Intermedia Cloud Communications: Unified Voice, Video, and Chat

Welcome to the comprehensive evaluation guide for Intermedia, a leading provider of cloud communications and collaboration solutions. In today’s hybrid work environment, businesses require more than just a dial tone; they need a unified ecosystem that combines voice, video, chat, contact center, and file sharing into a single, reliable pane of glass. Intermedia distinguishes itself in a crowded market through its "worry-free" approach, offering a highly integrated suite (Intermedia Unite) and a rare 99.999% uptime SLA.

This guide is designed for IT directors, CTOs, and operations managers. You will learn about Intermedia's core capabilities, the specific business scenarios where they outperform competitors, and the technical prerequisites needed for a successful deployment. By the end of this guide, you will have the necessary criteria to determine if Intermedia is the right strategic partner for your digital transformation journey.

• Intermedia Unite (UCaaS): A unified application for mobile and desktop that combines high-definition voice, video conferencing, team chat, and file backup. This eliminates "app fatigue" by centralizing all internal and external communication.
• Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS): Scalable solutions from basic "Express" queues to "Elite" omnichannel suites. Features include IVR, skill-based routing, real-time supervisor dashboards, and call recording with AI-driven sentiment analysis.
• AnyMeeting Video Conferencing: Built-in HD video conferencing with screen sharing, meeting transcripts, and "Pro" features like webinars for up to 1,000 attendees.
• Microsoft Teams Integration: Enhances Teams by adding enterprise-grade telephony features (Direct Routing or Bolt-on) while allowing users to stay within the familiar Teams interface.
• Security & Reliability: A proprietary "J.D. Power-certified" support model and a 99.999% uptime SLA. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest, with redundant data centers ensuring business continuity.
• AI Interaction Insights: Automated transcription and summary tools that analyze calls and meetings to identify action items and customer sentiment, reducing manual note-taking.

• Hybrid Professional Services: A law firm uses Intermedia Unite to allow partners to take "office" calls on their mobile devices while maintaining a professional caller ID, and uses AnyMeeting for secure client consultations.
• Retail/Franchise Management: A multi-location retail chain centralizes its communications, using the Auto-Attendant to route calls to specific stores and the Contact Center to manage a centralized customer service desk.
• Healthcare Clinics: A medical group utilizes Intermedia’s HIPAA-compliant chat and file sharing to discuss patient cases securely, while the Contact Center manages appointment scheduling with automated reminders.
• Remote Sales Teams: A software company integrates Intermedia with Salesforce, allowing sales reps to click-to-dial and automatically log every call, improving CRM data integrity and manager visibility.
• Education: A school district uses the Webinar functionality for remote board meetings and the "Unite" app for teacher-parent communication without sharing personal cell numbers.

• Per-User Monthly Subscription: The primary model, where costs are determined by the "seat" type (e.g., Unite Pro vs. Unite Enterprise).
• Tiered Feature Sets:
  • Unite Pro: Includes core UCaaS features, mobile/desktop apps, and standard meeting tools.
  • Unite Enterprise: Adds advanced features like call recording, higher meeting capacities, and expanded file storage.
• Contact Center Add-ons: Usually priced per agent, with tiers based on functionality (Express, Pro, or Elite).
• Hardware Options: Desk phones can be purchased upfront or leased through a "Hardware-as-a-Service" model to reduce CAPEX.
• No Hidden Fees: Intermedia is known for transparent billing, though international calling and toll-free minutes may incur usage-based charges.
• Volume Discounts: Pricing typically scales down for larger seat counts (100+ users).

• Operating Systems: Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+, iOS 13+, and Android 8+.
• Web Browsers: Latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
• Network Hardware: VoIP-aware routers/firewalls with QoS (Quality of Service) capabilities.
• Hardware Compatibility: Supports Intermedia-certified SIP phones from Poly, Yealink, and Cisco.
• Bandwidth: Minimum 100kbps (up/down) per concurrent voice call; 2-4Mbps for HD video conferencing.
• Power: PoE (Power over Ethernet) switches or individual power adapters for desk phones.
• Email: An active business email account for user verification and notifications.

• Network Readiness: A high-quality internet connection with prioritized Voice over IP (VoIP) traffic is essential. Organizations should conduct a network assessment to ensure sufficient bandwidth and low latency.
• Executive Sponsorship: Critical for migrating legacy PBX systems to the cloud, as it often involves changing long-standing employee workflows.
• Change Management: Teams must be prepared for the transition from physical desk phones to 'softphones' (desktop and mobile apps), requiring internal communication and training sessions.
• Administrative Oversight: While Intermedia is managed, an internal IT point person should be designated to handle user provisioning, auto-attendant configurations, and call routing logic.
• Stakeholder Buy-in: Customer support leads and sales managers should be involved early to define CRM integration requirements and contact center workflows.

• Discovery & Design (Weeks 1-2): Audit of current phone numbers, user lists, and call flow requirements. Identification of integration points (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft 365).
• Configuration & Setup (Weeks 2-4): Building the cloud environment, configuring Auto-Attendants, Hunt Groups, and User Profiles. Ordering and shipping of pre-provisioned hardware if needed.
• Testing & Training (Weeks 4-5): Rigorous testing of call flows and emergency services (E911). Training sessions for end-users and administrators.
• Porting & Go-Live (Weeks 6-8): The timeline is often dictated by the "losing" carrier's speed in releasing phone numbers. Once ported, the switch to Intermedia is instantaneous.
• Post-Migration Optimization (Week 9+): Fine-tuning call analytics and expanding integrations based on initial user feedback.

• 24/7 J.D. Power Certified Support: Intermedia is highly rated for its technical support, available via phone, chat, and email.
• Onboarding Assistance: Dedicated implementation managers are often assigned to assist with porting and initial configuration for mid-market accounts.
• Partner-Led Support: Many customers receive "white-glove" support through Intermedia’s extensive network of Managed Service Providers (MSPs).
• Intermedia University: A comprehensive online learning portal with self-paced training for admins and users.
• Knowledge Base: Extensive documentation, video tutorials, and troubleshooting guides.
• Professional Services: Available for complex migrations, custom integrations, or large-scale hardware deployments.

• Productivity Suites: Deep, native integration with Microsoft 365 (including Teams via Direct Routing) and Google Workspace.
• CRM & Business Apps: Pre-built connectors for Salesforce, NetSuite, Zendesk, Zoho, and HubSpot to enable screen pops and automatic call logging.
• API Access: Robust REST APIs for custom integrations with proprietary line-of-business applications.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): Support for Okta, Azure AD, and OneLogin for secure, centralized user access management.
• Data Formats: Supports standard SIP protocols for hardware and WebRTC for browser-based communications.
• Effort Level: Standard CRM integrations are "plug-and-play" (minutes to set up), while custom API work requires developer resources.

• Certifications: SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3 audited.
• Healthcare Ready: HIPAA compliant, with the ability to sign Business Associate Agreements (BAAs).
• Financial Services: Supports PCI-DSS compliance requirements for handling payment information.
• Data Residency: Multiple geographically dispersed data centers across the US, Canada, and Europe.
• Access Control: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access control (RBAC) are standard across the platform.
• Privacy: GDPR and CCPA compliant data handling practices.
• Network Security: Toll fraud monitoring and protection are built into the voice network.