Pros & Cons #
-
Comprehensive, scalable feature set
-
AI-powered call summaries and transcription
-
Supports many third-party integrations
-
Improved administrative setup
-
Occasionally complex interface
RingCentral RingEX Specs #
| Automatic Call-Back | | | Call Monitoring | | | E911 Service | | | Electronic Fax | | | SIP Phone Support | | | SMS Messaging | | | Software Phone | | | Toll-Free Option | | | Video Conferencing | | | Voicemail to Email | | | Voicemail Transcription |
RingCentral RingEX is an advanced and reliable VoIP system that caters to both large and small businesses. Far beyond just a platform for taking calls, the feature-rich RingEX lets you compose text messages to employees and clients, host video meetings, and even send faxes internally. The platform's exceptional AI abilities (including automated call summaries, an AI receptionist, and AI sentiment analysis) and comprehensive integration options are also highlights. Its interface could be clearer in some places, but RingEX is easily an Editors’ Choice winner. It shares that distinction with Intermedia Unite, which has better international calling features, and Zoom Phone, which offers compelling AI tools at a lower monthly cost.
Pricing: Quite Reasonable for What You Get #
All RingCentral plans can accommodate up to 100 users; if you exceed that limit, you need to contact the company for custom pricing. A 14-day trial is available for all plans; it supports up to 20 lines.
RingEx's starter Core plan ($20 per user per month, billed annually) supports unlimited calling to Canada and the US, a 100-call toll-free limit, video chats for up to 200 people, and 25 SMS messages per person per month. You also get breakout rooms and whiteboards for meetings, on-demand call recording, a multi-level interactive voice response (IVR) system, and call log reports. At this tier, you also get some AI features such as real-time notes for calls via the desktop or mobile apps, call transcriptions, and summaries of video meetings. However, you miss out on advanced call monitoring features, basic analytics, hot desking, and select integrations with CRMs and other vertical business apps.
The Advanced plan ($25 per user per month, billed annually) unlocks advanced call handling features (barging, monitoring, and whispering), automatic call recording, basic analytics, hot desking, custom user roles and permissions, unlimited internal faxing, and the aforementioned CRM and business app integrations. The per-person SMS limit increases to 100 sends, the monthly toll-free call allocation goes up to 1,000 minutes, and advanced call routing rules become available. At this level, you also get AI tools for drafting and translating SMS and internal team messages. All of these perks add quite a bit of value over the base tier.
Finally, the Ultra plan ($35 per user per month, billed annually) introduces 200 SMS sends per person per month, 10,000 monthly toll-free call minutes, device analytics and alerts, real-time notes for calls via desk phones, and unlimited storage for team messages, files, and recordings.
The two major add-ons for RingEX are the AI Receptionist ($39 per user per month) and the Conversational Intelligence ($60 per user per month). The AI Receptionist can answer calls autonomously, provide answers to callers from an automatically generated knowledge base, and route calls (among other features). The AI Conversation Expert allows you to gauge caller sentiment, populate a CRM with call info, and even provide coaching to your employees.
For comparison, Intermedia Unite charges $27.99 and $32.99 per user per month for its Pro and Enterprise plans, respectively. Those tiers include unlimited international calling to select countries (RingEX charges extra for this) and similar AI features (though AI Receptionist and Interaction Insights features are listed as coming soon). Generally, you get more SMS sends per person with Intermedia, though the core features and experience are roughly comparable. Zoom Phone, meanwhile, charges less ($16 per user per month, billed annually) for unlimited calling to Canada and the US, while still providing competitive AI and video conferencing tools.
Setup: Lots of Options, But No Unnecessary Complexities #
Like most communications platforms, RingEX is easy to set up. You simply log in with an email and a password. Just note that it might take you some time to digest the myriad features.
You should start by setting up your company's phone numbers. Then, set aside about an hour to configure personal greetings and the IVR menu system. Using the admin portal, you can type in a phrase you want to use when someone calls the main business phone line. I added, “Welcome to the Brandon Media Empire, your call is important to us...” and laughed when I called and heard a virtual receptionist give me that greeting. I only wish the IVR settings were easier to find. In the admin portal, look for the AI tab, then the AI Receptionist option. Otherwise, setting up call monitoring and call routing takes just a few clicks. Routing worked well on all of my test calls.
I appreciate that RingCentral doesn't require you to go through many of its configuration wizards. You can simply navigate directly to the setup interfaces you want. Guidance is still available if you need it.
RingEX makes it easy to set up deep connections with various CRM, including HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, and Salesforce. A new App Connect browser extension allows you to log communications directly in about 20 different CRMs.
Should your business needs change, RingCentral also offers a smooth upgrade path to its RingCX call center product; it uses the same interface and accepts the same login credentials.
Interface and Ease of Use: Incredibly Intuitive #
RingEX’s user experience is attractive and intuitive; its interface looks remarkably similar to that of a standard business messaging app, such as Slack or Microsoft Teams. A row of icons on the left lets you quickly access fax, phone, texting, and video call functions, and a large search box lives at the top of the screen. In seconds, you can ring up a new client, hold a video chat with your boss, or even fax a contract. I appreciate the app's use of a bright orange color to highlight important sections and settings. I feel more productive using RingEX versus a service such as Zoho Voice, which uses a bland, mostly white color scheme.
