Ooma VOIP

!±8± Ooma VOIP

Ooma's a company that offers a VOIP solution that's a little different than the rest. It was unique enough that I took the plunge and decided to go with them despite the small risk that they might not be around long enough to recoup my investment.

Like many I know, I was looking at potentially getting rid of my land line. Most people call me on my cell. I also couldn't justify paying for all the new features, such as Caller ID, if we didn't use the landline much. In addition to just doing away with my landline, I was considering various internet solutions.

Since I'm with Comcast for my television and internet service I have the option of adding Comcast Digital Voice. I could add that separately or look into one of the various Triple Play packages that they offer. I was strongly considering this. Another option would be Vonage, another VOIP service that had the advantage of not needing to rent their modem but they have a one year agreement that I wasn't sure I wanted to commit to.

It seems, like all things in life, that there were good and bad with every option. The modem rental and then the cost of Comcast Digital Voice after the deals expired didn't appeal to me. The one year agreement and reviews of lesser voice quality of Vonage discourage me. Of course there are other options, such as Skype, but I didn't feel these were answering my needs completely. Though I do like to take advantage of video chat with Skype and iChat. Those are generally great and for those of you who haven't tried the iChat experience you don't know how good the video can be!

So, I stumbled on Ooma while reading some consumer report reviews. I hadn't heard of them, but I immediately liked the idea of paying for the unit once and getting my service for free from there on out. The deal with Ooma is you buy the unit, the Ooma Telo (or the older Hub and Scout), and your service is free (excepting /yr taxes) for as long as you own that unit. Of course, they'd like you to sign up for their premier services which run .99/month (not a bad deal if you need or want those extras).

The Oooma Telo lists for 9, but I found a deal through Costco online that was only 9, INCLUDING 0 worth of international calling (you know we'll use those), AND 6 months free trial of the premier service (usually 2 month). Still a bit pricey for me, but I figured we'd break even in about 8 months and everything after that was good. I also felt very confident that if it wasn't what I had hoped for, I could return it to Costco without issue. That's was really the deal maker for me.

The Ooma Telo arrived on a very busy, for me, Thursday. I had about 30 minutes during lunch to set it up. It didn't go without problems, though funny enough the problem wasn't with Ooma but instead with my internet conection. It was down for the first time I can remember in I don't know how long. I mean, my internet never goes down. Anyway, it came back up, and I was able to complete the activation process in about 10 minutes. I decided to port my old number (not a requirement) for a .99 charge. They gave me a temporary number to use during the porting process, which generally takes 3 weeks. I have phone plugged into the wall to take calls on the old number while it ports. I could have integrated that in to the Telo, but decided not to do that after reading a few reviews and comments.

So far we've been very happy with it. We've made calls, both local and long distance, without issue. The call quality is very good, even though I elected to place the Telo unit after my Apple Airport Extreme router, which does not offer QOS (quality of service). The fact that I have a fast pipe (12/2 - which is really tests out more like 25/8) probably makes that work. It's pretty rare that we tax our internet with heavy downloads/uploads, either. The features such as Caller ID and Voice Mail have been a nice addition to the service we had before.

Oooma has a very nice online management system - My Ooma. You can set your preferences for the various settings and add-ons there. It also allows you to check your call log and voice mail. The voice mails are saved as mp3s, and you can listen to them from any computer that you have access to. So for instance, I can check my voice mails while at work.

Within the last couple of days Ooma has announced a bunch of new upcoming features that sound very promising, but some will incur additional costs. From Ooma's press release they are:

