Ooma Launches New Features – Quick Review

Ooma is a one time fee VoIP good looking device that was introduced on the market for the first time in September 2007. Today, Ooma is introducing new features to its Hub and Scout bundle priced at $249.99 for unlimited US calling (low-cost International). The Hub can support one phone handset and each additional phone handset need to be connected via a Scout, one Hub can support up to 4 Scouts ($69.99 per additional Scout). This time, customers will be able to get the ooma from retail stores like BestBuy.

The new features are included in the ooma Premier service that will cost you $12.99 a month or $99.99 a year:

• Virtual phone numbers: a second “free”phone number is included in the ooma Premier service and you can add up to nine numbers, but for each of the other eight, you need to pay a monthly fee of $4.99…
• Voicemail attachments: now you will be able to listen to your voicemail from your email, this feature has been standard for a while in our Lingo service. It delivers Wav files that are larger than the mp3 files that we get from Lingo. This is standard for most VoIP services as well.
• Multi Ring: now you can configure the system to simultaneously ring or forward to a mobile phone or another phone, this feature is included in most VoIP services too.
• Personal Numbers and Private Voicemail: according to ooma, this is a unique feature: the service can route a phone call to a specific device. From the configuration web page (ooma Lounge), you can assign a virtual personal phone number to a specific phone. Each personal number has a separate voicemail box and a ooma Lounge account.
• Call Logs, Blacklist: From the ooma Lounge, you can view the information on incoming and outgoing calls and select specific phone numbers to blacklist. This feature is in beta and it was not accessible when I tested the service.

I quickly tested the ooma and I like the device’s user interface, ease of installation and configuration. The message screening and the possibility to switch lines (2 lines) directly from the big blinking keys is nice and this is not possible with the Lingo box. The direct voicemail access from the Hub or the Scout using the play, pause, forward and reward keys is also a unique feature offered by this cool device. Most of the VoIP services I checked rapidly online cost roughly $200 a year (Packet8, unlimited US calling), or $21.95 a month (Lingo, unlimited US, Canada and Western Europe calling),

Vonage being the most expensive at $24.99 a month for unlimited US and part of Western Europe calling. ViaTalk offers a year free for a $200 a year fee. The $12.99 monthly charge for the cool features that are mostly standard in other VoIP services is too expensive in my opinion, but it could be the price for the good look of the device. However, after two years the price is becoming attractive: the total price paid will be $450 for 24 months, equivalent to a $18.75 monthly charge, quite nice for some of the coolest features like the personal numbers and the user interface. Note that if you buy a second ooma and install it in another location abroad equipped with broadband internet access, the calls between the two ooma devices are free of charge since they are linked to US phone numbers*.

Editor’s note: this usage is not really advertised by ooma, please check with the support for the technical specifications required by the foreign location where you plan to install the device.

Eliane Fiolet
Categories: General
Tags: Hands-On