8×8 combines all the elements of a fully functional unified communications system (business phone systems, video conferencing, team messaging and contact centre software) into one cloud-based system and is one of the major players in the space. The combination of their enterprise-grade infrastructure and international calling plans made 8×8 a popular choice for businesses with a global presence.
However, many businesses do not need a solution with this degree of comprehensiveness. 8×8 addresses this with their different tier packages, but many businesses begin evaluating other options when they require simpler pricing, easier management, better customer support, or a solution that caters better to smaller teams.
Why Do Companies Move Away From 8×8?
The breadth of 8×8’s functionalities is a double-edged sword, as many smaller businesses perceive a large portion of the offering as redundant and/or are unable to grow into the full complement of features. Organisations also criticise the platform for being unnecessarily complex for a, sometimes, expensive offering and frequently look for alternatives with better user interface design, customer relationship management (CRM) integration and customer support.
Is Number Porting Available When Leaving 8×8?
The majority of companies moving away from 8×8 can retain their existing telephone numbers. This is possible through the concept of number porting, where businesses are able to retain their contact numbers while changing the service provider. Most of the time, the new service provider will facilitate the transfer of the number port on their end; however, it is advised that companies do not cancel their service with 8×8 until the port has been successfully completed to avoid a service gap that would affect incoming calls.
How Long Does an 8×8 Migration Take?
The time to complete an 8×8 migration depends on a variety of factors, including the number of users and their associated phone numbers, as well as the number of integrations used. Most companies can expect number transfers to be completed in 2 to 21 days. While this occurs, new service providers generally offer assistance to users for the setup of call flows and for the testing of devices. Some businesses may require extensive planning to address complex contact centre scenarios. However, typical business phone migrations are completed with little disruption.
Leading Alternatives to 8×8
The most suitable alternative to 8×8 will depend on your priorities, whether your focus is on affordability, advanced communications, sales productivity, or enterprise scalability. The following are some of the most consistently recommended alternatives.
CloudTalk
CloudTalk specialises in high-volume business calling, making it an attractive option for outbound sales teams, customer support centres and businesses managing international communications. Advanced dialling tools, intelligent routing, detailed reporting and conversation analytics provide greater visibility into team performance while helping managers coach employees more effectively.
bOnline
For a small business that needs a simple business phone system, bOnline can be a satisfactory alternative to 8×8. Rather than catering to businesses of all sizes, bOnline focuses on small businesses. While maintaining all the essential telephony features for everyday communication, it provides straightforward cloud telephony, unlimited calls to the UK and easy to use call handling features.
Dialpad
Dialpad makes artificial intelligence central to their business communications offering. With features like automatic call transcription and AI-generated summaries and live coaching, businesses can improve their productivity and interactions with customers. When organisations look to modernise their communications and lessen the burden of administrative tasks, Dialpad is often chosen over 8×8.
Aircall
Aircall is designed for customer-facing teams who rely heavily upon CRM systems. With an intuitive design, integration with leading sales and helpdesk software and the ability to be implemented and used quickly, businesses can automate and improve their customer interaction systems. Companies who are most focused on their sales and on their support teams have functioning and working Aircall systems as opposed to larger unified communications systems.
RingCentral
RingCentral is a direct competitor to 8×8 that additionally has a strong presence in all other levels of the market. With an extremely reliable unified communications platform, RingCentral has one of the widest integration toolsets available. It is well positioned to serve businesses with high demand for productivity and collaboration tools, communications infrastructure spread across a number of international locations and advanced control and customisation of features.
Which Alternative is Best for a Growing Business?
Businesses that are growing need a balance of functionality and simplicity for their communications platform. For a lot of small to medium sized businesses, bOnline balances this extremely well, offering businesses the telephony that they need, without the complications of the enterprise communication suites. With bOnline, businesses can get professional telephony, scale users as needed and maintain a predictable cost every month, all while avoiding the steep learning curve that other business communication platforms have.
What Should You Prioritise in an Alternative to 8×8?
The best business phone system will support your business both today and in the future. When thinking about alternatives to 8×8, think about the providers that have a good reputation for call quality, have flexible call routing options, have voicemail to email, have good mobile and desktop apps, provide good integrations to your business and have user management that is simple. If your business interacts with your customers a lot, then having a robust business phone system that includes call recording, systems that incorporate analytics and call summary features, and systems that provide advanced reporting, will also help service your customers better and increase productivity.
How to Compare Alternatives to 8×8?
8×8 Alternatives should simplify your processes and support your daily operations without paying for capabilities that you will rarely use. When comparing alternatives, think about all of the costs (total cost of ownership), think about contracts, think about how easy it is to implement, think about their support, think about their call quality, think about their mobile apps and how easy it is to integrate to your business. You should also consider their security, reporting, international calling and how well they will support your growing requirements.
