Avaya vs Cisco  – Which Is Right Your Business?

What Other Options are Available?

Avaya vs Cisco – Both are two of the proclaimed industry leaders in the Unified Communications space. There is no doubt about that. Cisco and Avaya have been heavy hitters for VoIP and UC solutions for business for quite some time. Both come with hardware and support packages from their respective manufacturer. Although similar, each have their individual advantages and disadvantages. With that said, in reading further we will hit some key points on Avaya vs Cisco and also explore another highly sought Unified Communication solution that many business are switching to.

Cisco

Cisco has been the household name when it comes to network and Unified Communication for many years. With their continuous research and known mainly for their high quality of network equipment. Cisco is no doubt a great solution for Unified Communications for both small and large businesses. With the Cisco name, that undoubtedly comes with a higher cost on its hardware and software.

Avaya

Avaya has been in the business phone system industry for many many years. Avaya was one of the earlier adopters of VoIP business phone solutions. With their ability to offer a quality business VoIP solution in the early years, Avaya gained high recognition for their advance feature of voice, data and video integration with their platform. Avaya maybe one of the most known business telephone VoIP solutions and would provide a reliable solution for a business.

Advantages of Cisco and Avaya

Cisco – Cisco is known for its networking expertise and quality of hardware. Their networking hardware equipment is largely among the best in the world. With that said, their UC Hardware is of high quality as well. Cisco proprietary software allows for better team work and collaboration. 

Avaya – Avaya offers high quality hardware and similar UC features as Cisco. Avaya is flexible and a scalable business communication system. Organizations can connect smartphones, laptops, tablets and office phones. Connect remote works and link office together. Cisco can do similar features and functions.

Disadvantages of Cisco and Avaya

Cisco – A few disadvantages to Cisco is although it is intensely  
among the most technically advanced UC solutions available, Cisco’s UC system are also known to be more labor intensive from an IT perspective. Without IT Expertise in your business this may not be the solution for you. 

Avaya – Here we talk about some Common disadvantages of Avaya. One, that gets mention is the user friendliness. Avaya as reported here, is not as user friendly when it comes to management and users ability to make some system adjustments, and occasionally with call reliability. Secondly, is the capacity limits. Avaya does limit its extension capabilities. 

A disadvantage both Avaya and Cisco share is the high Total Cost of Ownership. Avaya and Cisco do have high cost support packages that are required to maintain warranty and support.

The Alternative UC Solution to Cisco and Avaya Businesses Are Switching To

So what UC solution is taking the place of these heavy hitters? 3CX has become a equal alternative to Avaya and Cisco. 3CX is no stranger to the UC VoIP communication industry and like Avaya and Cisco, 3CX has all the bells and whistles that make up Unified Communications solution.

3CX is a IT Managers dream. Its user friendly management console, apps and client software makes its easy to use for not only IT managers but also the users themselves. 3CX ranks right up there with Cisco on all levels.

Pricing – A big advantage 3CX has over Avaya and Cisco is the pricing plans offered. 3CX has plan for all sizes of businesses. Like Cisco it can handle unlimited amount of extensions, the difference is it doesn’t have the huge sticker price along with it. 3CX does have a yearly maintenance fee, but is much more reasonable than the Avaya and Cisco. Making TCO much more desirable. 

Features –   3CX has team collaboration built right into its base standard product line. Your company can enjoy the robust features of Web conferencing, whiteboard, text, and much much more without added costs. Does you company use CRM software? 3CX likely integrates with the CRM platform your company uses. If not, there are developers available to create the integration needed.

Avaya vs Cisco

So the Debate on Avaya vs Cisco really depends on what your business finds important. Usually there is the “1 Thing” that is the deciding factor on which direction you will go. If your are in the Market for a UC solution, 3CX should be considered or at least looked into.