I mostly tested RingEX on the web and via its Android and iOS apps, but it also offers desktop apps for macOS and Windows. All iterations are straightforward and feel snappy to navigate. The mobile apps retain many of the features from the desktop and web versions. For example, I was able to access a task list, pull up faxes, and view analytics from the mobile app.
Support: Extensive and Always Available #
If you have issues with setup or administrative tasks, RingEX offers 24/7 chat and phone support. Email support is also available; in my experience, a support tech tends to respond within about an hour. In testing, I emailed support about setting up the voicemail system for employees and how to set a company greeting. A representative responded with helpful instructions and tips. Not many competitors offer 24/7 support across all plans, but Zoho Voice plans include 24/5 chat, email, and phone support for comparison.
Importing Contacts: Should Be More Accessible #
Importing contacts is a bit confusing at first. I initially expected to be able to do this in the app's Contacts section, but you must go to the admin portal instead. A link to the latter in the Contacts section would help clarify things. I also had to rearrange the columns of data (such as email and phone number) in my test spreadsheet for the import process to work, though that's not a big deal.
You can import contacts individually or in bulk. RingEX provides a novel option for the latter: you can customize the template first (say, by adding a fax number field or removing the middle name) and then download and use the resulting CSV file. You can also sync contacts via your Google or Microsoft account, which works fine.
Desk Phones: Robust Manufacturer Support #
As mentioned, the mobile apps function effectively as softphones. RingEX also supports several dozen brands of traditional desktop phones. It offers to sell you phones, or you can bring in existing devices. Supported brands include Alcatel, Cisco, and Poly. As for headsets, RingEX works with models from Poly, Jabra, and Yealink.
Intermedia Unite compares favorably here. It sells branded phones and supports models from Poly and Yealink. Both RingEX and Intermedia also let you integrate existing phone hardware.
Integrations: A Top-Tier Collection of Apps #
As for third-party software integrations, RingEX's App Gallery is second to none. Aside from supporting all the standard Google and Microsoft services, dozens of options are available. As mentioned, plenty of CRMs are available to connect via App Connect. Intermedia Unite supports the core business apps you will likely need, but you need to rely on its Extend API to connect other services, including many CRMs.
Calling and Messaging: Best-in-Class Capabilities #
Making calls with RingEX couldn't be easier. Every test call sounded pristine regardless of the platform and who was on the other end of the line. I enjoyed seeing both a call summary and real-time transcription of conversations, courtesy of the AI assistant. The real-time transcription is especially impressive. I read a page from a book aloud to test it, and RingEX captured what I said almost perfectly, missing just a few phrases and names**.** As mentioned, the AI Assistant can also help you compose SMS text messages with a click (if you subscribe to at least the Advanced tier).
RingEX also handles video meetings without a problem. It supports screen sharing and recordings, while the AI Assistant lets you review portions of a meeting where specific people were speaking and determine who spoke the most.
You can now track call sentiment (such as the overall tone or if anyone became angry or upset), but only by adding the aforementioned Conversational Intelligence add-on (also called AI Conversation Expert, or ACE). This feature works only with calls of at least two minutes and requires some time to analyze the conversation. In a test call, the bot accurately generated action items and gauged the sentiment as neutral (and not requiring immediate action). The system generally works as advertised to evaluate whether an issue is resolved, rather than simply identifying the customer's tone. However, in another test call, ACE stopped working and didn’t save the recording correctly. I expect RingCentral to address the stability issues.
Meanwhile, the AI Receptionist add-on is quite powerful. When someone calls in or texts, the AI assistant can handle everything on its own, whether that means scheduling an appointment, resolving a complex issue, or routing a call to a specific person. In testing, I set up an AI receptionist for the PCMag site. Like magic, the AI created a knowledge base and configured the voice and persona (called Natalie). During test calls and a text message exchange, I asked about PCMag's coverage areas and got accurate answers. The add-on seems worth its $39-per-month cost if you are looking to reduce human workloads.
Reporting: Powerful, Yet Not Complex #
Analytics runs in a separate tab rather than in the main RingEX interface, which can be a little confusing at first. I would prefer if the reporting tools were part of the main interface.
Nonetheless, the features on offer are extensive and allow you to get a quick snapshot of call quality for every agent, check call volume against established service-level agreements, and see the number of text messages processed. All the reports are colorful, easily accessible, and quick to digest. If you pay for the AI Receptionist add-on, you can also view extensive analytics about its activity, including how many calls it resolved without human involvement.
Although you can't build custom reports in the traditional sense, you can adjust the filters and time frames for any report and save it for reuse. I also like that you can suggest an idea for a new report. This level of customization matches what's available in Intermedia Unite; it also doesn’t let you build reports from scratch (unless you upgrade to the full Contact Center product).
Security: Is RingCentral Safe to Use? #
RingEX supports multi-factor authentication, and its privacy policy is both reasonably up to date and easy to understand. You can optionally encrypt all calls and SMS messages. You can read about recent security notices here, the latest of which involved a sophisticated social engineering campaign.
Final Thoughts #
With helpful AI features and excellent support for third-party apps, RingCentral's full-featured RingEX communications platform suits businesses of all sizes.