RingCentral Pitstop: Your Guide to RingCentral

Widely regarded as one of the market leaders in cloud communications, RingCentral is an innovator in SaaS (Software as a Service) and telephony. Built on the cloud, RingCentral’s approach to communications has allowed the company to become a pioneer in the industry, disrupting the market for businesses of all sizes.

RingCentral supports customers in creating secure, convenient, and effective communications stacks, regardless of their location, or business structure. Remote and hybrid teams can access the same functionality as in-office staff members. RingCentral also offers a wide range of solutions, including UCaaS, CCaaS, and collaboration systems.

Recently, the company began investing R&D budget into the development of open platform solutions and APIs, so you can integrate your technology with any existing cloud solutions you may have.

The History of RingCentral

RingCentral is currently one of the market leaders in communication technology. The company began in 1999, when Vladimir (Vlad) Shmunis created a business intended to reimagine and enhance the potential of business communications. Vlad’s vision was to create software-focused offerings to meet the needs of a rapidly changing business environment.

With Shmunis at the helm, RingCentral has evolved from a software start-up company to a publicly traded company listed on the NYSE. Forbes has also identified Shmunis as a leader for disruptive communications. The consistent transformation of the business has allowed RingCentral to earn hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide.

Key facts:

• Launch date: 1999
• CEO: Vlad Shmunis
• Trading name: RNG
• Headquarters: Belmont, California
• Website: Ringcentral.com
• Employees: 2,363 (2019)
• Revenue: 902.8 million (2019)

Major Moments in the RingCentral Timeline

As a cloud-focused business, RingCentral has been able to adapt and grow quickly over the years. Since the launch in 1999, the company has seen spectacular growth. From 1999, to 2006, the company was bootstrapped, until it engaged in its first round of venture capital investment. Since then, RingCentral investors have included groups like DAG Ventures, Hermes Growth Partners, Sequoia Capital, and Scale Venture Partners.

In 2006, the world of cloud computing and communications saw a significant transformation, thanks to the introduction of Google’s cloud.

RingCentral established a UK presence in 2009 and became a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer in 2010. RingCentral added Cisco and Silicon Valley Bank as investors during 2011 and has now secured more than $45 million in capital investment. In 2012, RingCentral began its partnership with the AT&T brand.

By 2013, RingCentral had completed its IPO, allowing it to appear on the NYSE. The company also completed a follow-on offering within 2014, which raised almost $40 million in funding. 2014 was also the year when RingCentral partnered with BT. In June 2015, RingCentral purchased Glip for team collaboration. In 2018, the business purchased Dimelo for omnichannel contact centers.

In 2019, RingCentral purchased the naming rights for the Oakland Coliseum, and named it the RingCentral Coliseum. RingCentral also announced a strategic partnership with Avaya in 2019 and purchased Connect First for customer engagement. In 2020, RingCentral introduced its first video conferencing product, the RingCentral Video solution.

RingCentral is now a huge company in the communications space, with over 350,000 customers around the world. RingCentral has a central headquarters in California, as well as a European headquarters in London.

8×8 UCaaS Offerings

The current UC offering from 8×8 is the flexible X Series.

Part of the 8×8 Open Communications platform which combines contact centre, chat, video, voice, analytics, and APIs, the UCaaS solution provides a flexible entry into cloud communications. One of the things making 8×8 so unique is its modular approach to communication tools.

8×8 all-in-one communications has dozens of features to offer, from built-in conference and video calling services for collaboration, to caller ID, company directories, extension dialling, and music on hold. You can create custom automated attendants, and access integrations with a host of popular software programs such as Microsoft Teams, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk, and Freshdesk.

The business phone environment within the X Series is where users will find all of their standard cloud UC solutions for call management. Ideal for the remote and hybrid workforce, the solution from 8×8 is available as a single app which users can access on their smartphone, or desktop. Core productivity and enterprise grade PBX solutions combine with easy administration and provisioning.

Features include:

• Unlimited calling and fax
• Custom multi-level auto attendant
• Call recording
• Visual voicemail
• Music on hold
• Local number porting
• Overhead paging
• Call management and monitoring
• Call queues
• Caller ID, blocking, and Do not Disturb
• Call forwarding, waiting, parking and transfer
• Role-based access controls
• User provisioning over the cloud
• Emergency services
• Directory support
• Collaboration and team chat
• Work apps for workforce management
• In-depth analytics

Companies can choose to purchase business phone technology on their own or connect their offering with various other modules in the 8×8 X Series ecosystem. The full selection of features comes with a single administrative environment for system management, user setup, and provisioning.

Alongside business calling tools, the UCaaS experience from 8×8 also comes with a host of team collaboration tools to keep employees connected and efficient in the modern environment. There’s a full real-time messaging system available for employees who need to stay connected in the remote and hybrid environment. The universal app can also integrate with other popular platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams.

With the collaboration system, your users are automatically added to the directory from your company’s existing information. Users can also launch video and voice calls directly from a chat thread, improving opportunities for more face-to-face interactions. The combination of collaboration and UC features helps companies from all backgrounds to work together in a secure and flexible environment.

RingCentral UCaaS Offerings

RingCentral’s approach to UCaaS comes in the form of RingCentral Office, an all-in-one environment for cloud communications. The Office solution is a multi-user and multi-location communications service which supports employees in communicating on a range of different devices and channels. The subscription is specifically designed for businesses in need of an immersive communication solution, regardless of device type, or location.

