Item: Google Voice
Rating: 8
Author: Sam Shearin

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Once Google started offering their voice products for enterprise I jumped on it as I had been using their personal version for years. Their GSuite add-on has the ability to work with both mobile devices and Polycom VVX 150 Obi Edition, 250 Obi, etc. Relatively limited hardware support but it maintains backward compatibility with previous Obihai ATA adapters and Deskphones such as the 1062 which is my personal favorite. Provisioning is only available in the Google admin console for the Polycom VVX X50 obi series phones, but this doesn't entirely limit you to just those devices. This was a simple way to offer employee's a work phone number that they can easily text and call to/from with external and internal contacts. Low-cost and offers a level of usage auditing and logs from within the GSuite admin console. There are some limitations with support, as it seems the company Google outsources to doesn't have all the documentation they need to help with issues like admin passwords on provisioned phones... but it is quite possible to get this set up and deployed successfully if you have a DIY attitude.

Pros and Cons

Simple Interface.
Fast deployment and integration with GSuite accounts.
Cross-Platform compatibility.
Classic Google Voice one number / multi-device simulations ring style.

Expanded device support in the GSuite admin portal, they could easily add-on support for legacy Obihai devices.
Admin controlled call-recording for compliance and record keeping.
Better documentation/support for Admins.
Ability to port-in numbers with a extension designated for the ported number. This would help streamline migration from other phone vendors, as it is now the port-in process rough because there is no way to automate the number assignment once the port is complete.

Return on Investment

Cost for Google Voice is stellar, starting at $10/mo per user.
While it doesn't offer a new Audio/Video conferencing solution it does integrate with GSuite so it makes use of Google Calendar and Hangouts/ Google Meet.
Gets the employee's to use their company phone numbers more as texting is easy and deployment is simple.
The cell phone app is reliable and easy to deploy.

Alternatives Considered

Dialpad, RingCentral, Vonage Enterprise, Nextiva and 8x8 Virtual Office

Google Voice is hard to compare because on a cost basis it is so much lower than it's competitors. As a whole, I would say it's definitely lacking features compared to Nextiva, and a few from RingCentral but the service is reliable and it has the most commonly used core features that most small businesses need. If you want or need call center exclusive features, Dialpad is the next runner up here as they have developed more advanced call center style features on the Google Voice cloud stack and integrates with GSuite... but it will cost you more. At this price point, it's hard to beat as it's a solid value and if you're not needing more features it gets the job done. Ultimately I choose Google Voice after using all these other services to save the company money and provide the employees with the essential features they needed with minimal effort as an administrator required to setup new accounts, etc. It also helps the company leverage the services we're already paying for with the GSuite apps, by integrating Google Calendar, Meet, Hangouts, etc. this way we don't have to have a mixture of products in the company requiring extra training thus simplifying the on-boarding process for new employee's.

Support Rating

I give them a 6/10 because while they are well-intentioned and answer the phone if you have complex technical issues or questions they may not be able to help you. To be fair this may have just been my experience, but IMHO I think google should choose a new company for their tech support or start doing it themselves.

Key Insights

Do you think Google Voice delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Google Voice's feature set?

Yes

Did Google Voice live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Google Voice go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Google Voice again?

Yes

Other Software Used

RingCentral

Likelihood to Recommend

This would be a great choice for small business or a new company that doesn't have legacy hardware to migrate/provision. Google has a BYO device policy so it's up to you to source equipment, get it provisioned, and configure them on your network. Support is minimal, so if you're inexperienced with provisioning desk phones or configuring VLAN's, etc. this might be a challenge. Not a problem for an experienced administrator except for not being able to access the phone web interface after being provisioned... perhaps this is intentional on Google's part to increase security, but it creates a deployment headache for a large organization that requires the technician to manually input the network settings on each phone after provisioning. Google Voice really shines on the mobile side, as this is where the soft phone has matured over the years. With GSuite it creates a convenient option for an SMB to add-on phone service with the email provider they (may) already have with dead-simple integration and deployment. Service is reliable, so long as your Wi-Fi network is up to the QoS needs of VoIP, and if it's not there is an option to use your carrier's service in place of your Wi-Fi for incoming/outgoing calls and texts. Google also offers a basic automated attendant and call routing which is unavailable with the free version.

Users and Roles

26 - Mostly Clinical operations and direct interaction with clients and families. Google Voice has been implemented in roughly 1/3 of the company, and it's going well so far but missing some key features for the more business/compliance oriented side of the operations.

Support Headcount Required

1 - You will need experience deploying or setting up networks if you're planning on using the desk phones. As for the cell phones (only mobile/virtual) usage no real previous experience is required except for knowledge of how to use and setup GSuite users.

Business Processes Supported

Text communication
BYO device usage for Voice/Text while maintaining compliance
Quick deployment for new employee's

Price
Product Features
Product Usability

Cost

Evaluation Lessons Learned

I wouldn't change anything.

Google Voice for Enterprise -- Great for SMB, but not quite ready for the Big Boys

Overall Satisfaction with Google Voice