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RingCentral is a phone call management service can make small businesses look and function like larger ones with some pretty neat telephonic tomfoolery. The service has been around since early 2004, and has since introduced a slew of VoIP plans called DigitalLine that give users the option to use VoIP instead of, or on top of their existing landlines.
So what can you do with RingCentral? Small business owners will love it, since you can set up a ridiculously extensive set of rules to handle incoming calls, or reroute them on the fly with a virtual phone call manager called SoftPhone. The idea is to take a single or multiline setup and spread it out intelligently, while putting all the options online for you to manage and tweak while away from your office. You can set up calls to be routed to different phones or line extensions, and there are also handy business-centric settings to tweak the response people get when they call at off-business hours.
The VoIP implementation is fairly straightforward. All incoming calls can be set to be received via VoIP, letting you receive and manage phone calls while away from your landline. You can also get various minute packages to use VoIP to make outgoing calls, including an all-you-can-eat plan of outgoing VoIP for about $25 per month. In contrast to consumer VoIP services like Vonage, Skype, or Comcast's DigitalVoice, RingCentral isn't aiming at cheap outgoing long distance providers, as much as the multiline business crowd who's looking for a way to handle several lines without the hardware or staffing.
Publisher's Description
From RingCentral:
RingCentral is Internet Phone Service for small businesses. The RingCentral virtual phone system with toll-free numbers delivers all the power of a "big company" system but with no hardware to buy and nothing to maintain. It's an ideal telecommunications solution for mobile professionals, home offices and small companies.
When you sign up for RingCentral, you immediately get your own Toll Free 800 or a Local Area Code phone number that serves as your business' "front door." Alternately, you can transfer your existing phone number into RingCentral and enjoy the same features that help you effectively manage your business communications. Now you can answer calls on your existing mobile, home and office phones, or even on your PC. You can also use RingCentral to send and receive faxes, automatically route calls to any member of your team regardless of their location and provide callers with an auto-attendant (e.g., "Push 1 for sales, 2 for shipping, 3 for billing," etc.) and a dial-by-name directory.
RingCentral gives you the flexibility to easily configure your virtual phone system to match your needs, whether you work alone or with a team. As your company expands you can add extensions for new employees, create departments and connect remote offices.
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All versions:
4.3 starsout of 12 votes
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Current version:
4.3 starsout of 12 votes
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My rating:
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"Would NEVER recommend"
Version: RingCentral
Pros
Cheap
Friendly
Somewhat user friendlyCons
Off-shore technical/billing help with people that don't speak English very well (they are friendly though!)
Hold times are RIDICULOUS!
Dropped Calls
Bad receptionSummary
I would never go with this company. We have had a really hard time getting someone on the phone to help with technical issues, and then when we finally gave up to go somewhere else, they took over 45 minutes to "cancel" the numbers.
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"Great service and support aggressively expanding!"
Version: RingCentral
Pros
Customer service is very persistent they want to keep their customers!
Online and mobile access is very similar and easy to use.Cons
They do not register with 411 whether or not you ask for it. But customer support did the research and provided me all the information to do it myself.
Summary
Wish they were a cellphone carrier cause the customer support is way better than any mobile network. Pricing could be better but for the tools and programming they handle themselves i am very pleased. The RingMe feature is used on my company's website and is very convenient. coolorsolutions.com
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"A can and string would work better."
Version: RingCentral
Pros
There is a website to log in
Cons
can't understand support most times, phones reboot while on call and setting change, if you call customer support good luck getting off the phone before an hour passes, most support people are obviously using a flip chart, transfering takes forever, extension disappear, calls drop, calls go robotic.
Summary
I have all cisco gear and a CCIE that configured my network equipment so there is no problem with priorities. Level 3 has no clue what to do to make it better they just keep making it worse. I have never once in months been able to use the phone system the way we want to use it. My customer service department just was deleted by them losing 200+ voice mails which is going to cripple my company. I have an asterisk phone system on the way now but this may be the last issue I have in this office due to those voice mails being deleted by these idiots, there is gold in those messages. I lost $10's of thousands just now I can almost guarantee I should have setup an enterprise grade system this garbage has cost me more than the asterisks plus I just lost who knows how much money. I hate ring central they are spawned from the devil.
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"" Great asset to our company!""
