Mitel MiCloud Connect Review: Is It Right for Your Business?
Corey McCraw is a staff writer covering VoIP and Unified Communications. Corey has over a decade of experience in marketing, tech writing, and corporate communications and has even penned content for the former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
This article is part of a larger series on Unified Communications.
Mitel MiCloud Connect Overview
Companies with legacy on-premise systems may find it easy to move to Mitel MiCloud Connect since they can continue using their existing desk phones. Although it offers unified communications (UC) features, you may need to download separate applications for video meetings and team collaboration tools.
In 2021, Mitel and RingCentral announced a strategic partnership in which Mitel will migrate existing MiCloud Connect customers to RingCentral’s MVP platform for unified communications as a service (UCaaS). This may improve the experience for customers wanting a central platform for video, instant messaging, and voice calling.
What We Like | What’s Missing |
|---|---|
Entry-tier subscription supports 100 video conferencing participants Plans come with a built-in virtual private network (VPN) Mitel provides a 90-day satisfaction guarantee—if there’s a problem and Mitel can’t fix it, they’ll refund your money Integrates with many popular customer relationship management (CRM) tools Mobile apps provide the same or better functionality than desktop or desk phone use All subscriptions include an auto-attendant and call transfer Supports session initiation protocol (SIP) trunking, which is helpful for companies switching from an on-premise PBX system Provides both iOS and Android mobile apps Mitel sells and rents many internet protocol (IP) office phones, including cordless handsets and headsets There are several premium support options for companies wanting on-site assistance and training | No transparent pricing and only minimal plan comparisons online Knowledge base and frequently asked questions (FAQs) are confusing because Mitel offers instructions for many products, including previous ShoreTel Connect Cloud versions Virtual faxing is only available as an add-on feature, regardless of plan Can’t forward calls to an external (non-Mitel) landline without purchasing a separate, metered plan Toll-free numbers and minutes don’t come with Mitel MiCloud Connect subscriptions To get the lowest pricing, Mitel requires a 36-month contract New customers also incur one-time installation fees Some functionality, such as file sharing, requires separate mobile or desktop applications |
What We Recommend Mitel MiCloud Connect For
Mitel MiCloud Connect is a good fit for organizations that want to shift from a public switched telephone network (PTSN) to a cloud-based public branch exchange (PBX) phone system. This is often a must-have for a hybrid work environment with on-site and remote employees. Mitel MiCloud Connect is also scalable, allowing users to add contact center features as their company grows.
When to Use Mitel MiCloud Connect
- If you have an on-site Mitel phone system: If your business has desk phones and headsets, you may prefer using a business phone system that works with your current equipment. Mitel is compatible with many devices, and its MiVoice business phone system made our list of the best multi-line phone systems for small businesses.
- If you have hybrid call center teams: Support on and off-site staff with a cloud solution that works equally well on desktops as it does on voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) phones. You can also add contact center capabilities to any Mitel MiCloud Connect plan.
- If your organization handles protected health information (PHI): Mitel will enter into a business associate agreement (BAA) with companies requiring Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant services.
- When your small business is in need of office phones: Mitel can be a good deal for companies needing to equip their offices with business telephony hardware. Since Mitel provides custom quotes, you can negotiate with them for bundles with a monthly per-user subscription and device rental or purchase.
- If your company needs to store communications for prolonged periods: If industry regulations or corporate policies require you to keep instant messages, texts, and voice recordings, consider Mitel. The Elite plan offers archival services so you can store data for up to seven years.
- When Salesforce integration is a must-have: According to Mitel MiCloud Connect reviews, users like being able to log calls and details into Salesforce instantly.
Mitel MiCloud Connect Might Not Be a Good Fit For
- Current RingCentral users: Mitel is migrating MiCloud Connect customers to RingCentral’s UCaaS platform, so the user experience will presumably be similar for both services. RingCentral also offers far more integrations, including Salesforce. If you want to switch providers but RingCentral isn’t right for your business, consider one of the best RingCentral alternatives.
- Individuals wanting free voice calling: Unlike Google Voice, Mitel doesn’t have a free calling plan for solopreneurs or personal use. Instead, check out what our Google Voice review says about its free version and paid plans.
