Here is a great example where, as the technology around us improves, it becomes easier to use – fewer steps to go further, and it is all in the details. And that is precisely the case with Intermedia Unite’s new voice-over IP (VOIP) system. Does it revolutionize the communication industry? No, it does not. But it certainly does make life a little easier.

CUT TO THE CHASE: GOOD OR BAD?

The most special new thing about the system is it’s now capable of integration with other apps, most specifically with Google G Suite and Microsoft 365.

At the same time, Intermedia Unite keeps their price tag at a competitive level with other services out there – perhaps not the cheapest of them all, but potentially the one with the most value for money, given all that it provides, even with their most basic packages.

Very good!

VoIP PLANS

Intermedia Unite is being quite aggressive in the way they go to market with their pricing strategy, potentially a move made to attempt gaining a more significant piece of the market pie from their main category competitors, Ring Central Office and AT&T Collaborate.

As per usual, they are breaking down their offerings into tiered plans; and here is what they have to offer:

• Unite Essentials – the most basic of plans, which includes all your fundamental Voice Over IP functions. Very much all you need if you are flying solo or running a small business – only $19,99 per month;

• Unite Pro – the mid-range plan, with more advanced features, including a bundle of audio and video conferencing, a good list of apps that it can integrate with, analytics and a few more tricks that it can do. It hosts up to one hundred participants in one video call – this one for $27,99 per month;
  • Unite Pro Upgrade – want a full Unite integration and to add hosted e-mails to your plan? They’ve got you cover – for an extra $5 per month. 

• Unite Enterprise – Intermedia Unite’s top-of-the-line plan. The top-tier package doubles down on their mid-range Unite Pro plan; literally. It allows for up to 200 participants in one call, as well as bundling together the entire family of the Unite apps integration system, without the extra five bucks per month – all that for a relatively inexpensive $32,99 per month.

All plans come with unlimited call time.

Sure, if you scout around for other providers, looking for a lower price, you will probably find it. But, when it comes to value for money, what they are offering is hard to beat. Cheaper plans elsewhere will most likely provide a lot less in terms of service, for a little less in terms of monthly costs.

After some price scouting, we found the offers above at Offer Town – they also offer other communication services for a competitive price.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE VS ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE

Let us have a closer look at some of the improvements made and lovely features versus some of the flaws that still exist in Intermedia Unite’s new system.

PROS

• The new integrations made are to ameliorate Intermedia’s overall contribution to productivity apps. The company has made the shift, whereas previously, it exclusively worked on Microsoft platforms, it now supports scheduling and running meetings on Google G Suite, as well as other apps, including Slack.
• Compatible with most systems – the desktop app runs on both operating systems, Apple /macOS, as well as Windows 10. The mobile app is also available for both – Apple and Android
• User-friendliness – most of the improvements were made to make life a little easier. For example users can now start a video call on their desktop and flip their call from their desktop to their phone by pressing a single key;
• Virtual meeting assistant – the feature allows for users to record and/or transcribe meetings. This can be programmed in advance, so when the meeting begins, the user doesn’t have to think about it anymore;
• Pricing, as we mentioned previously, one of the significant positive points that the company is bringing to the table. For the advanced features that it provides, Intermedia is offering a good bang for your buck.
• More perks – Intermedia is also going an extra step to win more customers, offering a free phone with every purchase to sweeten the deal. Again, another aggressive marketing strategy in attempt to overtake the competition.

CONS

• The move from a single Microsoft app-based hosting system to a multi-platform one was not completely smooth. To sync your contacts, either from the Google Suite or even from Microsoft 360, you will need your mobile phone – for some reason, it is undoable solely on the desktop.
• Licences – some of the features integrated with this new system require Intermedia licences to run. Depending on what you are running it with, say Microsoft, it may require a Microsoft 360 licence as well, which may be compromising the budget if you are a small business or a solo operation;
• Switching between admin and regular user accounts – when we tested the system, on a few occasions, it would not allow us to login back as admin once we had logged in as a user. The issue was resolved when we cleared the browser cache on Chrome, but ideally, this will be fixed in the future.

The Service

As far as we tested, both voice and video calls present no issues whatsoever. The audio was clear, as it was the image throughout the whole duration of the call – tested during regular business hours, on a video call that lasted 38 minutes.

Of course, the quality of each call is dependent on the quality of the user’s internet connection. A poor connection, means a decrease in the quality of the call. Still, as far as the efficiency of the Intermedia’s systems goes, it seems to work really well.

They also provide a network connection quality test tool that is easy to use (no need for an IT person present to perform the test) and allows users to potentially trace down problems with malfunctioning video calls.

Their coverage is widely spread across the United States and they claim to provide HD quality calls wherever you are in the country. Intermedia’s national coverage also includes Canada and Puerto Rico, but their services are also widely available throughout Europe, parts of Asia and Australia.

EASY TO INSTALL AND MAINTAIN

As part of making the user experience more pleasing and more straightforward to navigate, the Intermedia Unite VOIP system truly attempts to make each and every step fairly easy.

On their website, you will find on their Frequently Asked Questions section mostly questions relating to the installing of the system and the integration and configuration of various features.

In most cases, those are quite easy to accomplish, but if you feel stuck, check out their page to see if you can find the answers you are looking for.

INTERMEDIA’S PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

The Intermedia Unite is a baby from the broader Intermedia group. Their core business is a cloud-based communication and they have been in the comms game since 1995, so they aren’t young at this.

With its headquarters located in Sunnyvale, California, the organization also has offices in New York, Seattle and Irvine, as well as abroad, in London – United Kingdom, Sydney – Australia, Toronto – Canada and St. Petersburg – Russia.

The company has allegedly over 122,000 business clients and is partnered up with  7,000 channel partners worldwide. According to their count, that equates to over 88 million phone devices installed.

They are a giant in a market of few giants, so competition is fierce, but it appears that they have been managing to keep their heads above water, at least for the last few years and as of the writing of this article.

They are very forward in their pricing strategy, which could mean that their market share is about to go up. While researching, we encountered plans by other operators that offer a similar package for up to 3 to 4 times the price.

Their new VOIP system is very much in line with overall developments in the category. Improvements are definitely there –  the connectivity with multiple apps, including Google G Suite, is proof that the Intermedia is moving forward, trying to keep up with the times and bring an overall better user experience to the market.

As far as their overarching trajectory goes, they seem to be doing well. Intermedia is improving where they can, focusing developments on user experience and keeping up with trends, attempting to get their products more broadly and widely compatible with other systems.

They offer 24-hour tech support and, from our experience, they seem to be devoted to customer service – definitely a differential!

WE LIKE 👍

The system comes with a new feature – one we had not seen yet, not even with other brands – called “Meeting History.” It features recorded details of all your meetings: the time and date, location, attendees, duration, notes, etc. It is a great way to keep a record of all your appointment for future reference.