Mitel, a prominent provider of unified communication and contact center solutions, is known for its reliable hardware and software. However, it doesn’t always meet every business’s needs.
Concerns like discontinued products, high pricing, limited CCaaS offerings, and better alternatives often lead users to explore other options.
This article compares the top Mitel alternatives- Some have strong AI capabilities, some are ahead of others in customer service, and some are more intuitive. The goal of this article is to present an unbiased comparison so that the readers can select the right one based on their unique needs.
But first, let’s dive into why businesses might reconsider Mitel in the first place.
Reasons For Switching From Mitel
Mitel is a well-known “legacy” hardware and software vendor in contact center technology. Many users use its PBX system to conduct their daily contact center operations.
Though the company mostly focuses on on-premise and hybrid deployments, it has introduced a relatively new cloud-based solution in collaboration with Cxone.
Here are some problems with Mitel:
- Mitel has announced the end of the life of its Mivoice Connect product line(including Mivoice Contact Center)– the availability of new system sales stopped on July 26, 2024, and by Dec 31, 2024, there will be no option for scalability, enhancement, or patches. Anyone with the above-mentioned product line would no longer be able to expan their contact center. Therefore, it’s a good time to look for other alternatives.
- Mitel is mostly known for its reliable, on-premise telephony and PBX hardware and software. Its cloud capabilities are yet to match that reputation. In fact, Mitel’s only answer to other CCaaS giants is a CCaaS solution powered by Cxone( by NICE).
Usually, single-vendor solutions ( such as Enghouse CCaaS) have some advantages over such multi-vendor solutions:
- Vendor management is much simpler as the support, security, and legal compliance come from a single reputed vendor.
- All components ( WFM, AI, and analytics) integrate seamlessly, and lesser chance of having conflicting reports.
- Since the vendor usually has a clear innovation roadmap, new updates, features, and patches roll quickly.
- Mitel solutions aren’t exactly cheap to begin with. However, the company tends to slap pretty hefty price hikes( as high as 25%) on cloud services. Since the price increment is one of the biggest reasons users want to switch partners, it is no wonder such big price hikes would make many reconsider.
Which are the Best Mitel Alternatives For Your Contact Center Needs?
A good Mitel alternative should offer strong performance, a wide range of integration options, powerful features, and a balanced price point. Based on meticulous consideration, here are some well-suited Mitel alternatives.
- Enghouse CCaaS
- Strom by Content Guru
- Vonage Contact Centre
Let’s explore one by one.
1. Enghouse CCaaS
Enghouse CCaaS is an omnichannel customer engagement platform that helps organizations centralize customer communication and deliver excellent customer service. Its compliance with GDPR makes it a suitable partner for navigating through strict EU data protection laws.
This platform is known for its powerful AI and wide range of other capabilities. However, one of its less highlighted aspects is its robust integration with popular PBX systems, including legacy ones.
Key Features
Enghouse offers a long list of features that cover as much ( or as little) a user needs. Here is a glimpse of its notable capabilities.
- AI-Powered Virtual Agents
AI-powered virtual agents can handle routine tasks and a large portion of incoming customer queries independently. These agents leverage NLP and AI tech to identify customer queries and sentiments and respond accordingly. Moreover, users can schedule and evaluate these agents like human agents.
- Real-Time Chat Translation
This AI-powered feature translates customer inputs in real-time, enabling agents to understand and respond in their preferred language. It ensures seamless communication and exceptional customer service across language barriers.
- Voice of Customer (VoC) Insights
Enghouse AI analyses customer interactions and identifies key trends, common challenges, opportunities to improve customer experience, and cross-sell opportunities. This feature can improve both customer experience and sales numbers.
- Integrations
Enghouse CCaaS platform integrates seamlessly with many popular PBX systems, CRMS, back office tools, and multiple other applications.
- Reports and Dashboards
Out-of-the-box and custom reports can provide deep insight into every aspect of contact center operation and agent performance. These reports help managers to find areas of improvement and inspire agents to outperform themselves.
What Makes Enghouse CCaaS a Great Alternative to Mitel?
- Enghouse Contact Center and its components integrate extremely well with the Mitel setup. Moreover, Mitel has recognized Enghouse’s Quality Management suite for several key Mitel products.
