Webex vs. Teams, which solution best suits my business needs for telecommuting and hybrid work?
Often, we are asked the same question: Webex or Teams? Which solution is better for my telecommuting and hybrid work business needs? And, honestly, the answer is not as clear-cut or straightforward as we would hope. Here’s the IP4B team’s take on the matter of Webex vs. Teams.
But first, an editorial note: yes, IP4B is a Cisco partner and offers Webex solutions under the AGILITI4B brand name. While the reader may think we are biased in our opinion, we hope to present an opinion here that is sincere. You should also know that we offer solutions for companies that have chosen to stay with Microsoft Teams. We’ll tell you more about that below.
Webex vs. Teams: A similar set of features
At first glance, both Webex and Teams solutions offer several similar features: video conferencing, group conversations, and person-to-person instant messaging. Both solutions help facilitate telecommuting and hybrid work and increase productivity.
While it may seem that Teams integrates better with a Microsoft Office environment because these solutions are from the same vendor, it is essential to realize that Webex also offers native integration with Microsoft Office 360, SharePoint, and OneNote. In this respect, the two solutions are equivalent.
Also, both solutions offer a rich set of third-party applications that can be integrated with the platform, including SurveyMonkey (survey), HubSpot (CRM), Google Drive (storage), and many others. When it comes to the raw number of applications available, we have to give the edge to Teams even though both solutions offer an excellent set of third-party applications.
In the author’s opinion of these lines, we believe that the Webex user interface is simpler to use while allowing for advanced use of the functions offered. Teams sometimes gives us the impression of being a patchwork of several solutions assembled in a whole that is still perfectible. In contrast, Webex offers a mature and unified interface that invites its users to maximize its use. Beyond a visual or aesthetic preference, this simplicity of use allows users to access more functions and, therefore, to do more.
Webex Advantage
But where Webex clearly stands out from Teams is in the area of business telephony features and call center solutions. After all, telephony is more than just a commodity; business telephony is a strategic tool for companies to improve the customer experience and help increase revenue.
Unlike Teams, Webex offers a comprehensive, modern, and proven IP telephony platform. In fact, in 2018, Cisco, the publisher of Webex, completed the acquisition of BroadSoft, the global leader in enterprise cloud IP telephony. The integration of this rich IP telephony platform combined with the expertise acquired in video conferencing thanks to the Webex platform since 1995 allows Cisco and IP4B to offer a complete, integrated and well-crafted solution knowing how to meet all the business needs of local companies.
Don’t get us wrong; it is possible to offer IP telephony functions in a Teams environment. Microsoft itself offers services that provide access to the telephone network. However, this offer goes through unsecured public Internet access, whose quality of service (QoS) cannot be guaranteed. Furthermore, Teams does not yet offer a call center solution. As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, IP4B can also offer a telephone access service for Teams. The difference with Microsoft’s offer is that IP4B’s service is offered on a private Internet local loop to ensure the quality of service.
Several review sites compare the two solutions. Some of them will find an advantage to one or the other solution. TrustRadius’ 8.6 rating particularly struck us for Webex compared to 8.1 for Teams, and Acceleration Economic’s 8.6 rating, which states that “Webex is better for businesses because of its business features and high performance. Finally, the renowned Gartner Peer Insights site gives Webex a slight advantage in telephony, meeting spaces, and ease of administration (a significant aspect).
In conclusion, the Webex and Teams solutions are comparable. They both offer excellent video conferencing and group sharing features. Webex clearly stands out in its advanced IP telephony and call center features to provide a genuinely unified business communication solution for local businesses.
IP4B brings the power of collaboration to small and medium-sized teams across Canada. Unified Communications solutions like AGILITI4B with Webex are the new standard for businesses to compete. Make sure you are prepared. Do not wait to increase your teams’ productivity with Webex. Call us today. Now. Do it 😊.