27

Jul

Comparing Google Voice to RingCentral’s Virtual Phone System

Posted by: Carolyn Young

from flickr.com/skizo

After what seemed like a forever of waiting (really it was about 3 weeks), I finally received my invitation to join Google Voice. I was anxious to test it out and see how it compares to RingCentral, whose virtual PBX system we have been using for the last year.

Since RingCentral is a paid service, I would expect it to have more features and functionality than the free Google Voice product – and it does. That said, there are actually some features that Google Voice offers that RingCentral does not.

The two services do overlap a bit, but they probably ultimately serve slightly different audiences – with Google playing to the individual or solo business person, and RingCentral aiming for small and medium sized business clients.

Where Google Voice distinguishes itself:

• Voicemail customization: Users can customize outbound messages played for callers based on the contact group in which the caller has been placed (friends, family, colleagues) or even play a specific message for any individual contacts
• Voicemail transcription: Would you rather ‘read’ your voicemail? While the transcribed voicemails aren’t 100% accurate, they’re pretty darn close.
• Mobile integration: includes applications for Blackberry and Android and the ability to use Google Voice with just your mobile internet browser. The mobile integration lets you not only make calls from your cell phone that appear to others as coming from your Google Voice number, but you can also change your settings from your phone.
• Call recording: can record entire phone calls or just pieces of a conversation with the touch of one button
• SMS messaging: can send texts from the web, mobile phone internet browser, or mobile applications
• Call pick-up options: upon answering a call, Google Voice announces the caller and you can either accept the call, send the call to voicemail, listen in on the voicemail as it is being left (with the option of being able to accept the call mid voicemail if you so choose), or accept and record the call.
• Blocking calls: you can block unwanted callers so they hear a “number is not in service” message

full list of Google Voice features

Benefits of RingCentral:

• Toll free or local number: you can choose either with RingCentral (Google Voice only offers local numbers)
• Multiple extensions, a dial by name directory, and detailed answering rules: If you have multiple people receiving calls at the same number, these features are among the ones that may sway you to RingCentral
• Manage your phone calls and faxes in the same place (Google Voice just does phone calls)
• Microsoft Office and Outlook integration allows you to dial a number from your Outlook contacts or send a fax directly from most Office programs
• DigitalLine VoIP product allows you to make phone calls using your internet connection (although have had so-so experience with it)

full list of RingCentral features

If you are looking for one number that connects all your different phones, then Google Voice is a great solution, at the right price (free). If, instead, you are looking for a more business oriented PBX system that can manage multiple extensions, then the paid RingCentral service is currently a much better option for you. I’m sure RingCentral is keeping a close eye on Google Voice, but for now it looks like there’s room in the market for both of these players.