Ooma Releases Office for Mobile Aimed at Small Businesses

Small-business communications specialist Ooma announced the launch of Office for Mobile, a cloud-based phone service that allows small-business owners to run their business from their mobile phones.

Office for Mobile utilizes the same cloud-based platform as Ooma Office, which supports any combination of analog, IP or mobile phones, so businesses can add fixed-line desk phones as their business grows.

Office for Mobile also supports the same number of seats (20) as Ooma Office, offering small businesses flexibility as their business grows.

“We’re in the midst of one of the biggest platform shifts in a generation and one of the key trends is the advent of mobile technology,” Ooma’s CEO Eric Stang told eWEEK. “In the space of just a few decades the computer moved from the desktop to the palm of our hand and there’s so much more to a mobile workforce than the ability to conduct business on the go: mobile technology is also critical to effectively running and growing small businesses.”

Users can download the Office for Mobile app on iOS or Android smartphones and receive a phone number for their business—including access to toll free numbers—or port their existing business number. Office for Mobile is free to trial for the first 30 days and costs $19.95 per user, per month thereafter.

“With important business tasks, such as customer service, being conducted primarily on mobile devices, business owners who don’t embrace the mobile revolution to meet their customers’ needs risk losing business to competitors,” Stang said. “With an increasing number of sole proprietor businesses, freelancers and small businesses operating on the go, Ooma saw the opportunity to create a tailored solution for mobile-only users that not only matched the very nature of this workforce, but also addressed the importance of simplicity.”

Key features include a virtual receptionist who automatically greets and directs incoming calls during and after business hours, 24/7 customer support and a business feature set that includes voice mail, extension dialing, call transfer, music-on-hold, ring groups, conference bridges, multiring and other features.

Ease of use was absolutely vital when developing the solution, so Ooma built Office for Mobile using Ooma Office’s platform, Stang said.

“Ooma is keen on delivering a platform that anyone can use without any advanced technical knowledge, so that working professionals can hit the ground running and get back to what they do best,” he said.