Avaya vs Cisco Unified Contact Center Express: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Avaya and Cisco Unified Contact Center Express

Avaya and Cisco Unified Contact Center Express are two popular contact center solutions that offer a range of features and functionalities. While both solutions aim to enhance customer communication and improve agent productivity, there are several key differences between them.

1. Scalability and Flexibility: Avaya stands out when it comes to scalability and flexibility. It offers a highly scalable architecture that can easily accommodate both small and large contact centers. Avaya's solution also provides greater flexibility in terms of deployment options, allowing organizations to choose between on-premises, cloud, or hybrid environments. On the other hand, Cisco Unified Contact Center Express is well-suited for smaller contact centers with up to 400 agents and may have more limitations in terms of scalability and deployment options.

2. Advanced Routing Capabilities: Avaya offers advanced routing capabilities that allow contact centers to efficiently handle incoming customer requests. Their solution includes intelligent routing algorithms, skills-based routing, and advanced queue management features. Cisco Unified Contact Center Express also provides routing capabilities, but they may not be as comprehensive or customizable as Avaya's offering.

3. Multichannel Support: Avaya's contact center solution provides robust multichannel support, allowing organizations to engage with customers across various communication channels such as voice, email, chat, social media, and SMS. Cisco Unified Contact Center Express, while capable of handling multiple channels, may have some limitations or may require additional applications to achieve full multichannel support.

4. Reporting and Analytics: Avaya offers a comprehensive reporting and analytics suite that provides in-depth insights into contact center performance, agent productivity, and customer interactions. Their solution includes customizable dashboards, real-time monitoring, and historical reporting capabilities. While Cisco Unified Contact Center Express also offers reporting and analytics features, they may not be as extensive or flexible as Avaya's offering.

5. Integration Capabilities: Avaya is known for its strong integration capabilities, allowing organizations to seamlessly integrate their contact center solution with other business systems such as CRM platforms, workforce management tools, and database systems. Cisco Unified Contact Center Express also provides integration options but may have limitations or require additional development efforts to achieve the desired level of integration.

6. Price and Total Cost of Ownership: While the pricing of both solutions may vary based on specific requirements and licensing models, Avaya generally offers a more competitive pricing structure and a lower total cost of ownership compared to Cisco Unified Contact Center Express. This can make Avaya a more cost-effective option for organizations looking for a robust contact center solution on a limited budget.

In summary, Avaya and Cisco Unified Contact Center Express differ in terms of scalability, routing capabilities, multichannel support, reporting and analytics, integration capabilities, and pricing. Organizations must carefully evaluate their specific requirements and priorities to choose the solution that best suits their contact center needs.