Communicating quickly and efficiently needs to be a given in a fast-paced competitive environment. The Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) market is growing, driven by advancing technology and evolving user preferences for video conferencing, chat, screen sharing that can facilitate communication and collaboration better than voice alone.
Organizations with phone systems reaching their end of life are often choosing to upgrade to UCaaS for the increases in efficiency and productivity it can provide — and they need your expertise to help them find the solution that addresses their needs and challenges and results in the greatest ROI.
To help you evaluate UCaaS solutions, we invited vendors to share details about their products. The companies that provided information for this product comparison are:
- 8×8: 8×8 X Series
- Avaya: Avaya OneCloud-IX Workplace
- ConnectMe: ConnectMeVoice
In the coming months, we’ll be adding additional solutions from vendors that didn’t make the deadline for this first comparison.
Note: XaaS Journal product comparisons aren’t about rating products or choosing “the best.” And they aren’t paid listings or ratings that some websites publish. Our objective, as always, is to provide VARs and MSPs with unbiased resources to help them make the best decisions for their clients and their businesses.
We recognize that each business is unique so one solution may offer higher value to some businesses than to others. We’ve organized information provided by the vendors by feature, so it will be easier for you to compare and contrast them. For more information provided by the vendors, download our “UCaaS Solutions” spreadsheet.
Target Audience
UCaaS solutions are usually designed with particular markets in mind. Of the products in our comparison:
8×8 X Series:
This solution can be used with SMB, midmarket, and enterprise clients, but its sweet spot is globally distributed midmarket and enterprise organizations. Top client verticals include retail, healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, recruitment, technology, and the public sector.
Avaya OneCloud-IX Workplace:
Avaya OneCloud can accommodate organizations with 1 to 1,000 users and can deliver services globally. Average customers range from 10 to 50 users. Top client verticals include education, state and local government, and financial services.
ConnectMeVoice:
This solution is designed for the SMB to midmarket client in North America. Top client verticals are restaurants, real estate, legal, and dealerships.
UCaaS Compatibility and Integrations
Most businesses migrating from a PBX or VoIP system to a UCaaS solution want more than just an upgraded voice communications system. They’re attracted to UCaaS for the added efficiency and productivity they can achieve by integrating communications with other business systems. The best strategy is to understand your client’s goals when moving to UCaaS and systems and applications that need to integrate with the new solution.
8×8 X Series:
8×8 is compatible with iOS, Android, Mac OS, and Microsoft Windows and integrates with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Zendesk, ServiceNow, NetSuite, Bullhorn, G Suite, and Outlook.
Telephone vendors supported include Poly, Cisco, Obihai, Panasonic, Yealink, Avaya, and Mitel.
Avaya OneCloud-IX Workplace:
Avaya is based on open standards and supports Android, iOS, Windows and Mac. Integrations include mobility, notification, and PSTN dial-in support.
Avaya offers its own devices but supports most standards-based manufacturers.
ConnectMeVoice:
ConnectMeVoice is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, Linux and Mac, and integrates with Autotask, ConnectWise, Salesforce, VanillaSoft, Outlook and Chrome.
Telephone vendors supported include Aastra, Polycom, Panasonic, and Yealink.
UCaaS Features
UCaaS solutions can provide a range of features that will help your clients streamline communications and collaborate more effectively. Look beyond basic voice features to explore other benefits the solution can provide your client.
8×8 X Series:
8×8 offers cloud phone, video meeting, team messaging and a contact center all on one platform. 8×8 can provide channel partners with BAAs for HIPAA compliance.
New features include team messaging, dynamic integration framework to enable deep integrations, and analytics, which unifies data from all employees and customer interactions.
Avaya OneCloud-IX Workplace:
Avaya offers fax, paging, intercom, E911, collaboration and SIP trunking. OneCloud can meet most standards and regulations including HIPAA, PCI, FISMA, ISO, and offers a FedRAMP moderate certification.
New features for 2019 include integration with Slack.
