3cx vs Xelion – Which is better for your business?

3CX is an open-source communications platform that dates back to 2005 when the company 3CX was founded. Initially only available as a Windows application, 3CX was launched in Linux and various cloud server versions in 2016. It is available in a free feature-limited version, as well as a commercially licensed product. It is also available as a hosted service directly from 3CX, or as software that can be installed and managed by the customer or their chosen partner.

Features

3CX provides a comprehensive suite of features in line with modern business Unified Communications (UC) platforms. It is outside the scope of this article to provide a complete list of all features, but some of the key features that stand out would be:

• Freedom to use any VOIP or SIP trunk that you wish. 
• Integrated WhatsApp/SMS/MMS support. 
• Included applications for mobile and desktop platforms. 
• Integrated Voicemail-to-text.
• Integrated Call Recording, with Start/Stop controls. 
• Integrated CRM integrations. 
• Skills based routing for contact centre applications. 

 Another notable aspect of 3CX is that it provides an easy to use interface for configuration and administration of the system. Many other platforms vary in how easy they are to set up and manage, with some requiring manual editing of complex configuration files and the Linux operating system. 3CX mostly avoids these issues and makes things easy for the system administrator. 

Pricing

3CX is licensed by the number of concurrent call channels it supports rather than the number of extensions or devices that are used with it. This can be advantageous for an organisation that does not make a lot of concurrent calls, as a small license might be suitable even where there is a sizable number of extensions or devices.

There are different versions of 3CX that differ in the features that are included. For example, there is the Free edition, Small Business edition, Professional edition, and Enterprise edition.

While a lot of features are included even with the Free edition, more advanced features are only available in the more costly editions.

For example –

• call queues, IVR’s, physical desk phone and reporting are only available from the Small Business edition and up.
• call recording, CRM integration and MS365 integration is only available from the Professonal edition and up.
• MS Teams integration, skills based routing and call recording controls are only available in the Enterprise edition.

The different editions of 3CX and the varying included features of each means that customers will need to carefully consider the features that they require from their communications platform, and even where only a small number of people need those features, the entire system will need to be upgraded to the relevant license.

Xelion is a modern Unified Communications (UC) platform that was developed in 2012 by Xelion in the Netherlands. The concept behind it’s design was to create the best communications system for the Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) market. As part of it’s design philosophy, the system empowers the operator to manage their communications, making it a very flexible and powerful platform to use. It is not open-source and is commercially available only through an extensive network of partners serving customers globally.  

Features

Xelion provides a daunting array of features and again far too many to list in full in this article, but a list of some notable features it includes is provided below:

• Single license model, with all features included with every license.
• Comprehensive call control and reporting across all devices and applications. 
• Contact centre functionality, including call whisper, barge, skills based routing and fully controlled call recording.
• Included integration with MS365, including Single Sign On (SSO) and automation extension setup based on Azure Active Directory.
• Included calendar and contact sync with MS365, including automatic presence updates based on calendar.
• Wall board and contact centre reporting including a complete Query tool.

A notable aspect of Xelion is that it’s user interface is quite different from most business communications platforms, in that it empowers the user to fully control the aspects of the system that they see and to tailor the interface on their device to suit their individual needs. 

Pricing

Xelion is licensed by the number of users of the system, rather than the number of concurrent calls or devices used. This means that even a very small business can have a larger number of devices, or call channels, but will only need licenses for the actual users of the system. 

Xelion does not have different levels or editions of licenses with different feature inclusions – rather, a single user license includes all features, without exception. 

This can be advantageous to businesses of any size as the number of licenses can scale up or down to suit the changing needs of the business, and there is never a need to consider the features that may be needed by different users of the system because all features are included with all licenses. 

3CX and Xelion each support a range of security features to minimise the risk of a Cyber Security incident. Features such as complex passwords, Single-Sign On (SSO), and multi-factor authentication are available and the platforms can be configured to use the combination of security features that suits each business. 

In terms of the security of the end-user applications, it’s no secret that 3CX was the victim of a significant and very public cyber security incident in early 2023. You can read the 3CX statement about the incident at their blog page HERE. The incident involved the 3CX desktop application being hijacked and used to distribute malware, and resulted in a very dramatic and widespread distribution globally. This is perhaps a ‘worst case scenario’ for a software company, and while the handling of the incident by 3CX has been criticised publically it’s not clear as to whether any risk remains at this point. 

Xelion to date has not been the victim of any security breach or cyber security incident, but it is true that any company can be targeted and that there is no guarantee that any software platform can be made immune to compromise. 

Something that Managed Services Providers (MSP’s) and technology consultants, who are often recommending and supporting the communications platforms of businesses, need to consider is what the company behind the system is like as a partner. Having the best product won’t make up for being a poor partner in business, and there are many factors to consider, some of which are listed below along with some commentary about how 3CX and Xelion compare.

There are many communications platforms suitable for the needs of businesses in Australia and New Zealand today. 3CX and Xelion each present a compelling range of features and functions and each has specific features that may appeal to businesses of different sizes and types. 

Activa Communications provides a range of services to help business communicate better, including VOIP and SIP trunking to suit the 3CX and Xelion platforms, as well as many others. If you are interested in learning more about our services, we invite you to browse other areas of our website or reach out so that we can put you in touch with one of our partners.