Do you want to migrate your phone system to the cloud or switch to a better Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) offering but don’t have the time to conduct in-depth research?
With so many players active in the rapidly changing UCaaS marketplace, determining which option aligns with your unique needs and goals can be time-consuming and stressful. That’s where we come in.
Our trusted technology advisors have over 20 years of experience with UCaaS, partnerships with leading suppliers, knowledge of niche solutions, and access to the latest market data. We’ve already done the homework for you.
Another vital element in our advisory arsenal is a tool that can instantly generate comprehensive comparison matrices showing how providers compare side-by-side.
In this “versus” blog series, we demonstrate the value of these objective matrices. This blog entry focuses on Zoom versus Microsoft Teams.
Before you review the matrix, here’s some essential background information about each UCaaS provider.
UCaaS supplier profile: Zoom
UCaaS supplier profile: ZoomThis San Jose, CA-based supplier has delivered video communication solutions since 2011 and exploded in popularity in 2020 when people needed an intuitive platform to stay connected with friends, family and colleagues. UCaaS from Zoom promotes productivity and collaboration from any location with an easy-to-use interface, security, reliability, scalability, and HD video and audio.
If you deploy Zoom’s UCaaS offering, adding telephony users to your meetings is simple. Additionally, if you’re migrating from an on-premises phone system, selecting this supplier can streamline the process if your employees already have experience with the application. This UCaaS provider also offers native enhanced emergency calling and compliance recording capabilities.
As a Zoom certified integrator, our team can add value to your company’s Zoom environment and realize the full potential of Zoom Phone with design, deployment, and solution management services. By partnering with us, you’ll receive white-glove project management services and expert guidance to ensure that implementation goes smoothly and your Zoom software is configured to align with your specific needs.
UCaaS supplier profile: Microsoft Teams
UCaaS supplier profile: Microsoft TeamsFounded in 1975 and headquartered in Redmond, WA, Microsoft is well-known as a business software supplier. Many companies rely on the Microsoft 365 suite of cloud applications, which enables end users to work from anywhere via OneDrive, SharePoint, Outlook, Excel, Azure Active Directory, and Microsoft Teams.
If your business already utilizes Microsoft 365, you can turn Teams into a full-blown cloud phone system with landline features, such as making and receiving voice and video calls over PSTN or the internet. End users can attend and host meetings, make and take calls, collaborate, share files, and chat without leaving the app.
Note: We have Microsoft unified communications partners in our network that can help you voice-enable Teams for comprehensive cloud phone system functionality for less than what you’d pay if you went directly to Microsoft. Working with one of our partners for Teams direct routing can also come with advantages like lower seat minimums, additional support services, flexible licensing, and high-level security.
| Provider | Microsoft Teams | Zoom | |
| HQ | Location of headquarters | Redmond, WA | San Jose, CA |
| # of Employees | in-house staff | 144,000 | 6,000 |
| Public / Private | Privately owned or publicly traded | Public: MSFT | Public: ZM |
| Seats in Service | Number of licenses deployed | 17M (Teams Phone PSTN) | 7M (Zoom Phone) |
| Minimum Seat Count / MRC | # of seats or MRC minimum required to engage | no minimum | no minimum |
| Sweet Spot | Ideal opportunities for the provider | 2-10,000+ seats | 150-2,500+ seats |
| Key Acquisitions | Companies acquired and integrated into the supplier’s offering | LinkedIn, Skype Technologies, Yammer | Keybase, Kites, Solvvy, Workvivo |