- Enghouse CCaaS solution can be implemented through on-premise, hybrid, or cloud deployment. This gives more flexibility to Mitel users who are switching to Enghouse—they can keep their setup, go full cloud, or pick a middle ground.
- Enghouse CCaaS is HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, and SOC 2 compliant.
Pricing
Enghouse CCaaS offers two pricing plans:
- Standard – €99 per concurrent agent
- Advanced – €119 per concurrent agent
For more details, visit the Enghouse website.
2. Storm by Content Guru
Content Guru’s Storm platform is a versatile CCaaS solution and a notable Mitel alternative. Renowned for its scalability, Storm is an excellent choice for organizations across industries.
The parent company has been in this tech space since 2005. It has a key office in Bracknell, UK, and serves key European markets like Italy, Netherlands, and Germany.
Key Features
Here are some standout features of the Storm® platform:
- Storm Flow
A powerful workflow automation tool, Storm Flow enables businesses to design and manage sophisticated customer journeys and IVRs using a visual, no-code interface. - Storm MTA
This feature allows various users( agents and managers) to remain connected and serve customers even when away from their desks. - Omnichannel Communication
Strom Integrates channels like voice, webchat, and social media into a unified platform, ensuring consistent customer experiences across all touchpoints. - AI Capabilities
Strom’s AI capabilities include AI agents that can understand human interaction and respond accordingly. Image-based identification is another key capability.
Things Users Like About Storm
- Users appreciate the transparency and customizability of Storm reports.
- The core product provides good control over the telephone system. FLOW also allows users to customize calls smoothly.
Things Users Don’t Like About Strom
- Sometimes, the application freezes and crashes.
- Strom’s licensing model comes across as pretty complex to some users.
Pricing
Strom has custom pricing, and users need to contact sales reps to learn more. However, Content Guru offers a scaled-down version, Storm LITE, for organizations with fewer than 200 agents.
For STORM LITE, the cost for:
- Per voice agent per month is £53
- Per digital agent per month is £16
3. Vonage Contact Center(VCC)
Vonage Contact Center can be a good option for users looking for an alternative to the Mitel contact center setup. It is known for its powerful features and Salesforce compatibility.
The parent company, Vonage, has existed since 2001 and enjoys a reputation as a reliable tech partner. It has a strong presence across the EMEA region, with offices in London, Madrid, and Berlin.
Key Features
Here are some of the notable capabilities of the Vonage Contact Center:
- AI virtual agents: Virtual agents deliver satisfactory customer service experience without human intervention, thanks to NLP and conversational AI tech. These agents come with omnichannel ( both voice and chat) capabilities.
- Salesforce Integration and Gamification: This CCaaS solution integrates well with Salesforce and enhances existing workflows. Moreover, the Gamification feature encourages the full utilization of your Salesforce capabilities.
- Omnichannel Insights: Vonage’s custom-built dashboards present real-time and historical cross-channel data and offer tailored reports.
- Global voice assurance: Through global voice assurance features, users can route their calls in the most efficient way. This drastically reduces call wait time and improves call quality.
Things Users Like About Vonage Contact Center
Based on the research, here are some strengths of VCC:
- Vonage integrates seamlessly and functions extremely well with Salesforce.
- Many users consider VCC very straightforward to use, and its customer support is on point, too.
Things Users Don’t Like About Vonage Contact Center
Among all the users’ reviews, there are some critical ones, too.
- Some users feel VCC is currently somewhat behind in the AI race. Also, voice assistants sound pretty robotic.
- Post-implementation support is lacking. Some users say they had to search the internet for answers that should have come from the Vonage experts.
Pricing
Vonage has two pricing plans (Priority and Premium), which involve custom pricing.
Wrapping up
Mitel is a solid choice but may not be the best choice for every business. Discontinued products, high costs, and limited CCaaS offerings push many users to explore alternatives.
Enghouse CCaaS stands out for its strong integration with Mitel setups, AI capabilities, and flexible deployment options. Storm by Content Guru provides advanced automation and scalability. Vonage Contact Center excels in Salesforce integration and omnichannel insights.
Each alternative has unique strengths. The best choice depends on business priorities, integration needs, and budget.
Disclaimer – The insights presented in this article are sourced exclusively from publicly available information and customer reviews. Feel free to reach out if you require any modifications or updates to the content.
