Google Voice for Enterprise -- Great for SMB, but not quite ready for the Big Boys
Rating: 8 out of 10
September 27, 2019
SS
Vetted Review
Verified User
5 years of experience
Once Google started offering their voice products for enterprise I jumped on it as I had been using their personal version for years. Their GSuite add-on has the ability to work with both mobile devices and Polycom VVX 150 Obi Edition, 250 Obi, etc. Relatively limited hardware support but it maintains backward compatibility with previous Obihai ATA adapters and Deskphones such as the 1062 which is my personal favorite. Provisioning is only available in the Google admin console for the Polycom VVX X50 obi series phones, but this doesn't entirely limit you to just those devices. This was a simple way to offer employee's a work phone number that they can easily text and call to/from with external and internal contacts. Low-cost and offers a level of usage auditing and logs from within the GSuite admin console. There are some limitations with support, as it seems the company Google outsources to doesn't have all the documentation they need to help with issues like admin passwords on provisioned phones... but it is quite possible to get this set up and deployed successfully if you have a DIY attitude.
- Simple Interface.
- Fast deployment and integration with GSuite accounts.
- Cross-Platform compatibility.
- Classic Google Voice one number / multi-device simulations ring style.
Cons
- Expanded device support in the GSuite admin portal, they could easily add-on support for legacy Obihai devices.
- Admin controlled call-recording for compliance and record keeping.
- Better documentation/support for Admins.
- Ability to port-in numbers with a extension designated for the ported number. This would help streamline migration from other phone vendors, as it is now the port-in process rough because there is no way to automate the number assignment once the port is complete.
46.66666666666667%
4.7
62.5%
6.3
80%
8.0
85%
8.5
- Cost for Google Voice is stellar, starting at $10/mo per user.
- While it doesn't offer a new Audio/Video conferencing solution it does integrate with GSuite so it makes use of Google Calendar and Hangouts/ Google Meet.
- Gets the employee's to use their company phone numbers more as texting is easy and deployment is simple.
- The cell phone app is reliable and easy to deploy.
Google Voice is hard to compare because on a cost basis it is so much lower than it's competitors. As a whole, I would say it's definitely lacking features compared to Nextiva, and a few from RingCentral but the service is reliable and it has the most commonly used core features that most small businesses need. If you want or need call center exclusive features, Dialpad is the next runner up here as they have developed more advanced call center style features on the Google Voice cloud stack and integrates with GSuite... but it will cost you more. At this price point, it's hard to beat as it's a solid value and if you're not needing more features it gets the job done. Ultimately I choose Google Voice after using all these other services to save the company money and provide the employees with the essential features they needed with minimal effort as an administrator required to setup new accounts, etc. It also helps the company leverage the services we're already paying for with the GSuite apps, by integrating Google Calendar, Meet, Hangouts, etc. this way we don't have to have a mixture of products in the company requiring extra training thus simplifying the on-boarding process for new employee's.
26
Mostly Clinical operations and direct interaction with clients and families. Google Voice has been implemented in roughly 1/3 of the company, and it's going well so far but missing some key features for the more business/compliance oriented side of the operations.
1
You will need experience deploying or setting up networks if you're planning on using the desk phones. As for the cell phones (only mobile/virtual) usage no real previous experience is required except for knowledge of how to use and setup GSuite users.
- Text communication
- BYO device usage for Voice/Text while maintaining compliance
- Quick deployment for new employee's
Yes
Ring Central, primarily due to cost. Not all of the employee's needed all the features offered by Ring Central so they were migrated to Google Voice.
- Price
- Product Features
- Product Usability
Cost
I wouldn't change anything.