NetFortris (discontinued)

Score6.4 out of 10

162 Reviews and Ratings

What is NetFortris (discontinued)?

NetFortris, and the former Fonality, provided business phone systems using Polycom and Yealink IP phones. In 2022 the company was acquired by Sangoma. NetFortris and Fonality UCaaS and other services are no longer available.

Categories & Use Cases

Media

Screenshot of Fonality's Heads Up Display (HUD) Web dashboard is home base for connecting with colleagues and customers.

Screenshot of Managers with Fonality's Advance Call Center license can Barge, Monitor, or Whisper with one click. Useful for training, customer insights, and quality assurance. Real-time call queue information is shown in the Dock area to the right.

Screenshot of Every Fonality system comes with voicemail boxes for all users, but with optional Voicemail Transcription you'll never have to listen to a voicemail again. Transcribed voicemails are delivered in HUD and via email.

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Screenshot of Fonality's Heads Up Display (HUD) Web dashboard is home base for connecting with colleagues and customers.

Directory of employee names
Voice directory of all employees for self-service dialing
Category average: 8.3
Call reports
Historical call analysis and trending metrics
Category average: 8.1
Message alerts
Receive SMS and email message notifications for voice and fax messages
Category average: 8.6

User templates
Create and apply batch configurations to multiple users at once
Category average: 7.5
Multi-level Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
IVR is a phone menu allowing callers to interact with the system through voice and keypad
Category average: 7.7
Call park
Ability to hold calls in virtual location and subsequently access from any phone in system
Category average: 8.1

Patrick Plaisance

CTO (Chief Technical Officer) in Information Technology at Pachyderm Consulting (1-10 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are using NetFortris Fonality on-premise phone servers at a client office of about 40 users. This is backed by a traditional copper PRI to support the voice needs of a small not for profit foundation. We had previously had 3 Fonality servers at multiple satellite offices, one with SIP trunks, another with a PRI, that were linked for intra-office calling.

Pros

The on-premise server/seat licenses are relatively inexpensive.
The configuration interface is not too difficult to navigate.
The sales staff is very helpful and not at all overbearing or pushy.

Cons

Many of these issues might be due to the age of the on-premise server we are using. The config interface can be unbearably slow.
Creating call flows/phone trees is slow and inflexible.
When we used NetFortris with SIP providers, service was spotty and troubleshooting was difficult -- much of the fault here lies with the SIP providers, but getting important troubleshooting info from NetFortris/the server was next to impossible.
Support in general is slow and unhelpful.
Server hardware is a Dell Optiplex tower with little in the way of redundancy. They do offer more traditional rack servers as well, but I can't speak to what sort of configuration they deploy with those.

Return on Investment

TCO has been very low. Phones and licenses are reasonably priced.

Alternatives Considered

Vonage Business Cloud, RingCentral and Digium Asterisk

Other Software Used

Vonage Business Cloud, WatchGuard Network Security, Ubiquiti Networks UniFi

Verified User

Analyst in Research & Development (51-200 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

NetFortris solutions are creative, adaptive, and closely integrated, resulting in a single, end-to-end voice, data, video, and implementation architecture. NetFortris Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) removes the complexity and agony of finding, installing, and integrating IT solutions. The platform provides Managed Communications, Network, and Security Services from start to finish. NetFortris CommUnity unites all of your communication – audio, video, messaging, collaborative effort, unified communications, consultations, and call centre — on a single platform that is easy to use and administer.

Pros

Cloud communication
Security
Managed network

Cons

SIP trunking
VPN
I feel that their architecture should be more robust and have interoperability functionality.

Most Important Features

Their security feature for data management and control.
Robust cloud communication
4G wireless feature

Return on Investment

Cheaper than other vendors
Always get updated
Technology driven

Other Software Used

Softeon Warehouse Management System, Infor CPQ, Tacton Design Automation

Matthew Guerra View profile

Associate Attorney at Law Office of John J. Randall, IV (1-10 employees employees)

Pros

The new handsets we purchased do provide a helpful log of calls -- outgoing, incoming, missed, etc. -- however, I imagine that any VoIP provider can also provide this service.
We now use headsets that allow us to move about the office freely while on calls, which we could not do with our old phone system. Again, this probably has more to do with VoIP and the newer handsets than anything provided to us by Fonality/NetFortris.

Cons

Fonality/NetFortris, for some reason, limits the functionality of the handsets that are compatible with it and which we purchased to compliment it. We are forced to use the HUDweb interface or the HUD desktop app to do simple things like placing calls on hold, transferring calls, and initiating conference calls. In my office, most employees have several windows open at once -- as I'm sure is common in most offices -- and it can be distracting and clumsy to have to minimize windows in order to pull up the HUD to put a call on hold.
In addition, the lighted buttons on the handset can be used to indicate when another user is currently on the line, or if they are unavailable (I know this because I have been speaking with another VoIP provider who offers this feature); however, Fonality/NetFortris does not allow us to use this feature. Again, we are funneled into using the HUD desktop app, which does provide the information that we want to have handy, but not where we want it (on the handsets).
Customer service has been less that helpful when we call to address our concerns. Ironically, the call quality with customer service is often very poor, and on more than one occasion, I was greeted with someone who did not know how to help me and didn't make any effort to do so.

Return on Investment

It would not be possible to quantify in dollar figures the negative impact that Fonality/NetFortris has had on our business. In the 20 months that we have had it, it is a constant topic of conversation, about which no one is happy. We have dropped numerous calls while attempting to transfer calls to and from "park."

Other Software Used

Amicus Attorney

Bill Boykin View profile

Account resolution in Customer Service at Funding Metrics LLC (51-200 employees employees)

Pros

Pulling calls is simple and quick. A click and drag of the mouse and it's done. Very useful in high-stress calls that need a takeover.
Monitoring calls is easy and can be done with whispers to the agent on our end, which is extremely useful.
It's great for being able to have a pulse on what everyone n the company is doing at any one time.

Cons

I would like a smaller view, so I don't need the whole screen to see everyone, but that's not needed by everyone.

Return on Investment

We are more efficient and it allows us to keep better track of all call stats.

Claudio Hoffer View profile

Business Development in Information Technology at BRADLEY, DENKOVICH & KARAYIANNIS, P.C. (11-50 employees employees)

Pros

The interface is easy to use and it is very simple to program trees.
Cost benefit ratio is simply amazing! So powerful and you don't need to have your own pbx locally. For a mid-sized business like ours it is wonderful. We have the power of a full VoIP solution without the need of a technician or hardware more than the basic you already have to be connected to internet!
The possibility to record sensitive calls and save them. That provides our customers with an extra layer of security.

Cons

Sometimes I notice a few problems using Chrome but probably that is something that is caused by the constant changes on browsers.
I think that a cool feature could be to create menus and trees graphically like a flowchart. But that's only my crazy idea.

Return on Investment

It is scalable
Affordable
Easy to use
Detailed reports

Other Software Used

Symantec NetBackup, Symantec Data Loss Prevention, Digium Asterisk

RingEX

8x8 Work

Vonage Business Communications

NetFortris (discontinued)

What is NetFortris (discontinued)?

Categories & Use Cases

Media

Key Features

Top Performing Features

Directory of employee names

Call reports

Message alerts

Areas for Improvement

User templates

Multi-level Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Call park

Reviews

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Pros

Cons

Return on Investment

Alternatives Considered

Other Software Used

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Pros

Cons

Most Important Features

Return on Investment

Other Software Used

Pros

Cons

Return on Investment

Other Software Used

Pros

Cons

Return on Investment

Pros

Cons

Return on Investment

Other Software Used

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