Fuze - Detailed Review
Collaboration Tools
Fuze - Product Overview
Fuze Overview
Fuze, now a part of 8×8, is a cloud-based communications and collaboration platform primarily aimed at enterprise customers. Here’s a brief overview of its primary function, target audience, and key features:
Primary Function
Fuze integrates various communication methods, including business voice, videoconferencing, text, instant messaging, and content sharing, into a single cloud service. This integration allows for seamless transitions between different communication methods, making it a comprehensive unified communications and collaboration (UCC) solution.
Target Audience
Fuze is mainly targeted at large enterprise and mid-market customers. Its user base includes companies with 1,000-5,000 employees and revenues exceeding $1 billion. The platform is particularly popular in industries such as computer software, information technology and services, telecommunications, and the internet.
Key Features
Unified Communications
Fuze combines traditional phone systems with mobile and video conferencing capabilities, allowing users to communicate across various devices and platforms.
Contact Center Solutions
Fuze offers a contact center as a service (CCaaS) that integrates with its unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platform. This includes features like dynamic call routing, skill-based call routing using automated speech recognition (ASR) and text-to-speech (TTS), and workforce management tools.
Collaboration Tools
The platform includes features like group chat, Fuze Meetings for up to 1,000 participants, and content sharing. It also integrates with popular enterprise software services such as Slack, Salesforce, Gmail, Microsoft Teams, and Zapier.
Analytics and Intelligence
Fuze provides advanced analytics and real-time intelligence, including an expanded version of caller ID that pulls information from a caller’s online profiles. The platform also offers usage reports and predictive analytics for workforce management.
Mobile Enhancements
Fuze allows mobile workers to maintain full capabilities of the platform, ensuring flexibility and control regardless of their location.
Additional Features
The platform includes extensive auto-attendant features, unlimited and scalable queue capacity, and training tools like whisper and break-in functionality for contact center agents.
Conclusion
Overall, Fuze is a versatile and integrated communication and collaboration solution that caters to the diverse needs of enterprise customers, enhancing their communication and collaboration capabilities.
Fuze - User Interface and Experience
The User Interface of Fuze
The user interface of Fuze, a comprehensive collaboration tool, is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, making it accessible for a wide range of users.
Ease of Use
Fuze is praised for its ease of use. Users have noted that the interface is well-designed and straightforward, allowing for a smooth adoption process. For instance, one reviewer mentioned that the “well-designed UI makes the product a pleasure to use” and that it “just works in a very user-friendly way” without unnecessary feature bloat that could confuse users.
User Interface
The platform offers a seamless experience across various devices, including tablets, smartphones, desktops, and laptops. Here are some key aspects of the interface:
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Fuze provides consistent functionality whether you are using it on desktop clients for Windows and Mac, or mobile clients for Android and iOS. This ensures that users can communicate and collaborate effectively regardless of their device.
- Clear Navigation: The interface is structured to make key features easily accessible. Users can quickly initiate calls, send messages, share screens, and participate in video and web conferences.
- Mobile App: The mobile app is particularly noted for its non-intrusive nature, which is a significant advantage over other similar apps like Skype. Users appreciate that the mobile app is not overly demanding and allows them to stay connected without significant disruptions.
User Experience
The overall user experience with Fuze is generally positive. Here are some highlights:
- Seamless Communication: Fuze facilitates instant messaging, text communication, and web-based interactions, making real-time communication and collaboration efficient. Users can quickly record and share screen, camera, and voice videos, reducing the need for lengthy emails and in-person meetings.
- Video and Audio Quality: While the platform is praised for its video and audio capabilities, there are some caveats. The quality can vary depending on the user’s internet connection, which can sometimes lead to poorly recorded videos or audio issues.
- Integration and Features: Fuze integrates well with various tools and provides a full suite of features, including telephone calls, collaboration tools, meetings, voicemail, and multiple types of endpoints. However, some users have noted that certain features, like the collaboration and video components, can be relatively expensive as add-ons and may not be as polished as those in competitors like Zoom or Teams.
