If your team’s scattered across cities (or continents), you know what a pain it is to keep everyone talking—and actually on the same page. Email threads spiral, chat pings never stop, and meetings eat up half the day. You’re probably here because you’ve heard something about Ringcentral, but you want more than just a sales pitch. Here’s what actually works, what to watch out for, and how to get your team working together—not just talking past each other.
What Is Ringcentral, Really?
RINGCENTRAL pitches itself as an “all-in-one” platform for business communication: calls, video meetings, team chat, fax (if you really must), and integrations with other stuff you already use. In reality, it’s a cloud-based phone system that’s evolved into a full-featured collaboration tool.
Is it the only option out there? Nope. But it’s one of the more established players, and for bigger or distributed teams who need reliable calling plus modern messaging, it’s worth a look.
The Key Features That Matter
Let’s skip the fluff and focus on the features teams actually use—plus a few you can probably ignore.
1. Team Messaging That’s (Mostly) Not Annoying
- Persistent chat rooms: You get channels for teams, projects, or whatever. It’s similar to Slack, but all in the same place as your calls and meetings.
- Direct messages: Like any business chat, DM anyone in the company. Attach files, share links, basic stuff.
- Search: You can find old messages, but the search isn’t as good as Slack’s. Expect to hunt around sometimes.
- Notification controls: You can (and should) mute channels. Otherwise, prepare for notification overload.
What to know: The chat is good enough for most teams, but if you’re coming from Slack, some features (like clever bots or custom emojis) might feel missing. For basic collaboration, though, it gets the job done.
2. Voice Calling: Old-School Reliability
- Cloud PBX: Make and receive calls on your computer or phone, all with your business number.
- Call routing: Set up rules so calls go where they should—no more missed sales leads or angry customers.
- Voicemail to email: Voicemails show up as audio files and transcripts in your inbox.
- Call recording: Record calls for training or compliance (but check the laws in your state/country).
What to know: If your business runs on phone calls—sales, support, etc.—Ringcentral’s calling is rock-solid. It’s not “fun,” it just works, which is what you want for phones. Setting up call flows can get fiddly, but support docs are decent.
3. Video Meetings: Usable, Not Flashy
- One-click meetings: Schedule or start video meetings straight from the app or your calendar.
- Screen sharing: Works as expected. Not as slick as Zoom, but fine for most use.
- Recording: Save meetings to the cloud. Recordings are easy to share.
- No forced downloads: Web-based meetings mean clients or contractors don’t have to install yet another app.
What to know: If you need advanced features (breakout rooms, virtual backgrounds that don’t look weird), Zoom is still ahead. But for weekly syncs or quick client calls, Ringcentral Video is perfectly serviceable.
4. Integrations: Some Good, Some Half-Baked
- Calendar integration: Plug into Google or Outlook calendars to schedule meetings and see availability.
- App integrations: Connect with tools like Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, and even Slack. Some are more polished than others—test before you roll out to everyone.
- APIs: If your IT team wants to hook Ringcentral into custom workflows, you can, but expect some trial and error.
What to know: Don’t buy Ringcentral just for the integrations. They’re a bonus, not a killer feature.
5. Mobile Apps: Genuinely Useful
- iOS and Android support: Full-featured—call, chat, join meetings, all from your phone.
- Push notifications: These actually work, but beware of notification fatigue.
- Switch devices mid-call: Start a call at your desk, finish it on your phone. Surprisingly handy.
What to know: The mobile apps are one of Ringcentral’s real strengths, especially if your team’s never in one place.
6. Admin Controls: Plenty of Power (If You Need It)
- User management: Add or remove users, assign permissions, and set up groups.
- Analytics: See call volume, meeting usage, and other stats. Not super in-depth, but fine for spotting trends.
- Security controls: Two-factor authentication, encryption, and compliance for industries with stricter rules.
What to know: If you’re a small team, you might not care. For IT admins or regulated industries, these controls are crucial.
The Real-World Benefits (And Some Caveats)
Let’s be honest: No tool will magically “transform” your remote team. But here’s where Ringcentral actually helps:
What Works
- One login, less chaos: Calls, chat, and meetings in one app means less tab-switching and fewer “wait, which link?” moments.
- Remote-friendly: Works anywhere with internet. Your team doesn’t need fancy hardware or a VPN.
- Reliable: Service outages are rare. When something does break, status updates are usually clear.
- Decent support: Not instant, but better than most SaaS companies. Chat and phone support are both options.
What Doesn’t (Or Just Doesn’t Matter)
- The “all-in-one” promise is oversold: If your team lives in Slack or Zoom, don’t expect Ringcentral to replace them overnight.
- Some features are just filler: Faxing, for example—does anyone really need this in 2024?
- Learning curve: Users coming from Google Workspace or Microsoft Teams might need a little time to adjust.
- Search could be better: Especially in chat, finding that one message can be a pain.
What to Ignore
- AI hype: Yes, Ringcentral touts “AI-powered” features like smart meeting summaries. They’re mostly basic right now. Useful, but not life-changing.
- Endless integrations: Don’t get sucked into connecting every app. Pick what matters for your workflow.
How To Get the Most Out of Ringcentral
Here’s how to roll it out without making your team hate you:
- Pick what you’ll actually use. Start with calls and chat. Add video meetings if you need to. Don’t make everyone fax their lunch order.
- Train your team—but keep it short. A 30-minute walkthrough beats a 2-hour webinar no one will remember.
- Set notification guidelines. Teach people to mute non-essential channels. Default to less noise, not more.
- Integrate with your calendar. Makes scheduling meetings way less painful.
- Start small, then expand. Get one department or team comfortable before rolling out company-wide.
- Gather feedback early. People will have opinions. Listen, and adjust settings or features to suit how your team actually works.
Pro tip: If you have power users (the folks who always find the bugs), get them involved early. They’ll spot issues before the rest of the team gets frustrated.
What It’ll Cost You
Pricing is tiered—more features mean more money. You’ll need to talk to sales if you’re a big team or want custom options. For most small- to mid-sized businesses, the standard plans are fine. Watch out for extra fees on things like international calling.
No tool is cheap if people hate using it, so factor in the time it takes to get everyone comfortable.
The Bottom Line
Ringcentral isn’t magic, but it’s a solid, all-in-one platform for remote teams who need reliable calls, decent chat, and passable video meetings. Skip what you don’t need, focus on the basics, and don’t expect miracles. Start simple, listen to your team, and tweak as you go. Collaboration tools should help you work—not slow you down.