Ooma Pure Voice(TM) Ooma raises the bar on voice quality again with the introduction of Ooma Pure Voice. Ooma now brings to the home the data redundancy sophistication normally found in industrial-grade Internet telephony products. With the explosion of bandwidth usage in the home for video streaming, photo uploads and real-time gaming, Ooma Pure Voice ensures crystal clear conversations over congested networks while maintaining low-bandwidth requirements. High Definition Voice (HD Voice) Ooma is the first residential phone service to support high-definition voice technology. Compared to conventional telephones, Ooma HD Voice doubles the audio frequencies transmitted to deliver richer, more natural sounding conversation to calls between Ooma customers. Compatible corded telephone or Ooma Telo Handset is required to support Ooma HD Voice. iPhone and iPod Touch Calling Application Ooma customers will be able to download an Ooma iPhone or iPod Touch application to make phone calls over any Wi-Fi network using an iPhone or iPod touch. Ooma's app allows customers to take their Ooma service on the road with them to make or receive calls from around the world at Ooma's low-cost international rates. Bluetooth Support The addition of Bluetooth support on the Ooma Telo allows users to integrate their mobile phone with their home phone systems, delivering superior flexibility and convenience. Bluetooth support on the Ooma Telo allows customers to pair compatible, Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones enabling inbound calls from the mobile phone to be answered on any home phone connected to the Ooma Telo. Users may also pair compatible Bluetooth headsets to the Ooma Telo to enable hands-free talking from anywhere in the home. Additionally, Bluetooth support will allow users to download their phone book from their mobile devices for use on the Ooma Telo Handset and online at My Ooma. Google Voice Extensions Ooma simplifies the Google Voice user experience, enabling consumers to take advantage of the complementary capabilities found in both offerings, for a truly integrated and seamless phone experience. Google Voice users can integrate the Call Presentation, Listen In, and caller-ID features with their Ooma system as well as access Google Voice voicemail at a touch of a button. Voicemail Transcription Ooma customers can have inbound voicemail transcribed into text and sent as an email or text message. Users can now enjoy the convenience of reading their voicemail quickly and silently whether they are at home or on the road. Ooma voicemail transcription is human-aided to ensure the delivery of accurate and reliable messages.

I was pretty excited about the iPhone app, but learned that it will cost .99 AND will require the premier service to take advantage of the free 250 minutes. If they get this out in time for me to try it during my 6 months free trial, I'll be able to determine if there is any real advantage to that. It does require a WiFi connection, so I'd not be able to use that everywhere. I only have 450 minutes a month with my iPhone account, so I'm interested in how that might play out.

This is potentially a great tool for those traveling or living overseas. Once this is set up, I can take it anywhere that I can power it up and have internet access. Very similar to Vonage in this regard. I'm planning to travel to Samal Island, Philippines this year, and if I do I can bring this along and make/receive calls to anywhere in the US. All outgoing calls would be free and incoming calls would be the same for anyone in the US calling the US. Generally speaking, especially if you have a cell phone plan, those are free now a days, too.

Ooma VOIP

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Magic Jack Internet Phone Review

!±8± Magic Jack Internet Phone Review

Magic Jack is a newcomer to the VOIP (voice over internet protocol) family of internet phoning. It's quick to install, easy to use and the price can't be beat for making unlimited local and long distance calls in the United States and Canada. But is Magic Jack too good to be true?

Like most products, Magic Jack has it's good points and it's not-so-good points. It will be up to you to decide what is most important to you in internet phoning and to choose the product that should work best in your situation.

Magic Jack Pros

Low cost to try out. For .95 plus shipping and handling, you receive the USB device and the license to use it for unlimited local and long distance calling for one year. Each additional year is .95. There are also multi-year packages to purchase at a discount. International calls can be free if you are calling someone who also has the device. For example, if you have a family member that lives in another country, you can purchase a Magic Jack and mail it to them. Then you can call them for free and they can call anywhere in the US and Canada free. Includes many features such as voice mail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, 411 and 911. Save on your cell phone minutes by using it to make calls from home. Uses any ordinary landline telephone, including cordless phones. Headsets and your computer microphone and speakers can also be used.

Magic Jack Cons

Your computer has to be turned on to use Magic Jack. Service can be intermittent. New company with growing pains, I don't recommend relying on it for your only phone. Directory assistance, or 411 is advertising based if you call it from your phone. If clicking on the soft phone screen that lives on your desktop, you are taken to a web site to look up phone numbers. 911 is through a different system than the 911 you call from a regular telephone. When setting up your Magic Jack it will ask you the physical location of your phone in case of calling 911. Until this service is a lot more stable, I would not rely on their 911 in an emergency. Another reason for keeping your landline phone. If your internet service does not work during a power outage, you will be without this phone service also. Unless you have a cell phone that will work, this is another reason not to cancel your landline phone service. Make sure you keep a phone that doesn't use electricity on hand for emergencies.