Office comes with everything companies need to get work done in a central app. Phone calls are available to manage and route with carrier-grade security and reliability. HD audio and video is available for meetings, while messaging supports all kinds of workflows.

RingCentral users can bring everyone in their team together with a flexible cloud-based PBX which works on your desk, or your mobile. There’s advanced call routing, voicemail management, and video calling. RingCentral also promises an incredible 99.999% uptime SLA, meaning that carrier-grade infrastructures will keep everything working smoothly for years to come.

RingCentral UCaaS features include:

• Secure messaging and file sharing
• Video and audio meetings in HD
• Call management and routing
• HD audio
• Easy-to-use calls on any device
• 99.999% uptime guarantee
• Routing for live or virtual operators
• A range of number options
• RingCentral business numbers
• Voicemail transcriptions
• Faxing and paging
• Presence status
• Call monitoring
• Real-time insights
• Integrations with leading tools
• Global coverage in over 40 countries
• Enterprise-level security
• Desktop apps and phone services
• Call management like call flip, call screen, call recording, call park, and visual voice mail, as well as business SMS
• Business analytics and recordings

For companies with specific needs for a certain industry, RingCentral supports the development of dedicated communication systems built for groups like healthcare, retail, and education. There’s also a solution designed for high-tech companies in the startup landscape.

Integrations with open APIs allow companies to build the apps they need into their cloud-based communication systems and setting up teams is quick and simple with a central, no-touch provisioning portal. There’s also the extra bonus of accessing meetings and collaboration tools within the same UCaaS environment.

HD video meetings through RingCentral allow users to join and collaborate in a room with a single click. You can keep conversations going with fantastic team messaging, and handle projects faster with file and screen sharing. RingCentral Glip supports convenient instant messaging and diverse communications for distributed teams. Users can group calendars and files, share notes and tasks, and link their Glip experience to a variety of different tools.

RingCentral Differentiators

RingCentral is a powerful choice for companies in search of communications in the cloud. Capable of offering all kinds of UCaaS, CCaaS, and API functionality, RingCentral provides a flexible way to enter the cloud environment without compromising on your budget.

The RingCentral environment offers sensational uptime, powerful security features, and the option for global deployment, so your business can scale as much as you choose. Some of the major differentiators you can expect from RingCentral include:

Global reach

RingCentral has customers all over the world. You can boost productivity levels on a global scale by connecting international teams, with instant access to numbers in over 100 countries. The simple RingCentral provisioning environment also means that you can add extra numbers and functionality whenever you need them.

RingCentral offers local numbers, free inbound calling, and global extension-to-extension connections. You’ll have dedicated support from technical professionals to help you with things like implementation and provisioning as your business grows.

Security and reliability

A great level of security and reliability is crucial for any communication stack. Fortunately, RingCentral doesn’t cut corners here. The company offers seven layers of security, combined with redundant data centers to ensure the protection of customers, and maintain availability. At all times, RingCentral has experts available to monitor and optimize the platform.

The RingCentral environment is designed to remain secure and reliable no matter what happens. Geographically distributed data centers aligned with rigorous processes for security should help to protect you from things like system failures and operational errors.

Integrations

As companies continue to search for ways of bringing all of their technology together, RingCentral has embraced an open approach to communications technology. You can integrate your system with

ready-to-use apps like Salesforce, Microsoft, Google, Zendesk, and many others. There’s also access to API development solutions so that your team can build the connections that work best for you. RingCentral’s experts will work with you on developing the perfect integrations when necessary.

Flexibility

Because RingCentral was built on the cloud, it’s always on the cutting edge of the next technology innovation and discovery. This cloud environment also gives customers excellent connectivity options to ensure that their communication strategy suits their needs. You can connect via broadband, SD-WAN, mobile, and many others, and SLAs are offered on every channel.

From planning stages to the implementation of your services, RingCentral will also jump through hoops to help you set up your communication strategy with minimal downtime and confusion. Professional services and real-time analytics are available too.

Cost savings

RingCentral offers incredible innovation for an affordable price. The company notes that businesses can save around 30% or more on their Total Cost of Ownership simply by accessing all-inclusive, customized pricing strategies.

The bundled predictable solutions you get from RingCentral are built to suit your company’s needs, with the option to add extra functionality as you grow. This gives companies more control over how much they spend.

How is RingCentral Placed?

RingCentral frequently appears on reports from some of the biggest analytics companies in the world. The company has also been given various awards by leading publications for things like cloud communications, excellent customer service, and more.

RingCentral’s leaders were named the 2021 all-America top executive team; the brand also won the Developer portal awards in 2020.

The Forrester Wave named RingCentral a leader in 2019 for UCaaS, building on the existing reputation of the cloud company. Analysts have also released multiple statements about RingCentral’s potential and position in the marketplace over the years. You can find a full selection of quotes on the RingCentral website.

In Gartner’s Magic Quadrant, RingCentral has been a leader for UCaaS for the last 6 years in a row, recommended for both completeness of vision and ability to execute. The company also regularly conducts its own studies to demonstrate its economic impact, and the benefits it can offer. The RingCentral Forrester Total Economic Impact study offers some fantastic insights into how companies can save with RingCentral products.