| Datacenter Locations | Location of supplier’s data centers APAC: Asia-Pacific EMEA: Europe, Middle East, Africa LATAM: Latin America NA: North America | Data-at-rest locations: APAC: Hong Kong, Japan, Malyasia, Singapore, South Korea Canada: Quebec City, Toronto EMEA: Austria, Finland, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden LATAM: Brazil, Chile UK: Cardiff, London US: Bay (CA), Boydton (VA) | APAC: Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Melbourne, Mumbai, Osaka, Singapore, Sydney, Tianjin, Tokyo Canada: Toronto, Vancouver EMEA: Amsterdam, Frankfurt LATAM: Queretaro (Mexico), São Paulo US: Denver, Newark, New York City, San Jose, Virginia |
| International Full PSTN Replacement | local DID + in-country calling experience, number portability, access to emergency services | 34 Countries | 47+ Countries |
| Compatible Handsets | IP phones supported and/or resold by supplier | Via 3rd Party: Audiocodes, Cisco, Crestron, Poly, Yealink | Algo, Audiocodes, Cisco, Grandstream, Logitech, Poly, Snom, Yealink |
| Platform | Does provider leverage a proprietary/native platform or leverage a platform via third-party partnership? | Microsoft | Proprietary |
| Microsoft Teams Integrations | Supplier’s capability with Microsoft Teams | n/a (Microsoft Calling Plan) | Direct Routing – Bundled PBX Direct Routing – Microsoft PBX Embedded Dialer |
| Compliance | Compliance standards the provider has met or is capable of assisting a cloud customer in meeting. | CCPA, Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), FedRAMP, GDPR, HIPAA, HITRUST, ITAR, ISO 27001, PCI, SOC 2, SOX Additional Compliances: Full List | CCPA, CPNI, Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), FedRAMP, GDPR, HIPAA, HITRUST, ISO 27001, SOC 2 Additional Compliances: FERPA, IAPP, NCSC DOD IL2, PIPE/PHIPA; Full List |
| Contact Center | Contact center solutions the supplier offers | None | Proprietary |
| Key System Emulation | Can imitate Key Phone System functionality | No | Yes |
| SIP Trunking Available | Does the supplier offer SIP trunking services for on-premises PBXs? | No | Yes |
| Line of Business App Integrations | 3rd-party SaaS solutions the supplier has integrated with | Cisco Webex/Webex Teams, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Office, Salesforce, Slack, Zendesk, Zoho Additional Integrations: Full List | Cerner, EPIC, Google Workspace, HubSpot, JobDiva, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Office, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Slack, SugarCRM, Zendesk, Zoho Additional Integrations: Full List |
| AI Capabilities | Artificial intelligence tools incorporated in the provider’s solution | Assign Action Items Live Language Translation Note Taking & Summarization Real-Time Transcription Sentiment Analysis Additional Capabilities: Full List. | Assign Action Items Live Language Translation Note Taking & Summarization Real-Time Transcription Sentiment Analysis |
| 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. | no | no |
| Bring Your Own MPLS | If MPLS is supported, can the client bring any MPLS provider? Additional cost likely to apply. | yes | yes |
| Top Customer Verticals | Verticals in which supplier has historically had the most success | N/A | Education, Healthcare, Professional Services, Technology |
| On-Site Implementation / Training | Does the supplier charge extra for these services? | via Microsoft partners | Additional charge |
| Implementation Overview | Description or link providing further detail | via Microsoft partners | Read more here. |
| Dedicated Customer Support | Does the supplier provide dedicated support personnel? If so, is this included or is there an additional cost? | Read more here. | 24/7 global access included. Premier/Premier+ packages available for additional charge. Read more here. |
| Collaboration Solutions Available | Native and/or 3rd-party resale options offered by supplier | Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Teams Live Events | Proprietary |
| Case Studies | link to provider’s case studies page | Read more here. | Read more here. |
| Differentiators | unique features of the technology | Read more here. | All-in-one platform for Contact Center, AI, Virtual Agent, Phone, E-mail, Calendar, Video Meetings, Room Systems, Digital Signage, Content Sharing, Whiteboarding, Team Chat, Events, Webinars and more with over 2,000 app integrations with rich APIs and SDKs. |
As a trusted partner of Microsoft and Zoom, we can offer an objective assessment and efficiently identify the best UCaaS offering for your business. Start today by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing sales@stratospherenetworks.com.