As with most or all voip services, you must have a high speed internet connection to use this service. These services include broadband, DSL, WiFi, FIOS, cable internet or WiMax. It is not recommended for use with satellite internet.

If you are interested in having a service that allows you to make free long distance calls, give Magic Jack a try. If dumping your current landline phone service is what you need, investigate the other VOIP services that are available and that have a longer track record of performance.

Magic Jack Internet Phone Review

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Nettalk Duo

!±8± Nettalk Duo

www.nettalkduovoip.com Nettalk, the well known company in the VOIP sector, has recently introduced a brand new contender in the portable communications sector. Their innovative creation is called the DUO & boasts an elite feature that could well elevate them beyond the grasp of their rivals in the portable VOIP neighborhood. Reminiscent of other Voice over ip devices, the DUO gives free unlimited calls inside the United States of America & Canada but, unlike others, the DUO is able to operate with or with no PC. This independent functionality frees an individual from having to rely on their computer for consistent phone availability. As well, it eliminates the necessity for having your personal computer constantly running in order to uphold a live phone connection. It is no surprise that VOIP technology has established itself as a viable & trustworthy form of telephone access- as evidenced from the ever increasing demand for services & devices like Ooma, vonage and magic jack. The launch of the Nettalk DUO, together with these other VOIP options, bring affordability to communications. Furthermore, they do so without the necessity for sacrificing all the convenient functions that old school telephone carriers offer as the whole set of popular phone services are incorporated, for free, into VOIP phone access. Essentially, this breakthrough technology is permitting individuals to obtain the same telephone service which is expected from traditional phone companies for roughly ...

Nettalk Duo

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VoIP Service - How to Choose the Right One for Your Business?

!±8± VoIP Service - How to Choose the Right One for Your Business?

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is proving to be a veritable boon to all businesses regardless of their size and scale of operations. But to truly avail of all the benefits of VoIP facility, it is essential that you choose the right type of VoIP service. Your present nature and pattern of business communications should help you in determining the sort of VoIP-service that will ideally suit your business communication requirements.

Software-based service is the preferred choice of many VoIP users worldwide as this type of VoIP Phone service means free, especially when the communication takes place from one PC to another over the Internet. You can make unlimited number of free calls unlimited provided you are talking to those who are using the same VoIP facility on their computers.

However, calls you make to mobile and landline phones will attract some nominal charge. The demerit is the voice quality may not always as clear as a hardware-based service. Besides, this type of service is prone to spamming and other security threats.

The residential/Office type of this service will entail replacing your present phone line - either the one at home or the one at the office. Once you sign for this type of VoIP service - even online - which you can do online, you will be provided a phone adapter (ATA) that you plug one end to your broadband Internet line (ADSL) and the other to the phone set.

You will have to pay a one-time subscription and monthly fees thereafter. You can make unlimited local calls or calls towards select destinations, or calls of limited minutes' duration. Please know that this type of service is not available in all parts of the world. The fact is the required hardware is not shipped overseas and numbers are mostly given only to local residents.

There are some VoIP users who favor 'No-monthly bill VoIP phone service' and if you wish to avail this type of service, your service provider will send you the required device. With this device in place, you can make unlimited calls without receiving monthly bills. There are suppliers offering this piece of hardware - but on varied terms.

With Ooma, you buy the device outright, though quite expensive, but use it eternally without any recurring expenses. MagicJack supplies the device at a very low cost but you have to pay a nominal amount annually. PhoneGnome, the pioneers for this type of product, is moderately priced, but has some limitations.

You can opt for 'Business VoIP Service and Solution' and buy the ready-made package or have it customized to your requirements. If you are looking for something basic, you can go for the business version of the Residential VoIP services. By availing VoIP in a small medium-sized business you can access a lot of useful features and vastly improve your company image.

When choosing the right VOIP service for your business, it is essential that you should do some pre-study about the VOIP services available. You should also get feedbacks reports from similar businesses that use VoIP services.

There are several reliable and reputed VoIP service providers who will be able to guide you in choosing the right type of service for your business. RingCentral, for instance, is among one of the most leading VoIP service providers and they have a customer-base of around ten thousand spread across the globe.

VoIP Service - How to Choose the Right One for Your Business?

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