Tag Archives: VoiceOverIp

Ooma Office brings VoIP to small business, launching this month

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Ooma Office brings VoIP to small business, launching this month

Ooma's expanding its VoIP offerings to the world of business, introducing "Ooma Office" today at CES 2013. Ooma Office takes the already existing VoIP functionality built into Ooma's Telo device (made for residential use) and adapts it for small business purposes -- conference bridges, an automated, programmable receptionist, and line extensions are all part of Ooma Office. You can even set your own on-hold music, should that be your kinda thing. The biggest difference from Ooma's home offering is the price; at $19.99 a line, Ooma Office is much more expensive than the residential version (which only charges for the initial base, and not for service), but much cheaper than competitive services (see: Vonage, Access Line, etc.).

Rather than pretend this is a solution for large business, however, Ooma's targeting businesses of 1 - 10 employees. "Sound like a big business at a small business price," is the device's slogan, which is highly appropriate considering the device's functionality. The Ooma Office launches this month for $249.99 at US and Canadian retailers, and it works with standard land line phones, cell phones, and "most" fax machines and credit card readers.

Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.

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Gmail phone calls remain free of charge in 2013 for US and Canada

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Gmail phone calls remain free of charge in 2013 for US and Canada

It may be an expected holiday gift, but it's still a nice one: Google's VoIP service in Gmail will remain free of charge for calls within the United States and Canada in 2013. A note on the Gmail Blog announced as much today; the news ushers in a thrilling third year of free Google Voice service for US and Canadian customers, right through the standard Gmail interface. Of course, we prefer the retro-inspired phone booth that Google showed off back in 2010 when the service was first announced, but free is free. Now, what to get for the megacorporation that has everything. We're thinking ... Furby? Probably a Furby.

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Source: Google

Ooma HD2 handset and Linx adapter available on Oct.17 for $60 and $50, respectively

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Ooma HD2 handset and Linx adapters available today for $60 and $50, respectively

Ooma's Telo telephony device is pretty wonderful all by itself, but pairing it with the company's soon-to-be-released HD2 handset and Linx peripheral presents a whole new opportunity to the VoIP crowd. The HD2 -- the second generation Telo handset first introduced at CES 2012 -- offers some smartphone-esque functionality to your home phone: syncing with contacts across various social media services, for one, and profile photos popping up in the 2-inch color screen as identification on incoming calls. It launches very soon -- October 17 -- at US and Canadian retailers with an asking price of $60, despite previously being given a March 2012 launch window.

The Linx -- which was outed in an FCC filing earlier this year -- adds a much more quaint ability to the Telo: the ability to plug in any normal landline phone (yes, even that free football phone you got with your Sports Illustrated subscription in the mid-'90s). The Telo can handle up to four connected phones, in the HD2 handset or Linx-connected devices (including fax machines, also from the mid-'90s). Linx connectors are also available as of October 17 at US and Canadian retailers with an asking price of $50.

Gallery: Ooma HD2 handset and Linx adapter

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Ooma HD2 handset and Linx adapter available on Oct.17 for $60 and $50, respectively originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Telia scraps plans to charge extra for mobile VoIP in Sweden, hikes overall rates in compensation

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Telia scraps plans to have cellphone users pay extra for VoIP in Sweden, hikes overall rates in compensation

Telia raised hackles in March when it proposed charging Swedish subscribers extra if they wanted to use voice over IP. On top of the net neutrality issues, the proposed price premium would have been a slap in the face to Skype, the country's homegrown VoIP pioneer. While Telia's Spanish subsidiary Yoigo has no problems with such a split, Telia itself must have had a change of heart: as of now, all regular plans will continue to treat internet telephony as just another set of data packets. Only a new, ultra-basic Telia Flex Bas plan excises the option. Unfortunately, most everyone will have to pay the price for equality -- new subscriptions will have their data plans "adjusted" to compensate for increasing data use, and those paying daily will see their maximum rates jump from 9 SEK ($1.40) to 19 SEK ($2.90). As painful as the price hike might sound, however, we'd still endure it to avoid carving the mobile internet into pieces.

