Cisco 8800 series phones, our experience after 5 years.
Updated March 14, 2025

Cisco 8800 series phones, our experience after 5 years.

Edward Marshall | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Software Version

Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco IP Phones

Great phones. We have them deployed over the whole campus, and they can be remotely managed and configured individually or in groups. Using Cisco's CDP protocol across our access switches, we can also track and find phones based on their serial number or MAC address. End users also have some customization of their phones which can be done through a self-service portal.

Pros

  • Remotely managed and configured
  • End user customization through Self Service Portal
  • CDP across whole Cisco network

Cons

  • Price is high for these phones but ultimately you get what you pay for
  • They won't die! Haven't had a single phone break since we rolled them out.
  • Multi-purpose: Recently also linked them to our Tannoy system to make campus-wide announcements.
  • Easy to use, even for non-IT literate users
Compared to the Grandstream phones, the Cisco phones are much better built and reliable. The extra costs are worth the benefits.
Quality is everything, and the Cisco IP Phone 8800 series phones delivers on this.
I never needed to RMA or return a phone, but I know generally, Cisco's support is very good.

Do you think Cisco IP Phones delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Cisco IP Phones's feature set?

Yes

Did Cisco IP Phones live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Cisco IP Phones go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cisco IP Phones again?

Yes

In the office or as a meeting room conference phone is ideal. The 8851 comes with a camera. We have used them for impromptu meetings and access control for our security who use them for user ID and linked to IO panels for door access (pressing a dial tone for door access once the udder is verified).

Using Cisco IP Phones

100 - Internal and extrnal calling within the Cisco ecosystem
2 - 1 Dedicated technician and a backup technician. Need to have experience with the hardware and call manager / servers
  • Internal Calling with phone directory
  • External calling with private phone director
  • Single number reach
  • Voicemail, with advanced features
  • Looking at integration with teams via Kurmi provisioning
We really liked the Cisco phones and will renew them with a similar model at the end of their life

Evaluating Cisco IP Phones and Competitors

  • Scalability
  • Ease of Use
Ease of use - we have a lot of people who are less IT-literate (young students for example), so the devices need to be easy to use and manage

Cisco IP Phones Implementation

It's complex to set up but with the help of New Era we were able to do it quickly and efficiently
  • Implemented in-house
  • Third-party professional services
New Era Technologies
Change management was minimal - None
  • Setting up call manager
  • learning the Cisco UC backend

Cisco IP Phones Support

ProsCons
Quick Resolution
Good followup
Knowledgeable team
Problems get solved
Kept well informed
Immediate help available
Support understands my problem
Support cares about my success
Quick Initial Response
Escalation required
Yes - Yes, quickly and efficiently
We accidently bought some additional phones and they were the wrong type (consumer firmware). The Cisco team helped me flash them for call manager with an inexpensive additional license. This saved us having to return the devices.

Using Cisco IP Phones

ProsCons
Like to use
Relatively simple
Easy to use
Well integrated
Consistent
Quick to learn
Convenient
Feel confident using
Requires technical support
Lots to learn
  • Simple interface
  • Easy to use self-service portal
  • getting to the corporate address book could be quicker
Overall they are easy to use, coupled with the self-service portal it gives our users the ability to customise them easily

Comments

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