If you’re considering migrating your on-premises phone system to the cloud or replacing your current Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform, you might be overwhelmed by all the options and suppliers in the cloud phone system marketplace.
As a trusted partner of Zoom and RingCentral, Stratosphere Networks can help you determine which cloud solution makes the most sense for your business. Our technology advisors have experience with both Zoom and RingCentral deployments and can identify the ideal product for your organization after evaluating your current situation, requirements, and objectives. On top of that, our price parity guarantee means working with us won’t cost you more than going straight to the supplier.
One way we add value for our clients is by producing objective comparison matrices showing how different products stack up against each other. Seeing the software compared side-by-side can streamline the decision-making process. That’s why we’re publishing this “versus” blog series to illustrate how leading cloud phone systems compare in terms of key differentiators and features.
This blog entry will look at how RingCentral compares with Zoom as a cloud phone system supplier. Before reviewing the matrix, here’s some essential background about each provider.
Cloud phone system profile: RingCentral
RingCentral has delivered leading business communication solutions since 1999. Headquartered in Belmont, CA, with regional offices worldwide, this supplier stands out in the UCaaS space for their intuitive and easy-to-deploy software. RingCentral’s cloud phone system offering is accessible from any device with an internet connection and boasts high reliability and security. On top of that, it comes with over 300 app integrations. They also provide a contact center platform that’s a leader in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in innovative ways.
Additionally, this supplier’s products integrate with Microsoft Teams. RingCentral has a presence in over 45 countries and territories worldwide and serves businesses of all sizes around the world including healthcare, education, retail, and high-tech, among other industries.
Cloud phone system profile: Zoom
At the beginning of 2020, when everyone suddenly needed a way to stay connected from home, Zoom emerged as a convenient platform for working and socializing from a distance. Based in San Jose, CA, this supplier has delivered outstanding video communications solutions since 2011. Zoom’s UCaaS offering continues to drive productivity and streamline collaboration for businesses of all sizes globally with an intuitive interface, reliability, HD video and audio, high-level security, easy scalability, and other useful features.
With Zoom, you can also easily add telephone users to your meetings, and it’s easy for end users to transition from on-premises solutions if they already have experience using the platform for meetings. This supplier also offers a newer contact center solution that continues to evolve and has a global presence with phone service in over 40 countries and territories.
| Provider | RingCentral | Zoom | |
| HQ | Supplier’s headquarters | Belmont, CA | San Jose, CA |
| # of Employees | Size of supplier by employee count | 4,000 | 5,000+ |
| Public / Private | Privately owned or publicly traded | Public: RNG | Public: ZM |
| Seats in Service | Number of licenses deployed | 2M | 70+ Million UCaaS Subscribers with over 2 Million Phone Seats |
| Gartner Magic Quadrant 2022 | This provider’s placement in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for the industry | Leaders | Leaders |
| Sweet Spot | Ideal opportunities for the provider | 500 – 25,000 seats | 150-10,000+ seats |
| Key Acquisitions | Companies acquired and integrated into the supplier’s offering | Dimelo – Renamed RingCentral Engage (a social media customer communications service) Glip | Keybase, Kites |
| Datacenter Locations | Location of supplier’s data centers APAC: Asia-Pacific EMEA: Europe, Middle East, Africa LATAM: Latin America NA: North America | NA: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Jose, Seattle, Toronto, Vienna (VA) EMEA: Amsterdam, London, Paris, Zurich APAC: Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo LATAM: Rio de Janeiro | NA: Denver, New York City, San Jose EMEA: Amsterdam, Frankfurt APAC: Hong Kong, Melbourne, Mumbai (pending – 2H 2020), Sydney, Tokyo LATAM: São Paulo (pending – 2H 2020) |
| Compatible Handsets | IP phones supported and/or resold by supplier | Cisco (SPA), Mitel, Poly, Yealink (click here for device list) | AudioCodes, Cisco, Poly, Yealink (click here for device list) |
