ShoreTel and Cisco are popular VoIP services that many businesses use to improve their communications among employees and customers. Using a VoIP service can boost your company’s productivity while also helping you to give customers a good experience while getting in contact.
This post covers the main features, pricing plans, and level of customer support that’s available from ShoreTel and Cisco so that you can have an easier time deciding on the one that’s right for your needs.
Our Comparison of Cisco vs ShoreTel
Cisco Overview
Cisco provides businesses with VoIP services that allow for voice and video conferences where everyone involved can see the same images on the screen while discussing. This can make it easier to host meetings for companies that have employees in various locations or who may be working remotely from home on certain days.
It’s a simple and effective tool that can save companies money and time on travel. Instead, employees can set themselves up anywhere that has internet access and they’re good to go. Businesses tend to use Cisco to improve productivity when it comes to the way that they conduct meetings. They also use it to easily stay in contact with employees due to the centralized VoIP system.
ShoreTel Overview
ShoreTel is a cloud based telephone system that allows you to communicate with employees and customers through a unified system. This makes it easier to contact other team members and customers which can help your business achieve more during the day and improve your customer service ratings.
Businesses are able to benefit from the features if VoIP that make communications simpler and quicker. These include features such as call recording, performance reporting, conferencing, and more.
Cisco Main Features
- Automatic notifications
- Access control
- App sharing
- Active directory integration
- Call recording
- Messenger
- Collaboration tools
- Conferences
- File transfer
- Remote control
- Video recording
- Video conferencing
Cisco also offer a good range of integrations that include Astea Alliance, Act-On, Docebo, Bitium, ExpertusONE, Dropbox Business, Docebo, eFront, eTrigue, SharpSpring, and Paradiso LMS.
Companies that already use these apps may find that the integration process of Cisco is easier. This can help with the way that you communicate and send important files and messages between employees.
In addition to this, Cisco is compatible with Android and Apple devices, as well as Windows desktops and devices that have access to the internet. Therefore, you can expect to have an easier time installing Cisco across a wide range of devices that your employees may already be using.
ShoreTel Main Features
- Call center management
- Automatic lead distribution
- Call routing
- Call monitoring
- Call transfer
- Caller ID
- Call tracking
- Messenger
- Conferences
- Voice recognition
- Lead distribution
- Reports & statistics available
- Video conferencing
- Video call recording available
- Voicemail
Companies are also able to use ShoreTel with a variety of apps which can make the integration process smoother if these are programs that you’re already using. Some of these integrations include injixo, Tigerpaw, VPI Capture, Logicbox, JobDiva, Oreka TR, Klipfolio, AuguTech, and Bitium.
ShoreTel’s VoIP software can only be used on iPhones and devices that have internet access. Therefore, the kinds of devices that you can use with ShoreTel are more limited compared to Cisco.
Calling Plans & Pricing
Cisco
Cisco offers three different pricing plans that include the following:
- Starter – $14.95 per month per user when billed monthly or $13.50 when billed annually. This plan allows for up to 50 participants in every meeting.
- Plus – $19.95 per month per user when billed monthly or $17.95 per month when billed annually. This plan allows for up to 100 participants in every meeting.
- Business – $29.95 per month per user when billed monthly or $26.95 per month when billed annually. This plan allows for up to 200 participants in every meeting.
You can also contact Cisco if you were interested in pricing plans and features that were more tailored to your specific needs. They can then provide you with more information and quotes which is ideal for companies that only want certain features and not others.
ShoreTel
In order to get prices on ShoreTel’s features, you’ll need to contact them directly. You can then receive a customized quote based on the features and number of users that you want to have. This can be more ideal for companies that want to tailor the VoIP features specifically to their business needs, instead of paying for a bunch of features that they aren’t interested in.
Customer Support
Cisco
Cisco providers users with support in the form of video tutorials, a knowledge base, FAQ section, and an online support system. Therefore, customers can contact Cisco in a variety of ways when it comes to resolving problems or asking any questions. The knowledge base and FAQ sections can be great places to find answer to popular queries that other people may have also been experiencing.
ShoreTel
ShoreTel offers customer support with video tutorials, a knowledge base, FAQ section, online support, and a phone number. The phone number can give some people more assurance as they can directly speak with a representative of ShoreTel to get better help when it comes to more complex problems.
What Size Companies Use ShoreTel and Cisco?
Most of ShoreTel’s clients are medium and large businesses. Cisco’s main clients include all sizes of businesses.
Does Cisco or ShoreTel Offer Any Free Trials?
Currently ShoreTel doesn’t offer customers any free trials. However, Cisco does offer free trials which provides businesses with an opportunity to try out the VoIP features. If you find it’s a good match, you can continue with one of their payment plans after the free trial has ended. For cases where you don’t think the VoIP features are a fit for your needs, you can simply cancel the service and not be charged.
What Languages Do ShoreTel and Cisco Support?
The only language that ShoreTel supports is English, whereas, Cisco supports Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Portuguese, Japanese, and Spanish.
Related ShoreTel Compariosons
Related Cisco Comparisons
Verdict of Cisco vs ShoreTel
Now that you have a better understanding about the kinds of VoIP features, pricing plans, and customer support that’s available from Cisco and ShoreTel, you’ll be able to feel more confident about picking the one that’s right for your business. They both offer a range of VoIP features and have some handy integrations that you could make good use out of.
Cisco lets you use their software with more devices compared to ShoreTel, which could be an important point of contention if there are lots of employees within your business that are using a wider variety of devices. ShoreTel is used more by medium and large companies rather than small ones. However, Cisco’s VoIP services are more broad for small, medium, and large businesses.
We hope that you can use the details found throughout our comparison post to make the most informed decision about which one of these two VoIP companies is best for your business.