Cisco Phone Systems: The Ultimate Guide Cisco has long been a dominant force in the networking and communication industry, renowned for its innovation and reliability. Our blog delves into Cisco’s evolution, highlighting its design improvements, challenges faced, and unique advantages over competitors. We’ll also guide you through the process of purchasing Cisco products and offer our expert verdict on why Cisco remains a top choice for businesses seeking robust and scalable communication solutions.
For further information and pricing on phone systems, here .
Cisco: Our performance rating out of 5 stars:
Our Overall Rating 4.4 out of 5 stars
Price 4.2 out of 5 stars
Usability 4.8 out of 5 stars
Features 4.5 out of 5 stars
Customer Rating 3.8 out of 5 stars
Speed 4.6 out of 5 stars
Useful links about Cisco from our article:
Benefits of Cisco
Downsides of Cisco
What Does Cisco Offer?
Cisco Products
Cisco Decision Making Guide
What Other People Think of Cisco
What Do Staff Think of Cisco?
Our Verdict on Cisco
How have we rated Cisco?
For every provider we assess, including Cisco, we rate them out of five stars on the five most important categories we have researched for the product / service offering. You can read about out review process & methodology here .
Why listen to our reviews?
With over ten years of experience in evaluating telecom products, our team brings a wealth of knowledge to understanding the market pros and cons. You can read more about our expert team here.
How Does Each Cisco Product Cater To Its Clients
Webex Free – £0 We think this is best for small businesses or teams that need occasional, short meetings, as well as remote teams for quick huddles and informal communication.
Pros:
Completely free, no credit card required. Great for quick meetings and huddles. Accommodates up to 100 participants – suitable for larger teams. Offers unlimited 1:1 and team messaging, screen sharing, and a whiteboard.
Cons:
Limited meeting duration (40 minutes). Recordings are saved locally only – no cloud storage. Lacks advanced features like closed captions, co-hosting, and live polling.
Webex Starter – £11.50/month/license
We think this is best for small to medium businesses with regular meetings that exceed 40 minutes, or teams needing basic recording capabilities and an AI assistant for scheduling or tasks.
Pros:
Affordable option with extended meeting length (up to 24 hours). Supports larger meetings compared to the free plan (up to 150 attendees). Includes an AI assistant for added convenience. Offers basic recording capabilities with 5 GB cloud storage. Maintains core features like screen sharing, messaging, and a whiteboard.
Cons:
Lacks advanced features like closed captions, co-hosting, and live polling. Cloud recording storage might be insufficient for frequent meetings.
Webex Business – £16.50/month/license
We think this is best for medium to large businesses requiring features like co-hosting and closed captions.
Pros:
Ideal for medium to large businesses with more participants (up to 200). Includes advanced features like closed captions and co-hosting for improved accessibility and collaboration. Offers increased cloud recording storage (10 GB) for more flexibility. Maintains core features and includes the AI assistant.
Cons:
More expensive than the previous plans. Might offer more features than some smaller businesses need.
Webex Enterprise (have to contact them for a quote)
We think this is best for large enterprises with a high volume of meetings involving large audiences.
Pros:
Best suited for large enterprises with very high participant needs (up to 1,000). Provides local and unlimited cloud recording for extensive archiving. Offers the highest level of security compliance with FedRAMP authorisation. Includes all features from previous plans along with the AI assistant.
Con:
Most expensive option and no pricing available online. Feature set might be overkill for smaller businesses.
Cisco Decision Making Guide If you need help choosing the right option for your business, we’ve created a handy table comparing the options side by side:
Feature Webex Free Webex Starter Webex Business
Price Free
£11.50/month/license
£16.50/month/license
Contact Sales
Meeting Length Up to 40 minutes
Up to 24 hours
Up to 24 hours
Up to 24 hours
Attendees Up to 100
Up to 150
Up to 200
Up to 1,000
Cloud Recording Local Only
5 GB
10 GB
Additional Features
Unlimited 1:1 & Team Messaging
Screen Sharing
Unlimited Whiteboard
Video Messaging
Closed Captions
Cohost Privileges
Live Polling & Q&A
FedRAMP Authorised Security
What Other People Think of Cisco Summary of Cisco: Real Reviews What we first noticed is how FEW poor reviews Cisco have. As a predominately American company, it’s also hard to find recent UK reviews. Nevertheless, we’ve noticed that most users find Cisco reliable and secure, with a strong VPN service. However, there are concerns about the cost-effectiveness, with some reviewers suggesting Cisco is better suited for larger businesses already invested in the ecosystem. Additionally, some users mention complexity and challenges with customer service.