- Hosting video conferences with more than 100 participants: Mitel caps video and audio conferences at 100 participants. If you want higher limits, consider 8×8, which supports up to 500 attendees, or RingCentral, which supports up to 200 and has some of the best business video conferencing software features.
- Nonprofits or solopreneurs with low call volumes: You can’t get a metered subscription with Mitel. Other solutions, such as Phone.com, have a business phone number, and users can share minutes.
- Businesses with high call volumes to toll-free numbers: Unlike RingCentral and Nextiva, Mitel plans don’t include a toll-free number or minutes. You’ll need to purchase these separately.
- Forwarding calls to external numbers: Mitel isn’t a good fit if you have a separate phone service for after-hours support or if employees need to forward calls to their personal landlines. This requires a different subscription with metered minutes. Grasshopper tops our list of the best virtual number providers and may be a better option in this case.
- Organizations with a global customer base: Mitel doesn’t offer unlimited international calling, so frequent calls outside of the U.S. and Canada can add up quickly. In this case, look at 8×8 or GoTo Connect—both have unmetered international plans.
Mitel MiCloud Connect Pricing
Mitel MiCloud Connect can be purchased through Mitel or an authorized third-party seller. Prices are based on the number of users your company has and the number of handsets your business requires. Mix and match plans to achieve additional cost savings while ensuring that everyone on your team has the tools they need. Use the online estimator to request a quote from Mitel.
Mitel MiCloud Connect Plans | Essentials | Premier | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
Best For | Small teams needing basic communication and collaboration features | Companies wanting to integrate their CRM and phone system | Larger businesses or any that need to save cloud recordings and media for 7 years |
Monthly Pricing ($/User/Month)* | $25.49 | $32.29 | $46.74 |
Unlimited Calling | |||
Business Texting | |||
Video and Audio Meeting Participants | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Voicemail | |||
Outlook and Google Workspace Integration | |||
Auto-attendant | |||
CRM Integrations | |||
Voicemail Transcription | |||
Call Recording | On-demand | Automatic | |
Media Storage | |||
Archiving Capabilities | |||
Operator Features | |||
Virtual Fax |
*The above prices are based on 50 to 100 users. To get the best pricing, Mitel may require a 36-month contract. There are also additional one-time setup fees for new customers.
Mitel also offers Mitel MiCloud Connect Contact Center subscriptions. Call center plans include calling routing, historical reports, and agent coaching and monitoring features. Mitel doesn’t provide details about these packages online, so you’ll need to contact Mitel or an authorized seller to learn about the features and pricing.
Mitel MiCloud Connect Features
Mitel uses a tiered pricing model, so higher-tiered subscriptions have more features than the base plan. You’ll get plenty of standard and advanced tools on the entry-tier package, including Microsoft Outlook and Google integrations. Explore ways to get the most out of your Mitel MiCloud Connect phone system using these features.
General Features
Use your app or the online portal to adjust your voicemail settings. (Source: Mitel)
Mitel MiCloud Connect plans include many essential features for your remote and in-office staff. You can set up an auto-attendant, get email notifications when you receive a voicemail, and take calls on your smartphone.
MiCloud Connect comes with many important VoIP business phone features, such as:
- Directory dialing
- Music on hold
- Call forwarding
- Voicemail-to-email
- Windows and Mac apps
- Caller ID
- Call transfer
- Call screening and blocking
- Android and iOS mobile applications
Integrations
Mitel’s base plan connects to your Google and Microsoft contacts and calendars, so you can sync your data between systems. Select the Premier plan to get CRM and other integrations like Microsoft Teams, Zendesk, Salesforce, ACT!, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Make calls while using Microsoft Teams. (Source: Mitel)
When requesting a quote for your business, be sure to ask about any specific integrations you hope to have with your business phone system. In some cases, Mitel charges a fee to incorporate additional tools.
Collaboration Tools
Use Mitel MiCloud Connect as a virtual workspace for your staff. It supports several types of collaboration, and your team can share screens or files from any device or chat online in real time. It’s important to note that users may need to open different apps to access some features, such as conferencing.
