Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Reviews

    No Phone Bills Ever with Ooma

    By
    Jim Rapoza
    -
    October 12, 2007
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Click to see ooma imagesooma device
      One of the least pleasant realities of modern life is the monthly utility bill. No individual or business enjoys the cost or the unpredictability of, for example, the monthly phone bill.

      So how much would it be worth to someone to completely do away with the monthly phone bill and never have to pay for phone calls ever again? According to a company called ooma, it’s worth around $399.

      That’s because ooma is offering a unique VOIP (voice over IP) proposition. Users purchase a ooma hub device for $399 and then can make unlimited calls in the United States without ever paying a monthly bill again.

      I had the opportunity to test out the ooma service for the last few weeks and have mostly been impressed with their offering. Along with the standard phone service, it provides a built-in second line that allows for two simultaneous calls and has very good voice mail features.

      Probably the biggest drawback to ooma is the requirement for extra scout units to enable service to every phone in your home or office. The initial purchase includes one scout so two phones can hook up, counting the hub and the one scout, but additional scouts would need to be purchased for each extra phone.

      While ooma is certainly attractive for home use I think the area where it is most attractive is in SOHO and small business environments. In these environments, being able to pay a onetime nominal fee and then have no monthly bills is an excellent option and the business telecom features of the ooma hubs and scouts are a plus.

      It was simple to get up and running with my ooma hub and scout. The hub includes ports for connecting to the network or directly to a broadband modem, and also includes ports for a phone and to connect to the phone lines in the home. The scout connects to the home phone lines and to a telephone and does require its own power outlet, which in some homes can limit where the scouts can go.

      Once connected, I could make and receive calls on my ooma connected phones (when picking up one of these phones you hear a unique ooma dial tone rather than the standard dial tone).

      One of the coolest features is the second line capability. If one person is on one phone the ooma devices light up line one. Someone picking up another phone can make a separate call by hitting the line two button.

      Ooma also has nice voice messaging capabilities, making it simple to screen calls and listen to and save messages. Through the online ooma lounge service, I could also log in anywhere online and listen to voice messages from my browser (in the ooma lounge it is also possible to make account changes).

      By default, ooma calls are anonymous, which can be a problem when calling people who block calls that don’t send caller ID information, though I could change this default in the lounge or by hitting *82 on the phone.

      One of the unique aspects of the VOIP service that ooma provides is that all the devices work as a kind of peer to peer network. Each ooma device connects to others to expand the networks capabilities.

      While domestic calls on ooma are completely free, international calls are not free. To make international calls I could log into the lounge and for example, add $10 to my account to handle the fees for any international calls I might make.

      Click here to listen to my interview with ooma CEO Andrew Frame.

      Jim Rapoza
      Jim Rapoza, Chief Technology Analyst, eWEEK.For nearly fifteen years, Jim Rapoza has evaluated products and technologies in almost every technology category for eWEEK. Mr Rapoza's current technology focus is on all categories of emerging information technology though he continues to focus on core technology areas that include: content management systems, portal applications, Web publishing tools and security. Mr. Rapoza has coordinated several evaluations at enterprise organizations, including USA Today and The Prudential, to measure the capability of products and services under real-world conditions and against real-world criteria. Jim Rapoza's award-winning weekly column, Tech Directions, delves into all areas of technologies and the challenges of managing and deploying technology today.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×