Customer Support
While the user interface and core functionality of Fuze are well-regarded, customer support is an area where some users have experienced issues. Some reviewers have mentioned that support responses can be slow, and it may take longer than expected to resolve issues, although they do eventually get resolved.
Conclusion
In summary, Fuze offers a user-friendly interface that is easy to use and provides a seamless experience across different devices. However, there are some areas, such as customer support and the quality of certain features, that could be improved.
Fuze - Key Features and Functionality
Key Features and Functionality of Fuze
Unified Communication
Fuze unifies various communication channels, including voice calling, video conferencing, instant messaging, and file sharing, into a single intuitive platform. This integration enables seamless collaboration and efficient information exchange among team members.Video Conferencing
Fuze offers robust video conferencing capabilities, allowing teams to conduct virtual meetings with ease. This feature supports interactive and engaging sessions, which is crucial for remote collaboration and client interactions.Instant Messaging and Chat
The platform includes instant messaging and chat features that facilitate real-time communication. This allows team members to quickly exchange information, discuss ongoing projects, and respond promptly to queries.File Sharing
Fuze enables users to share files seamlessly, which is essential for collaborative work. This feature ensures that all team members have access to the necessary documents and resources, enhancing productivity and efficiency.Presence Management
Fuze includes presence management, which allows users to see the availability status of their colleagues. This feature helps in planning meetings, making calls, or sending messages at the most opportune times, thus reducing distractions and improving workflow.Call Recording and Transcription
The platform offers call recording and transcription features. These are beneficial for keeping records of important conversations, reviewing past interactions, and improving customer service by ensuring that all details are accurately captured.Integration with Business Applications
Fuze integrates with popular business applications, which streamlines workflows and enhances productivity. This integration allows for synchronized data and processes, making it easier to manage various aspects of business operations from a single platform.AI Integration
While the specific sources provided do not detail extensive AI integration within Fuze’s core collaboration tools, it is clear that Fuze focuses on providing a user-friendly and intuitive interface. However, the transition guide from Fuze to 8×8 Work App mentions features like synchronized customer interactions and automated processes, which might imply some level of automation but does not explicitly highlight AI-driven features within Fuze itself.Cost Savings and Scalability
Fuze’s cloud-based architecture offers flexible pricing options and eliminates the need for multiple communication systems, reducing hardware and maintenance costs. This makes it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes, allowing them to scale their communication needs without significant financial burdens.Customer Experience
Fuze’s omnichannel capabilities enable businesses to provide exceptional customer service across all communication channels. This ensures prompt and personalized responses, enhancing customer satisfaction and overall customer experience.Conclusion
In summary, Fuze is a comprehensive collaboration tool that integrates multiple communication channels, enhances productivity through various features, and provides cost-effective solutions for businesses. However, based on the available information, it does not appear to have extensive AI-driven features within its core collaboration tools. Fuze - Performance and Accuracy
Performance
Fuze is generally praised for its reliable performance. It boasts a 99.99% uptime guarantee, which is crucial for businesses that rely heavily on their communication systems.
- Users have reported minimal downtime and technical issues, ensuring seamless communication and collaboration.
- The software is highly reliable, with users experiencing only occasional outages, and even those are rarely felt due to the system’s stability.
Accuracy and Reporting
However, there are some areas where Fuze falls short:
- Reporting is a significant area for improvement. Users have noted that the reports can be inaccurate, particularly for call floors where bonuses are based on agent performance. This inaccuracy requires manual verification, adding extra administrative work.
- The audio and video quality can vary widely depending on the user’s internet connection, which can lead to poorly recorded meetings and difficulties in understanding the content.
Ease of Use and Features
Fuze is lauded for its ease of use and user-friendly interface. The software’s intuitive design and clear navigation make it easy for employees to adopt and use, improving productivity and efficiency.
- It offers a comprehensive feature set, including video conferencing, instant messaging, file sharing, and call recording, which provides businesses with a robust communication and collaboration solution.
Customer Support
One of the notable limitations is the customer support experience. Users have reported difficulties in getting immediate support, as initial contacts often result in tickets being created rather than immediate resolutions. While emergency support can be reached, non-emergency issues may take longer to resolve, sometimes exceeding the stated SLA of 48 hours.
Customization and Billing
Customization is another area where Fuze could improve. The system is not highly customizable to different use cases, and users have expressed frustration with the lack of control over provisioning phones and understanding billing details.
Conclusion
In summary, while Fuze excels in reliability, ease of use, and comprehensive features, it has room for improvement in areas such as reporting accuracy, customer support response times, and customization options. These limitations are important to consider when evaluating whether Fuze meets the specific needs of your business.
Fuze - Pricing and Plans
Pricing Plans
Fuze has five distinct plans, each with increasing levels of features and capabilities.Fuze Meetings
- Price: $15 per user per month
- Features: Meetings up to 1000 participants, 1:1 and team messaging, and 1 DID with metered outbound calling.
Fuze Calling
- Price: $25 per user per month
- Features: Meetings up to 10 participants, 1:1 and team messaging, and 1 DID with unlimited global calling in one country or one region.
Fuze Pro
- Price: $35 per user per month
- Features: Meetings up to 1000 participants, 1:1 and team messaging, and 1 DID with unlimited global calling in one country or one region.
Fuze International
- Price: $45 per user per month
- Features: Meetings up to 1000 participants, 1:1 and team messaging, and 1 DID with unlimited global calling to 34 countries.
Fuze Unlimited Global
- Price: $65 per user per month
- Features: Meetings up to 1000 participants, 1:1 and team messaging, and 1 DID with unlimited global calling to 116 countries.
Additional Features and Updates
- Contact Center Updates: Includes chat-based routing, new agent view, and supervisor for tablet enhancements.
- Microsoft Teams Integration: Features like queues tab and hybrid mode for both direct routing and click-to-connect users.
- Call Flow Manager and Emergency Services: Updated call flow and menu management, dynamic location updates, and mobile GPS for location services.
Free Options
Fuze does not offer a free plan. However, users can explore the various paid plans to find the one that best fits their needs. By choosing the appropriate plan, businesses can leverage Fuze’s unified communications and collaboration tools to enhance productivity and streamline workflows, especially in hybrid work environments. Fuze - Integration and Compatibility
Integration with Enterprise Software
Fuze integrates with several popular enterprise software services, including Slack, Salesforce, Gmail, and Zapier. This integration allows users to transition smoothly between different applications. For instance, Fuze users can initiate calls or meetings directly from Slack conversations, leveraging the seamless toggle between the two platforms.
Microsoft Teams Integration
Fuze has a strong integration with Microsoft Teams, enabling users to start ad hoc calls or meetings directly from the Teams interface. Users can schedule, host, and join meetings using Fuze’s app tab page, a messaging extension, or through bot commands. This integration ensures a consistent user experience across desktop, mobile, and web platforms.
Other Video Conferencing Tools
Fuze also integrates with other video conferencing tools such as Google Meet, Zoom, Webex, and GoToMeeting. This allows users to launch and join videoconferences seamlessly, regardless of the platform they are using.
Mobile and Global Compatibility
Fuze’s services are optimized for mobile devices, providing mobile workers with flexibility and control while maintaining the full capabilities of the Fuze platform. The service runs on a natively-developed cloud platform, ensuring high-quality voice, video, and content sharing experiences across various devices and global locations.
Unified Communications and Contact Center
Fuze’s unified communications and collaboration (UCC) services, including Fuze Pro, Fuze Calling, and Fuze Success Plans, offer integrated voice calling, videoconferencing, text, instant messaging, and content sharing. The platform also includes a contact center as a service (CCaaS) that integrates with its unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platform, providing features like call routing and queuing.
Security and Privacy
In addition to its functional integrations, Fuze has partnerships with security and privacy companies like Theta Lake to protect sensitive data during collaborations. This ensures that the integrations with platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack are secured to a higher level.
Overall, Fuze’s integration capabilities and compatibility across various platforms and devices make it a versatile and reliable choice for enterprise communication and collaboration needs.
Fuze - Customer Support and Resources
Fuze Customer Support Overview
Fuze, now a part of 8×8, offers a comprehensive range of customer support options and additional resources to support its users in the collaboration tools and AI-driven product category.
Support Channels
- Phone Support: Users can contact Fuze experts via phone from Monday to Saturday, 6am-6pm PT, to get their questions answered.
- Sales Chat: For those ready to discuss the next steps or have immediate questions, Fuze provides a live chat option.
- Contact Form: Users can fill out a form, and a sales representative will reach out via email or phone.
Online Support Resources
- Help Center: Fuze has a publicly accessible Help Center that includes guides on getting started, public training schedules, reference guides, and training videos. This resource helps users become familiar with the Fuze application and its features.
- Knowledge Base and Support Chat: Users can access online support resources, including a knowledge base and support chat, through the Support.8×8.com portal.
Training and Education
- Fuze Public Training: The platform offers a schedule of free public courses covering various aspects of the Fuze application, such as Desktop Chat and Portal for Administrators.
- Training Videos: A library of pre-recorded training videos is available to help users be more productive with Fuze.
Community Engagement
- Fuze Ideas: This is a space where users can share ideas with the product team and vote on existing ideas, allowing for community-driven feedback and development.
Additional Resources
- Reference Guides: Quick guides are available to show users how to use the most common features in Fuze products.
- Integration Support: Fuze products can integrate with existing enterprise software services such as Slack, Salesforce, Gmail, Microsoft Teams, and Zapier, and users can find resources on how to set up these integrations.
By providing these diverse support channels and resources, Fuze ensures that its users have multiple avenues to get help, learn about the product, and optimize their use of the platform.
Fuze - Pros and Cons
Advantages
Ease of Use
Fuze is praised for its user-friendly interface, making it easy for employees to adopt and use. The intuitive design and clear navigation allow users to quickly access the features they need, improving productivity and efficiency.
Comprehensive Features
Fuze offers a wide range of features including voice calling, video conferencing, instant messaging, file sharing, screen sharing, and call recording. These features are integrated into a single platform, simplifying communication and collaboration.
Reliability
Fuze boasts a 99.99% uptime guarantee, ensuring minimal downtime and technical issues. This reliability is crucial for businesses that rely heavily on their phone systems for critical operations.
Scalability
Fuze is highly scalable, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes. It offers various pricing plans to fit different needs, starting at $19.99 per user per month, and includes a free trial for testing.
Global Accessibility
Fuze is available globally, with a network of data and telecommunications carriers that support its services. This makes it ideal for international teams and collaborations.
Integration with Other Tools
Fuze integrates well with industry-leading applications such as Box, Okta, and Dropbox, allowing users to collaborate without switching between multiple apps.
Real-Time Content Sharing
Fuze’s real-time content sharing features, including support for 4K images and HD videos, enhance teamwork and productivity. It also includes remote desktop control and WebRTC technology for seamless collaboration.
Disadvantages
Cost of Additional Features
Some users have noted that the collaboration and video components of Fuze can be relatively expensive as add-ons. This might be a consideration for businesses on a tight budget.
Comparison to Other Platforms
While Fuze is highly regarded, some users find its video and collaboration features not as slick as those offered by competitors like Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Limited Support Access
There is a mention that not all users can access support directly, which might be an inconvenience for some organizations.
Occasional Glitches
Although rare, some users have reported occasional technical issues, which can be frustrating despite the generally reliable service.
Overall, Fuze is a strong option for businesses seeking a comprehensive, user-friendly, and reliable collaboration tool, but it’s important to weigh the costs and potential limitations against its many benefits.
Fuze - Comparison with Competitors
Fuze Overview
Fuze is a unified communications platform that offers a range of features including video conferencing, chat/IM management, phone system features, and collaboration tools. It is known for its high call quality, strong feature set, and scalability.Unique Features of Fuze
- Centralized App: Fuze provides a single app for all its capabilities, making it easier to manage business communications.
- Integration with CRM: Fuze allows integration with CRM systems like Salesforce, enabling users to manage contacts, opportunities, and interactions within the app.
- High Uptime: Fuze boasts a 99.999% uptime, ensuring reliable service.
- Cross-Platform Collaboration: It supports collaboration across desktop and mobile platforms.
Alternatives and Comparisons
8×8 Work
- Unified Communications: 8×8 Work offers a similar unified communications experience with features like instant messaging, global calling, video meetings, and screen sharing. It stands out with its secure, unified communications and collaboration experience across devices and operating systems, and it does not require IT support for deployment and updates.
- Deployment Options: 8×8 Work provides different deployment options, including EXE and MSI packages for Windows and DMG for macOS, which can be more flexible for different organizational needs.
- Salesforce Integration: Like Fuze, 8×8 Work integrates with Salesforce, offering an opportunity-centric experience and synchronized customer interactions.
Taskade
- AI-Enhanced Project Management: Taskade is an all-in-one workspace that integrates AI-powered tools for project management, task organization, and real-time collaboration. It automates routine tasks, generates actionable insights, and supports content creation and workflow optimization.
- Visual Workflow Builder: Taskade offers a visual builder for creating custom workflows and project views, which can be more adaptable to diverse project requirements.
- Extensive Integration: Taskade connects with over 5000 apps through Zapier, enhancing automation and data flow across tools.
RingCentral
- Comprehensive UCaaS: RingCentral is another strong competitor in the UCaaS space, offering high call quality, a strong feature set, and scalability. It is known for its ease of use and learning curve, although it may not match Fuze in terms of overall system usability.
- Single App: Like Fuze, RingCentral provides a single app for all its capabilities, simplifying business communications.
Key Differences and Considerations
- AI Integration: Taskade stands out with its strong AI integration for project management and automation, which might be more appealing for teams needing AI-assisted workflows.
- User Reviews and Support: Fuze generally has more positive user reviews and is praised for its quality of support and system usability, although 8×8 Work scores better in ease of use and setup.
- Feature Set: Fuze offers a broad range of features, but 8×8 Work and RingCentral also provide comprehensive sets of features, including conferencing capabilities, remote support, and collaboration tools.
Fuze - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Fuze
Q: What is Fuze and what services does it offer?
Fuze is a cloud communications and collaboration software platform that unifies voice, video, and messaging into one application. It provides a range of services including call center solutions, phone systems, video conferencing, real-time content sharing, group and 1:1 chat, and remote desktop control.Q: Who is the target market for Fuze?
Fuze products are primarily designed for mid-sized and large enterprise customers, although its collaboration services can be useful for any type or size of company. It is available globally, serving customers in various regions including Canada, the US, the UK, France, and more.Q: What are the different pricing plans offered by Fuze?
Fuze offers several pricing plans:- Fuze Meetings: $15 per month per user, includes meetings up to 1000 participants and 1:1 & team messaging.
- Fuze Calling: $25 per month per user, includes 1 DID with unlimited global calling in one country or region, meetings up to 10 participants, and 1:1 & team messaging.
- Fuze Pro: $35 per month per user, includes 1 DID with unlimited global calling in one country or region, meetings up to 1000 participants, and 1:1 & team messaging.
- Fuze International: $45 per month per user, includes 1 DID with unlimited global calling to 34 countries, meetings up to 1000 participants, and 1:1 & team messaging.
- Fuze Unlimited Global: $65 per month per user, includes 1 DID with unlimited global calling to 116 countries, meetings up to 1000 participants, and 1:1 & team messaging.
Q: What features does Fuze offer for real-time collaboration?
Fuze offers several features for real-time collaboration, including:- Real-time content and screen sharing with support for 4K images and HD videos.
- Remote desktop control to access your office computer from anywhere.
- Group chat and 1:1 chat with presence statuses.
- WebRTC technology for click-to-join collaboration.
- Scalable video coding (SVC) for quality management.
- High-quality privacy and security measures.
- Integration with industry-leading applications like Box, Okta, and Dropbox.
Q: How does Fuze simplify collaboration for dispersed teams?
Fuze simplifies collaboration by providing a unified platform where teams can engage in real-time content sharing, screen sharing, and video meetings. It also offers features like remote desktop control, group and 1:1 chat, and presence statuses, all within the same intuitive application. This allows teams to stay connected and productive regardless of their location.Q: What is Fuze Guest and how does it work?
Fuze Guest is an application that allows you to invite customers or external collaborators to join your Fuze experience. Guests can participate in HD video meetings, screen and document sharing, and use presence facilities, all by receiving a link to join the collaboration network via WebRTC technology.Q: How does the acquisition by 8×8 impact Fuze?
The acquisition by 8×8 aims to accelerate innovation on the 8×8 platform by combining the resources and expertise of both companies. This will expand 8×8’s enterprise customer base and global presence, especially in continental Europe, and provide significant cross-sell opportunities with 8×8’s omnichannel contact center and CPaaS capabilities.Q: What kind of support and resources are available for Fuze users?
Fuze users have access to various support resources, including the Fuze Customer Community, Fuze Customer Portal, Fuze Help Center, and educational content. Users can submit support or billing cases, manage settings for devices and extensions, and access training materials. There is also a Customer Success team that focuses on customer satisfaction and retention.Q: Are there any integrations available with other applications?
Yes, Fuze integrates with several industry-leading applications such as Box, Okta, and Dropbox. This allows users to collaborate without needing to switch between different apps, enhancing productivity and efficiency.Q: What security measures does Fuze have in place?
Fuze emphasizes high-quality privacy and security measures. It uses a global network of MPLS carriers for better redundancy and ensures secure and reliable communication through its platform. Fuze - Conclusion and Recommendation
Final Assessment of Fuze in the Collaboration Tools Category
Fuze is a comprehensive collaboration tool that offers a wide range of features designed to enhance team communication, productivity, and morale. Here’s a detailed assessment of who would benefit most from using Fuze and an overall recommendation.Key Features and Benefits
- Conferencing Capabilities: Fuze provides strong audio, video, and web conferencing features, including screen sharing, which is highly effective for training, support, and troubleshooting.
- Real-Time Collaboration: It allows teams to work together on projects and presentations in real-time, facilitating rapid feedback, question-answering, and problem-solving even when team members are not physically in the same location.
- User-Friendly Interface: The UI is well-designed and user-friendly, avoiding feature bloat that can confuse users. This makes it easy for teams to adopt and use the platform daily.
- Integration and Compatibility: Fuze integrates well with various devices and platforms, including tablets, smartphones, desktops, and laptops, ensuring consistent and reliable connectivity.
Who Would Benefit Most
Fuze is particularly beneficial for organizations that require seamless and efficient communication across different locations and devices. Here are some key groups that would benefit:- Remote Teams: Companies with remote or distributed teams can significantly benefit from Fuze’s real-time collaboration tools, which help in maintaining productivity and morale.
- Large Enterprises: Enterprises needing a unified communication platform that integrates well with existing workflows will find Fuze’s features and scalability advantageous.
- Teams Requiring Frequent Conferencing: Organizations that rely heavily on conferencing for meetings, training, and support will appreciate Fuze’s robust conferencing capabilities.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Improved Productivity: Fuze enhances internal communication by reducing the need for lengthy emails and in-person meetings, thus improving overall productivity.
- Ease of Use: The platform is easy to adopt, with a user-friendly interface that avoids feature bloat.
- Strong Collaboration Tools: It offers effective tools for real-time collaboration, screen sharing, and feedback mechanisms.
Cons
- Cost of Additional Features: The collaboration and video components can be relatively expensive as add-ons, and some users find them not as slick as those in competitors like Zoom or Teams.
- Customer Support: While customer support is generally good, some users have noted that it would be better if all users could access support directly rather than through a mediator.
- Common Bugs: Some users have reported experiencing bugs, although this is not a universal issue.