinars we will not be using it.
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Pros
Poly
  • The audio and video quality can not be matched.
  • For the most part, they are rather simplistic in their use and just work. People don't usually have a hard time operating them
  • They are rather versatile in that we have been able to integrate them with other applications
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Cisco
  • We have a global and diverse team with different devices and operating systems. Webex works smoothly on all of them and everyone can collaborate in real-time saving a lot of time and effort, making meetings much more productive.
  • We can easily capture discussion points and decisions for future reference, without the need for manual note-taking. It helps us in smaller group discussions and brainstorming sessions within the main meeting itself.
  • I can even tailor the layout to suit the meeting's purpose and agenda. Webex is intuitive and easy to navigate, even for non-technical users, joining and scheduling meetings is a smooth process.
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Cons
Poly
  • The only issue that we have experienced with Polycom RealPresence Group Series is the speed dial functionality. When attempting to use the speed dial buttons, the system occasionally sends a call through the computer system, not the phone. While the computer call option is valuable, not everyone can answer calls that way and we have had to do a manual lookup of an extension and call back when that happens.
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Cisco
  • While sharing the content of browsers like Chrome or Firefox it becomes difficult to toggle from one tab to another due to menu dropdown from the top.
  • Sometimes while joining a meeting it asks you to download the app again even if it's downloaded.
  • Limited scheduling option through mobile WebEx app
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Likelihood to Renew
Poly
We love the product and is totally integrated in our company.
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Cisco
Cisco Webex Meetings is a platform that consistently performs well and outperforms some of the other solutions that we have used, such as Zoom. It is user friendly and helps our organization accomplish the goal of connecting with external contacts to conduct meetings and share information
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Usability
Poly
The directory is slightly dated and unless you have a Skype for Business integration license, dialing users into a call is difficult. The Group Series Remote whilst minimalistic is actually more difficult to use than the previous HDX remote. Having to recharge the battery on the group series remote is both annoying and difficult as if you do not keep on top of it, you will be faced with a situation where the remote is not working and then have to try and find another one. Not ideal if you need to start a video call (assuming auto join has not been enabled in the admin portal).
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Cisco
Webex Meetings does not provide enough audio feedback for users with visual disabilities to properly navigate the tool. Students, faculty, and staff who are blind or have low vision may not be able to use Webex Meetings. Users with motor disabilities that navigate via keyboard, may not be able to navigate the web conferencing session enough to participate fully.
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Reliability and Availability
Poly
No answers on this topic
Cisco
So personally I have never faced any kind of meeting unavailability issue while scandaling meeting with WebEx the bandwidth is really good and in terms of application performance the same is my opinion what I mentioned for availability it is good and the objective of communication is quite fruitfully achieved with a simple and effective product like WebEx which is often bundled with the purchase of course which is which we have at our company and great discount is being offered so it is easy on our pocket. I really don't have any specific errors which have faced I should mention over here the operation or application uses is quite smooth.
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Performance
Poly
No answers on this topic
Cisco
We use browsers to join Webex Meetings and it is very good no issue also appears from Webex APP is very organized and does not consume more resources of PC so no issues appeared. We join audio and video in many ways, all of which are good. We integrated it with active Microsoft Exchange with easy deployment.
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Support Rating
Poly
I can't say I've needed support more than a handful of times. One was for trying to connect a Polycom Conference phone and a Real Presence together. After a few months, we came to the conclusion it wasn't possible, that was the only frustrating occurance with support. Any other time if we needed to RMA a device, it was very smooth.
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Cisco
I gave this rating for overall support on Webex meetings because if something goes wrong we have the best support here and rarely need to go to help.webex.com. Multiple people have been appropriately trained so finding the answers to any issues we occur is very simple here at work.
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In-Person Training
Poly
No answers on this topic
Cisco
It was straight to the point and very informative. effective training often includes clear explanations, hands-on practice opportunities, time for questions and answers, real-world examples, and follow-up support. If you're trying to assess the quality of a specific training session, you might consider these factors. For organizations looking to assess the quality of their in-person training, it's best to solicit feedback directly from the participants. This can be done through anonymous surveys or feedback sessions, enabling the organization to gather firsthand information and improve future training sessions accordingly.
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Online Training
Poly
No answers on this topic
Cisco
We mostly use training from Cisco's online training programs which is very informative and can be easily incorporated into our daily schedules without disrupting our normal working activities. There are many online training materials are available on cisco's website as well as other third-party training companies may also provide additional training.
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Implementation Rating
Poly
No answers on this topic
Cisco
That we needed complex implementation that we didn't get tells me 2 things: 1) the product was not designed in a way that "just worked" like some of its peers (Zoom / BlueJeans) and 2) had our company defined actual user needs and validated / verified that they had bought something that matched those, we would have pursued features / designs more closely aligned with what the product actually does: screen share, sometimes video, definitely VOIP audio (always an option regardless of license), and easy recording and retrieval of meetings.
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Alternatives Considered
Poly
Polycom RealPresence Group Series stands head and shoulders above Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex Meetings both for dependability and robust delivery of function. One established the meetings were very hard to break apart but easy to end when so desired. The installation of the devices, the training of technicians, and end-users were both intuitive and easy to manage, where the same interactions with Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex In my opinion, and experience, were challenging to work through.
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Cisco
The Deskpro system can be integrated very well into the Webex solution and can also be used by employees from their workplace. The integration is simple and can be easily implemented. Unfortunately, the loading times of the devices and the delay are a bit annoying and can be seen as a bit negative in everyday use.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Poly
No answers on this topic
Cisco
We use the free version of Webex Meetings to allow us to connect with suppliers/vendors that demand Webex Meetings be used for collaboration.
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Scalability
Poly
No answers on this topic
Cisco
I can speak to multiple departments at my organization using Webex Meetings. It has been, and continues to be, our longest online meeting software. It has been deployed across the organization and each department uses it. As I have mentioned, our monthly all-organization Town Halls are hosted on Webex. We have also used it to broadcast a panel-based speaker event.
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Professional Services
Poly
No answers on this topic
Cisco
It is a user friendly application. We have had no adoption problems within the company.
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Return on Investment
Poly
  • Once pexip integrates Polycom/skype this will be a big win for us due to the RPTouch integrating the "one - touch join". This will increase adoption of video greatly.
  • Before the Group series with peripherals was implemented the cost of a video room was twice what it is today. Massive win.
  • Due to provisioning and automated firmware the IT involvement has been greatly reduced. No longer is there a need for manual changes to individual endpoints.
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Cisco
  • The costly nature of individual accounts across multiple schools made it difficult to maintain the budget when our student population grew exponentially.
  • Often communicated to clients and stakeholders that we were a trustworthy and elevated provider.
  • Limited engagement and interactive features with students often contributed to complaints around student engagement and buy-in.
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ScreenShots