Team collaborations features include:
- Video and audio conferencing
- Screen sharing
- Presence data
- Instant messaging
- Hotdesking
- File sharing
Join a meeting from your desktop. (Source: Mitel)
Media Storage & Archiving
Keeping track of communications across multiple channels is challenging. Mitel offers two subscriptions with cloud storage for your media. The Premier package saves instant messages for 18 months, call recordings for one year, and conference recordings for three months. Choose the Elite plan and enable archival storage to preserve communications for up to seven years.
Activate media archiving from the add-on screen. (Source: Mitel)
Call Routing
Mitel MiCloud Connect supports standard call routing options, similar to other small business VoIP service providers. Along with schedule-based routing, you can also direct calls based on presence data.
Employees’ user presence statuses include in a meeting, available, on vacation, or custom. Consider a Mitel MiCloud Connect Contact Center subscription if you need skills-based or omnichannel routing. The call routing options included with MiCloud Connect are:
- Holiday schedules
- Daily business hours
- Custom settings for specific hours or dates
- Off-hours for all other routing types
Use the call routing wizard to adjust your routing options. (Source: Mitel)
Mobile & Desktop Apps
Mitel provides several apps for iOS and Android devices as well as Mac and Windows computers. The main one is the Mitel MiCloud Connect app, which lets mobile and desktop users transfer calls, change presence status, share screens during a meeting, and listen to voicemails.
Use Mitel MiCloud Connect applications on your tablet, smartphone, or desktop. (Source: Mitel)
MiTeam Meetings is a desktop app for video conferences. It features active speaker windows, whiteboard, and persistent chat logs.
The MiCloud Connect Teamwork app is for collaboration. Instant message people on your team, participate in group chats, and create or assign tasks to other team members.
MiCloud Connect for Chrome is excellent for Google Workspace users. You can place calls, join meetings, and set presence data in a Chrome browser.
Mitel also supplies:
- Telephony for Microsoft that works in your Skype program
- Mitel web dialer for Internet Explorer or Chrome browsers
- Mitel app dialer for calling from Microsoft applications
Mitel MiCloud Connect Alternatives
Mitel is a well-known service provider, but you may prefer an alternative with unified communication features or unlimited international calling. Also, its recent partnership with RingCentral means current Mitel users may end up migrating to the RingCentral MVP platform at some point in 2022, and RingCentral tops our list of the best business phone systems.
Think about the following options and take advantage of the free trials to see which of these Mitel MiCloud connect alternatives might be a better fit:
 |  |  |
Best for: Unlimited international business calling to 14 or 48 countries on X series plans | Best for: Companies wanting a full-featured unified communications platform | Best for: Businesses with a high volume of incoming calls to a toll-free number |
Starting price: $15 per user, per month | Starting price: $19.99 per user, per month | Starting price: $30.95 per user, per month |
What Users Think
Mitel MiCloud Connect reviews show a mixture of good and less favorable reviews. User reviews of MiCloud Connect show they appreciate Mitel’s reliability and seamless migration from an on-premise system to cloud-based VoIP. Others mention that Mitel frequently updates its software, which improves its overall functionality.
Its iOS application garners an impressive 3,953 Mitel cloud reviews averaging 4.5 out of 5. However, the Android version is glitchier than the iOS app. It scores just 3 out of 5 based on 520 reviews.
Here’s how users rank Mitel MiCloud Connect:
- Gartner: 4.1 out of 5 based on 30 reviews
- Capterra: 4.2 out of 5 based on 249 reviews
- G2: 3.8 out of 5 based on 219 reviews
- GetVoIP: 3.3 out of 5 based on 50 reviews
Less favorable Mitel MiCloud Connect reviews mention issues with completing administrative tasks and setting up VoIP services online. Traditionally, Mitel relied on a robust third-party network of technicians that worked with on-site systems. As a result, it lacks the rich self-help resources cloud-first competitors like RingCentral and Nextiva provide.
Other users suggest that customer service isn’t responsive. Mitel sells priority support and installation services, but it may be tougher to get a representative on the line if you don’t subscribe to premium care packages.
Bottom Line
Mitel is a leader in the telecommunications industry, offering on-site and cloud PBX systems and equipment. Its solutions help small and midsize businesses transition from traditional landline services to a cloud-based VoIP platform. Get in touch with Mitel to see if your existing hardware is compatible and which plans are the best fit for your teams.