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Telia scraps plans to charge extra for mobile VoIP in Sweden, hikes overall rates in compensation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 02:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vonage mobile apps get international roaming, let users chat for free on both sides of the border

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Vonage mobile apps get international roaming, let users chat for free on both sides of the border

For the past year or so, Vonage has been adding to its international VoIP game, and the latest new feature is roaming. That's right, the company's iOS and Android apps will soon have Vonage Mobile Roaming, meaning folks can take all their incoming calls over WiFi wherever they go without fear of ringing up a ridiculous cellphone bill. The catch? The service is in its trial phase and you've gotta reside in the UK, Netherlands, Spain or Italy to take advantage of this frugal feature. Those interested (and eligible) can sign up to get in on the action at the source below.

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Vonage mobile apps get international roaming, let users chat for free on both sides of the border originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype strikes deal with Mach to expand direct carrier billing for credit purchases

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Skype strikes deal with Mach to expand direct carrier billing for credit purchases

Skype is always finding new ways of making it easier for users to spend money, and now it's extending its carrier billing options in a new deal with Mach. From October, more users than ever will be able to buy credit for the VoIP service then forget about it -- at least until the phone bill arrives. Purchases will initially be available through a web browser, but in-app functionality is expected in the future, although there's no word on exactly which network providers will be involved. We hope, however, that sometime next month, at least a few of those who enjoy Skyping on the move will appreciate sending the bill to their carrier.

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Skype strikes deal with Mach to expand direct carrier billing for credit purchases originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype strikes deal with Mach to expand direct carrier billing for credit purchases

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Skype strikes deal with Mach to expand direct carrier billing for credit purchases

Skype is always finding new ways of making it easier for users to spend money, and now it's extending its carrier billing options in a new deal with Mach. From October, more users than ever will be able to buy credit for the VoIP service then forget about it -- at least until the phone bill arrives. Purchases will initially be available through a web browser, but in-app functionality is expected in the future, although there's no word on exactly which network providers will be involved. We hope, however, that sometime next month, at least a few of those who enjoy Skyping on the move will appreciate sending the bill to their carrier.

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Skype strikes deal with Mach to expand direct carrier billing for credit purchases originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype for Windows 8 preview, user interface revealed in web leak

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Skype for Windows 8 preview, user interface revealed in web leak

Wondering what Skype's Windows 8 interface might look like? Sure, you could use your imagination -- and probably guess the design with a fair amount of accuracy -- or you can poke around an early hands-on over at Neowin, complete with a half-dozen UI grabs. While still in preview state, the app appears to be "relatively solid," enabling calls and chats with "little issue." From the looks of it, touch fiends will be able to tap around just as accurately as their mouse-bound counterparts can click, with large buttons available throughout. Judging by the app's current state, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect a more formal appearance any day now, letting early Windows 8 users take the native app for a spin before the rest of us get access in the fall. Hit up our source link below for a gallery of screen grabs.

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Skype for Windows 8 preview, user interface revealed in web leak originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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100 million smartphone owners in China getting free VoIP through messaging app Weixin

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100-million-china-smartphone-voip-Weixin If you're in China and use a free chat app called Weixin on Android or iOS, you're about to get no-charge VoIP as well thanks to an imminent update. The company is set to join the likes of Skype, Viber and Korea's Kakao Talk in providing free cellphone calls to the nation and ought to make a huge splash given the massive 100 million user install base. The Tencent-owned service is also adding Bluetooth support, a matching VoIP web service and a complete redesign of its site, according to TechNode. There's no release date yet or word on whether the English version WeChat will get it, but if so, it might make those pricey cellphone calls to friends and family overseas a lot freer.

100 million smartphone owners in China getting free VoIP through messaging app Weixin originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TNW  |  sourceTechNode  | Email this | Comments

Ooma Linx extender makes a visit to the FCC, lets phones go the extra DECT distance

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Ooma Linx extender makes a visit to the FCC, lets phones go the extra DECT distance

For a VoIP phone company, Ooma has been unusually quiet since it showed us the HD2 handset at CES this January. Thankfully, an FCC filing spotted by Dave Zatz has let slip that the company is getting chattier in the near future. As the helpfully provided manual tells us, an upcoming Linx adapter will let a conventional phone talk to a Telo base station over DECT. The goal is to let Ye Olde Wired Phone in the basement join the 21st century without having to move the Telo or otherwise jump through hoops -- it'll even bring your fax machine onboard, if you're still holding on to 1994. We can't glean from the clearance just when the Linx will be ready to shake the dust from our antiquated phones, but with all the documentation seemingly in order, the wait isn't going to be too long before that landline handset enters the modern world.

Ooma Linx extender makes a visit to the FCC, lets phones go the extra DECT distance originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 05:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Zatz Not Funny  |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments