Written by Aimee Bradshaw Updated on 6 January 2023 On this page What does 8×8 provide? Cloud phone system Unified communications suite Call centre software Verdict: why choose 8×8? Expand With over a million business users, and customers including Netsuite and McDonalds, 8×8 is one of the largest and most reputable phone system providers in the world.Best-in-class customer service, industry leading technology, and competitive pricing has won 8×8 a host of high-profile awards, including the Tolly award for Superior Voice Quality and the Gartner award for Unified Communications as a Service. In 2013 it was named in Forbes’ list of the 25 Best Small Companies, and spotlighted as one of 20 Fast-Growing Tech Stars.In the years since 8×8 has gone from strength to strength, rapidly expanding into a global market and filing over 140 patents for communication innovations along the way. But as the company grows, it remains committed to providing outstanding service. So whether your company is a large multinational, or a small business startup, you can be certain of a world-class experience with 8×8. Pros Super generous video conferencing features Comes with a large variety of call features Cons The most advanced packages are very expensive Only offers a free trial on 8x8 Express What does 8×8 provide?8×8's core product is the 8×8 eXperience Communications Platform: a cloud-based system with phone, unified communications, and contact centre features. But is it the best platform to carry your business's comms?To find the answers, let's explore the three tenets of this platform:Cloud phone systemUnified communications suiteContact centre features ▶ Read more: The Best Telephone Systems for Hotels 8×8's cloud phone systemThe eXperience Communications Platform provides a powerful, modern, and easy-to-use phone system, designed to enable better inter-business communication and customer experience. It’s mobile- and tablet-friendly, and works with a simple administration programme that allows you to easily modify settings, add users, and view reports on the fly.The system's key features and benefits include:Unlimited calling: unlimited calling, SMS, and fax, supporting calls to and from up to 45 countries.Enhanced customer experience: multilevel auto attendant directs your callers to the right place, while on-hold music keeps them entertained. HD voice quality means your customers can always hear you.Good communication between colleagues: host multiple callers with personal audio conferencing bridges for every user, and update your presence settings to let coworkers know if you're available.Easy call handling: efficiently process high volumes of calls with the operator switchboard. Each user can use call forwarding, transfer, waiting, and parking to manage their calls appropriately. Set up ring groups and call queues to make sure calls aren't missed – and if they are, voicemails can be accessed vis your desk phone, computer, or smartphone.Accessible hybrid or remote working: your team can work from anywhere with 8×8's feature-rich mobile and desktop apps on their devices.Comprehensive analytics: Select from reporting options to get insights into the metrics that matter to you. View performance and usage information dashboards.Simple administration: access user provisioning, system configuration, and management settings via a single interface.Secure voice: industry standard TLS/SRTP encryption ensures that your calls remain private.Of course, it's worth remembering that the full breadth of these features won't be available on every 8×8 eXperience package. The sophistication of your system will depend on which pricing tier you plump for. 8×8's unified communications features8×8 eXperience also includes unified communications functions – most notably video conferencing and team chat.Video conferencingCompared to other systems, 8×8 eXperience offers a super generous video conferencing package. You can run as many HD video calls as you need and, depending on the price plan you choose, invite up to 500 participants. In comparison, lots of other providers limit you to a certain number of video calls per month, and/or cap your calls at around 250 participants.The key features of 8×8's video conferencing include:Moderation controls including meeting lock,The ability to record meetings and save them to the cloudAccess via desktop and mobileThe ability to invite people from outside the business using a browser linkMeeting screens that can be customised with your own brandingSecure end-to-end encryptionTeam chat8×8's team chat platform comes with the features you'd expect from a modern messaging platform, including:One-to-one instant messagingPrivate, invite-only, and public group chat roomsDocument and file sharing in one-to-one chats and group chatsOne-click voice or video callsMobile access via the 8×8 Work app8×8's team chat also comes with a few business-minded features that you wouldn't find on something like Whatsapp:Integration with your global directory to automatically add all your staffIntegration with other popular chat platforms, such as Slack and SkypeThe ability to reply to messages directly from your smartphone notification screen, without having to open the app 8×8's contact centre software8×8’s unique Call Centre Software (CCS) simultaneously increases business productivity and enhances the customer experience.Key features include:Multi-channel compatibility – the web is the first point of contact for most customers. 8×8’s CCS allows you to easily integrate telephony, email and web chat channels to streamline the sales process and boost conversionSmart routing – skills-based routing matches callers with the agent who can best meet their needs. Qued callback allows waiting callers to opt-out of the queue without losing their place in lineReporting and monitoring – spot trends and monitor employee performance against key metricsAgent tools – arm yourself with important customer information before answering calls to provide a personalised service. Centralise knowledge with an FAQ knowledge baseCRM integration – CCS is compatible with a number of major CRM platforms, including Zendesk, NetSuite and SalesforceDisaster recovery – duplicate your business operations and continue taking calls in the event of natural disaster, regional pandemic, or human-error-related outageHow much does 8×8 cost?8×8's eXperience starter packages are reasonably priced, but it has to be said that the X6, X7, and X8 packages are expensive. That said, these packages do come with extensive contact and call centre features, and you do get plenty of bang for your buck.Let's take a look at its packages and prices: Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward For small businesses 8×8 Express Comprehensive phone and UC features X2 More advanced call analytics and handling X4 Voice call centre features X6 Voice call and digital contact management X7 Advanced quality management and analytics X8 Price £10 per user, per month Price £19 per user, per month Price £36 per user, per month Price £85 per user, per month Price £105 per user, per month Price £135 per user, per month Free trial Free trial Free trial Free trial Free trial Free trial So, how do these figures compare to the pricing offered by 8×8's competitors? Let's compare: Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward 8×8 eXperience GoToConnect RingCentral MVP Vonage Business Communications Dialpad Talk Pricing £10 – £105 per user, per month Pricing £10 – £44 per user, per month Pricing £7.99 – £29.99 per user, per month Pricing £9 – £16.50 per user, per month Pricing £12 per user, per month – bespoke Free Trial Only 8×8 Express Free Trial Free Trial Free Trial Free Trial As you can see, 8×8 eXperience is not the cheapest VoIP phone system out there. However, it is a very comprehensive system that offers a generous array of features that will empower you to scale up your business. Verdict: why choose 8x8? 8×8 is a specialist in scalable, easy-to-use cloud-based business phone systems. Its client base spans a wide variety of industries, from healthcare and tech, to manufacturing, recruitment, and even government bodies.8×8 can help your business to operate more efficiently with the help of user-friendly analytics programmes and reporting – and its versatile Call Centre Software can be accessed from anywhere in the world. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more versatile, forward-looking provider on the market. Save by comparing telephone systems quotes from leading suppliers Do you already have a business telephone system? Yes No Just answer a few questions – it only takes a minute Written by: Aimee Bradshaw Writer and researcher Aimee is Expert Market’s resident telephone systems and point of sale go-to. If she’s not writing about business products, you’ll find her daydreaming about dog walking on Dorset beaches.