Version: RingCentral
Pros
- Easy set up
- Great 24/7 customer service
- Ability to choose our 8** number
- Ability to receive voicemail and faxes through email
- Aility to make calls using our laptopsCons
We have found no cons.
Summary
We have been with Ring Central for three years and absolutly love it! Not only is Ring Central affordable, you get the most features with the lowest price on the market. Ring Central has an amazing knowledgeable team that are always happy to help!!!!!
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"RC Mobile is a great product and a great value"
Version: RingCentral
Pros
A very reasonable cost - my phone bill went from $95+ a month to $23. I was able to keep my phone # and my fax #.
I don't answer the phone because we don't have any but get an instant text and email telling that I got a call and the email includes the voice message. Which allows me to screen out sales calls and respond immediately to customers. Also when a call comes in it rings on my computer and I have the option of answering it on my computer using VOIP or I also have the option of monitoring the voice mail as they leave it.
I am out of the office a lot and use their iPhone app quite a bit. If I have the Iphone app running I also get an alert that a call is coming in. I can return calls from my Iphone using WIFI VOIP and the company phone # will show up on their caller ID.
One of my concerns with dropping the land line was losing the fax machine, but they make it easy to send and receive faxes.Cons
The only real con that I have experienced is the quality of the VOIP calls hasn't been consistently good and so I don't use it very much. It might have improved but it is just as easy to use my cell phone to return calls.
Summary
Overall, I am very pleased with the quality and value of the service. I figure I am saving around $900 a year using this service.
One thing I forgot to mention is that they have great customer service as well. They patiently and expertly walked me through getting things set up initially.
Updated on Mar 22, 2012 -
"Great Phone Service for Small Business"
Version: RingCentral
Pros
The price is excellent. It makes it affordable for a small business to get the big business sound they are looking for. The features are plentiful, there is a great deal of flexibility in the options.
Cons
I do not have anything negative to comment. Its a great service.
Summary
I recommend this product for small businesses.
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"Easy, Flexible, Allows A Wider Presence"
Version: RingCentral
Pros
For the past few years RingCentral has allowed me to maintain a local marketing presence in two prime cities I, without the costs of a remote office.
RingCentral's mobile app offers the added benefit of lower cost international calls from my established virtual numbers, which can be accessed from anywhere, via the Ring Central App. This flexibility allows for continuity from a virtual office to real time existence.Cons
The RingCentral App requires use of a mobile phone network, rather than a wifi network.
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"Great product for the small business"
Version: RingCentral
Pros
Less expensive than phone company.
Fax number available.
Calling features just like regular phone companies.Cons
Problem using fax number from another computer.
Summary
Ring Central is a great tool for the small business! The cost is much less than the local telephone company or cable company. Customer service representatives are friendly and well-informed about their product when there has been a question.
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"Best on-line service provider I have!"
Version: RingCentral
Pros
Automated call attendant has many options to control how, when and where you receive calls.
Faxes come in and you are notified of their arrival by email or text that identifies the company name of the sender with the time in my area code.
Support is great, 7/24, North American based, rarely a long wait.
Pricing, while not the lowest is very reasonable for what you get.Cons
The setup can be a little confusing but detailed information is available on their site or you can call the support line and receive friendly and useful help.
Summary
My Company has been using Ring Central for over three years and every once in a while I test other VOIP and Internet fax service providers just to see what is available. So far nothing compares to Ring Central, the quality of their product and their excellent 7/24 North American based support can't be beat.
The setup of the call attendant can be a little confusing until you get used to it, but once you do, the options available should satisfy even the most demanding user. The price may be a little higher than some of their competitors but it is well worth it.
Thanks Ring Central, keep up the great work! -
"Highly manageable phone system that meets our needs!"
Version: RingCentral
Pros
1. RingCentral (RC) provides you with the tools to manage your telephone numbers, calls, and faxes.
2. We never miss a call, when in the office, or out.
3. Provides online faxing, or via email. We no longer use our fax machines, thus saving on machine maintenance, and paper.
4. We are able to obtain telephone numbers to different area codes to project market presence.
5. RC provides you with the history logs than can track source of calls for marketing targeting.
6. Technical support is great, and very personalized.Cons
Pricing could be a little more competitive.
Summary
Overall, I replaced my $20,000.00 pbx with RingCentral and I can get the same level of features as I need for my small business. Can't go wrong with RingCentral.