Positive Cisco Customer Reviews
Negative Cisco Customer Reviews Please note all of the negative reviews we could find of Cisco were from before 2018!!
Cisco Commercial Video
Cisco: What To Expect as a User Don’t have time to watch the video guide? Here’s a visual of the Cisco interface so you know what to expect:
Cisco: The Design & How it Affects Users Cisco’s design philosophy emphasises simplicity, reliability, and user-centric features, significantly enhancing user experience – and evident to us in their set of products and solutions. We think the intuitive interfaces of Cisco’s products are designed to reduce complexity and facilitate ease of use, ensuring that even those with limited technical expertise can effectively manage and operate their communication systems.
We also think Cisco’s commitment to seamless integration across its product line means that users can easily connect and collaborate using various devices and platforms, thereby improving productivity and efficiency.
Cisco: What Sets it Apart From Its Competitors? Cisco sets itself apart from competitors to us through their comprehensive and innovative approach to networking and communication solutions.
They have a pretty extensive product portfolio, which includes advanced routers, switches, cybersecurity solutions, and collaboration tools, caters to a wide range of business needs – if you need it, chances are they’ve got it!
Cisco have a strong reputation for reliability and performance, which is backed by their strong global support network. The company’s emphasis on security, scalability, and seamless integration further differentiates it to the others for us, providing businesses with a robust and future-proof communication infrastructure.
What Do Staff Think of Cisco? Cisco employees generally praise the company culture (mentioned in over 1,700 reviews on their Glassdoor!), citing a good work-life balance with flexible work arrangements and benefits. Many reviewers highlight a positive and welcoming environment with great colleagues. However, concerns exist about management, with complaints about frequent layoffs, low raises, and promotions based on politics rather than merit.
Cisco Latest News ‘Cisco CEO Robbins To Partners: We’re Going To ‘Help You Understand How To Navigate The AI Journey’’.
Read more here .
‘Nvidia’s high will eventually come down’.
Read more here .
‘Cisco Finds its AI Hyperdrive’.
Read more here .
Cisco Awards
Improvements of Cisco over the Years A household name, Cisco has continually evolved its product offerings and technological capabilities over the years, solidifying its position as a leader in the networking and communications industry. They have been steadily growing in the UK market (they are predominately US focused). The company has consistently introduced innovative solutions, such as advanced routing and switching technologies, robust cybersecurity tools, and cutting-edge collaboration platforms like Webex. Cisco’s focus on integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning into its products has boosted them in popularity and secured their position as market leaders in the future.
Issues of Cisco Over the Years Despite its many successes, Cisco has faced several challenges over the years that we thought right to acknlowedge. The company has encountered issues related to software vulnerabilities and cybersecurity threats according to some Gartner reviews, which have occasionally impacted customer trust. Additionally, the rapid pace of technological change and increased competition from emerging tech companies have pressured Cisco to continually innovate to maintain its market leadership.
How to Purc hase Cisco
On their website here .
Via SecureIT here .
Via RS Online here .
Our Verdict on Cisco We’re pretty confident that Cisco remains a cornerstone in the networking and communications industry, known for its robust, reliable, and innovative solutions. We’re impressed by the company’s dedication to advancing technology, coupled with its strong security focus and comprehensive product range, and this makes it a preferred choice for businesses of all sizes.
Despite facing challenges, Cisco has shown resilience and adaptability, continuously improving its offerings to meet the evolving demands of the market. Their slightly higher pricepoint does alienate them from small startups – but their introduction of the free Webex software has broken down that barrier, and we hope they continue to expand their offerings to be able to best serve a wide range of business needs.
Other Useful Links About VoIP Hi, I’m Ally Cox , a senior copywriter and blogger at CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, the UK’s trusted platform for comparing business services.over a decade of experience in the B2B sector, I specialise in simplifying complex topics like leased lines, VoIP, business energy, HR and payroll solutions, accounting software, and EPOS systems .HR, copywriting, and business operations- from clocking-in systems to card machines and office technology .informed, confident decisions when choosing products and services that improve efficiency and save money.