| Platform | Does provider leverage a proprietary/native platform or leverage a platform via third-party partnership? | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Compliance | Regulatory compliances the supplier meets | Cyber Security, FINRA, GDPR, HIPAA, HITRUST CSF, PCI, SOC 2, SOX | GDPR, FedRAMP, HIPPA, SOC2, CSA-STAR, IAPP, NCSC DOD IL2, FERPA, PIPE DA/PHIPA |
| GDPR Compliance | Ability to comply with new EU standard | Yes | Yes |
| Contact Center | Contact center solutions the supplier offers | RingCentral Contact Center (NICE inContact) RingCentral Engage | Partners with Five9, NICE inContact, Twilio, Talkdesk, Genesys. Currently deploying proprietary version called VEC (Video Engagement Center) |
| Key System Emulation | Can imitate Key Phone System functionality | No | Yes |
| SIP Trunking Available | Does the supplier offer SIP trunking services for onpremises PBXs? | No | Yes |
| CRM / ERP / Ticketing App Integration | 3rd-party SaaS solutions with which the supplier has pre-built integrations | Salesforce, Bullhorn, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Oracle Sales Cloud, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Zoho | Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, ServiceNow Zendesk, Zoho |
| Productivity App Integration | 3rd-party mail/collaboration solutions with which the supplier has pre-built integrations | Google Workspace, Microsoft/Office365, Slack, Microsoft Teams | Google Workspace, Microsoft/Office365, Slack, Microsoft Teams |
| Microsoft Teams Integrations | Supplier’s capability with Microsoft Teams | Direct Routing for PSTN access Embedded Softphone Dialer (Teams webversion) | Embedded Softphone Dialer Bot integration |
| SD-WAN Offerings | SD-WAN technologies that these providers offer and manage themselves. | none | none |
| Circuits Offered | Do these suppliers offer Dedicated Circuits for UCaaS traffic only, Internet circuits, and/or SIP trunking?If yes, please specific which ones. | yes; dedicated voice circuits | no |
| Bring Your Own MPLS | If MPLS is supported, can the client bring any MPLS provider? Additional cost likely to apply | yes | yes |
| Notable Clients | Key customer wins (references available upon request) | Chili’s, Golden State Warriors, Hyatt | Access Physicians, Kiesel Law, Trend Micro, University of Washington Additional case studies here. References available upon request. |
| Top Customer Verticals | Verticals in which supplier has historically had the most success | Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail, SLED | Education, Healthcare, Professional Services, Technology |
| On-Site Implementation / Training | Does the supplier charge extra for these services? | Add-on admin implementation & training available beyond standard services provided | Yes |
| Implementation Overview | Description or link providing further detail | Implementation Overview | Implementation Overview |
| Downdetector | Collection of reports offering real-time status and outage information | Downdetector: RingCentral | Downdetector: Zoom |
| Collaboration Solutions Available | Native and/or 3rd-party resale options offered by supplier | RingCentral Meetings, RingCentral Rooms, RingCentral Room Connector, RingCentral Webinar | Zoom Meetings, Webinars, Room Systems |
| Differentiators | Unique features of the provider | 30+ Data Centers worldwide; 45+ carrier peering; 200+ ISP Peering 40+ Global Office Countries with expanded International Virtual Number coverage to 100+ countries; localization for 16 languages, and service to China & India (ICB) 100+ ISV Partners; largest developer community in the cloud space – 40,000+ Developers, 30+ GLIP Integrations, 250 + RESTful APIs and Cloud Integrations | World-class video/web conferencing platform, including Zoom Room Systems with wireless content sharing and oneclick meetings Single platform organically developed, providing a consistent user experience across chat, meetings, and phone on any preferred device Contact Center partnerships with Five9, Genesys, NICE inContact, Talkdesk, and Twilio, allowing agents to use Zoom Phone endpoints to field voice interactions Zoom App Marketplace with 200+ apps and bots, along with free access to APIs and SDKs |
If you’re interested in learning more about your cloud phone system options, our advisors can identify the best product for your business. Take the first step toward better business communications today by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing sales@stratospherenetworks.com to schedule a consultation.