ConnectMeVoice:
ConnectMeVoice offers features such as auto-attendant and dial-by-name directory, flexible call routing, “FollowMe” call routing, call transfer, busy lamp field (BLF), an end user portal, heads-up display, call reporting, email and text notification, on-hold music, intercom, extension to extension dialing, voicemail to text transcription, call recording, and off-hours greetings.
This year, ConnectMeVoice added a partner knowledge base and area code-based routing.
Support for UCaaS Solutions
When something goes wrong, your clients need to know they can find the help and answers they need quickly and efficiently. The vendors in our comparison provide support in various ways through multiple channels.
8×8 X Series:
8×8 provides global, follow-the-sun support via seven support locations around the world that are co-located with network operations centers in the US, UK, Romania, Philippines and Singapore.
Customers have access to the global support team via web portal, chat or phone. All 8×8 customers also have access to the 8×8 Knowledge Base for 24/7/365 access to the latest product capabilities and best practices.
Avaya OneCloud-IX Workplace:
Avaya includes remote technical support, software updates and software upgrades and has multiple support sites that are interconnected and support a follow-the-sun model for global support.
ConnectMeVoice:
Phone, partner knowledge base, and other support options are available upon request. ConnectMeVoice’s help desk is located in Manalapan, NJ.
UCaaS Pricing
UCaaS solution pricing models also vary, so carefully review options with your customers to make sure they are not only getting the features they want but are also making the most budget-friendly choice.
8×8 X Series:
8×8 X Series has bundled service plans with increasing capabilities/pricing per month per user. Companies can mix and match plans to best meet user needs within a single account.
Avaya OneCloud-IX Workplace:
Avaya offers per seat pricing based on terms, starting with month to month. Discounts are offered based on the number of seats and term commitment for up to five years.
ConnectMeVoice:
Prices are based on the number of lines clients use, not phones.
What Makes UCaaS Solutions Stand Out Among the Competition?
In addition to asking vendors for information about specific features of their solutions, we also gave them the opportunity to tell you what makes their products unique and to share news about their companies. The responses from the UCaaS vendors in our comparison follow:
8×8 X Series:
“8×8 is the only vendor to provide one integrated solution for all customer and employee interactions: One system of engagement for contact center and enterprise voice, video and team messaging, and one system of intelligence on one cloud technology platform.
In October 2018, 8×8 acquired open-source video communications technology Jitsi. This will become the core video communications technology powering X Series. The new 8×8 Meetings will launch in summer 2019 and will include 25+ additional capabilities (e.g., dedicated room URLs, remote desktop control, live streaming via YouTube, granular administrator controls, geo routing, etc.) and in-room systems.”
Avaya OneCloud-IX Workplace:
“Avaya has a full set of devices, and we support API integration with our CPaaS platform. We offer comprehensive integration with such companies as Salesforce, Google, Slack and Microsoft. Avaya has a rich feature set and complete communications technology heritage in both UC and CC.
Avaya will continue to enhance and grow our global delivery footprint.”
ConnectMeVoice:
“ConnectMeVoice offers a full-featured voice communications platform, including mobile apps and MSP-focused integrations with a partner-friendly Call-Path Pricing model.
ConnectMeVoice appointed a new Channel Chief on May 1st and launched a new partner portal and knowledge base to expand implementation and support resources for its channel partners.”
Final Thoughts
Reviewing various UCaaS solutions available for you to provide to your clients and speaking with both vendors and providers, it’s very clear to us that there really is no “one-size-fits-all” solution when it comes to communications. Even businesses of similar sizes in the same vertical can have very different objectives for upgrading to UCaaS. Fortunately, with the breadth of solutions available, you can build a solution that addresses your clients’ unique needs. Use your knowledge of your client’s operation, their network, and their industry to provide the optimal solution.
If you’d like more information on UCaaS solutions or you’d like XaaS Journal to provide additional insights on how providing these solutions can make a positive impact on your business, please reach out. We welcome your feedback. 
