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Avaya ruled the world of PBX systems in the early 2000s. Back then, no provider had the same quality of product or service as this telecom titan, least of all Cisco. Cisco only did networking and data management at the time. Now there's a competition in the world of communications. It’s Avaya vs. Cisco. Who will win?
The answer may be Cisco. In 2018, Cisco Systems received several of the most prestigious awards in communications. These include the STAR awards for Best Practices in Customer Success, Best Practices in Leveraging PSA for Service Excellence, and Innovation in Enabling Customer Outcomes.
Cisco has poured resources into developing its new products. These products have a capacity for a virtually unlimited number of extensions and video conferencing. This includes Cisco's unified communications platform WebEx.
Avaya is no slouch, however. They have become a trusted brand with decades of experience in dealing with business phone systems. Avaya has done its part to evolve its products for the modern workplace.
They've upgraded their software and cloud options to ensure their solutions are future-proof. Avaya OneCloud is a UC solution that’s easy to use, low maintenance, feature-rich, and still relatively scalable.
Both Cisco and Avaya have systems that provide plenty of benefits. However, they also have their weaknesses.
Cisco touts its advanced technology as one of its greatest selling points, but it can also be a drawback. The system can be difficult to operate for many users and can be extremely demanding on an IT level.
For organizations with IT resources to spare, this isn't a problem. However, smaller businesses will often find themselves unable to meet this need. Cisco solutions are also much more expensive.
Like Cisco, Avaya’s biggest weakness is what some would consider its greatest strength. Although it is easy to use and maintain, it lacks technological sophistication. There’s a limit to the number of extensions these devices can support and the amount of system-wide changes a user can easily make. To make matters worse, its complicated licensing and registration process can make implementation very difficult.
That’s where a third-party integrator comes in. An integrator, like Continuant, can take care of all the complexities of implementing a Cisco solution for you. More importantly, Continuant will ensure the solution works well for each user.
When it comes to integration and support, Continuant is well-versed in both Avaya and Cisco. We will be able to help you with whatever you choose. With all the many factors to consider when it comes to unified communications solutions, bear this in mind: When businesses go to war, it’s the customers who win.
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* Editor's Note: This article was originally published in May 2019 and has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
