VoIP Phone Services: Ooma
Our family recently switched from the traditional land line phone system to one of the VoIP phone services, or voice over internet protocol system. The brand we selected was OOMA as we had heard great things from other family members and friends about the device as well as a VoIP review.
Voice over internet protocol phone systems basically let you communicate via telephone but over the internet using packet sending. The best thing about the Ooma is that you pay the one-time fee to buy the device, but then there are no monthly phone bills. International calls are extra, but we don’t make any so we are literally paying zero a month for our home phone bill.
The process is done by connecting your router or internet source (preferable high speed) to the Ooma and your phone, and you are all set! On their site you can calculate your savings, and my old bill was two hundred dollars. It says you can save two thousand plus in a year, and they are right. I have had it for four months now and saved around six hundred fifty dollars, which over a year comes out to two thousand dollars.
One added benefit is that you do not even need to switch from your current number, you can keep it. Of course, you can also select a new phone number if you wish. The Ooma device has been one of the best purchases I have made. It is saving us so much money, and will keep doing so. I can now use that extra money in some other places of my budget.
There is also a device called the Ooma Scout. This small device only costs around fifty dollars, and is used for adding more Ooma lines in your home. This device can have voicemail and offer more lines. There is also the Ooma Handset that we purchased. It is fully cordless, features caller ID, has speaker phone capabilities, and a whole bevy of other things.
Overall, if you are looking for a new phone system that can save you thousands over the next few years, one could not go wrong with the Ooma VOIP system.
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VoIP Phone Services: Vonage
Vonage is one of the VoIP phone services that is best known as a low-cost and accessible internet telephone. VOIP is a method where audio from a user at one end of the conversation is transmitted over an internet connection to a user at the other end.
Similar to e-mail and instant messaging, since this service is provided through the internet the associated costs are much lower than it would be over the regular telephone network. Monthly calling plans in North America are purchased for around $20 (e.g. 500 minutes of outbound calling anywhere in N.A.) to $30 (unlimited in N.A.) Costs per minute for overseas calling are also much lower than traditional phone services.
This product is similar to Skype, which is another service that is used to transmit audio via the Internet. In Skype, the user is typically interacting while stationed at their computer and has an interface which combines audio and video with instant messaging and other features (e.g. games.) They are also usually contacting other Skype users who are also stationed at their computers, or must pay a small per-minute fee to dial ‘regular’ phone numbers.
However, with Vonage the user is interacting in the traditional methods they are used to, i.e. picking up a phone and dialing the phone number they are trying to connect with, or answering the phone when it rings. The Internet aspect of the conversation takes place ‘behind the scenes’, with the telephone connecting to a router, modem or other device, which is then connected to the internet.
Vonage users are known to experience issues with call quality, particularly when using their internet bandwidth for other purposes (e.g. downloading or uploading music/video) while talking over their Vonage device. The most common incidence of poor call quality is a complete lack of sound, not being able to hear what the other participant in the conversation is saying – or if anything has been said at all. This is a particularly frustrating experience, but can often be remedied by decreasing the bandwidth load, hanging up and calling the person again.
Another common occurrence is very loud static, which again is sometimes remedied by calling the person again. For this reason Vonage is not usually recommended for business or professional uses. Technical support for Vonage is reached by their 800-number, although paradoxically it is often difficult or impossible to receive this help when it is needed (as the phone and/or internet problems may preclude the user from using their phone.) It is also particularly troubling to ‘diagnose’ the problem by telephone, as there are usually steps involved that necessitate re-starting your router / modem, which terminates the support call and makes any inbound/outbound calls impossible for a short period in the best scenario. In a worse scenario, if the troubleshooting methods disrupt the internet connection or Vonage device connection to a greater degree, the user then has no method to re-establish contact with technical support.
As with other VoIP systems it is recommended that it not provide your sole source of telephone contact, for such situations as described above, or more urgent emergency/safety reasons. Vonage stores information in its databases relating your phone number to a physical address in case of such emergencies where 9-1-1 can then be alerted of your address (a service built in to traditional land-line service.)
However, with Vonage this address that 9-1-1 would be alerted to may not be the correct address if it hasn’t been entered accurately, or been updated if the user has moved. The reason people use Vonage in spite of any quality issues and technical difficulties is particularly because of its low price, as well as its large presence / monopoly in the market.
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VoIP Phone Services Provider
The costs of VoIP phone services varies from one provider to the next more so than anything else. You can save up to 80 percent of your phone bills using VoIP, in most cases.
Shopping around will help you to find out who has the lowest rates and the plan that fits you the most. For example, you may want to consider an unlimited service plan, which allows you to make calls as often as you want, when you want to. This can start at under $20 per month but extended up to nearly $60.
Quality, features and the number of customers your provider has determines the cost of the same service options that you have. Remember to compare apples to apples in that you should compare your VoIP unlimited options to your local calling plans, etc.
The second largest consideration that you have in service provider options is that of features. As we have mentioned, you’ll find that the features that a VoIP provider offers are excellent in comparison to a traditional phone service. But, not all providers offer the same ones or even come close to delivery the same number of features.
Depending on what you need and want in features will depend on which provider you select. Again, though, while these features may have cost you a per use or a monthly charge, they are included into the price here.
For many, keeping the same phone number is a must. Just like changing your cell phone number or keeping it the same when you change companies, the same happens with VoIP providers that offer it. Some providers will offer this benefit of allowing you to keep your number while others will not.
You shouldn’t want to switch your phone number right off the bat when switching to VoIP. This is especially true if you are not familiar with the service and want to give it a test run first. Nevertheless, it should be a consideration that you have when it comes to choosing a VoIP service provider. Find out which service providers will actually allow you to keep your old number and which will not.
Another important consideration that you have is using your VoIP calling internationally. Depending on your need for this, both business and personal use, you should take into consideration your needs.
If you make a lot of calls to international numbers, then you need to actually invest the time in finding out what international rates are for the locations that you call.
Some VoIP providers offer different rates for international calls than they do for local calls. In addition, there may be some restrictions on where you can call. There are some carriers, few, though, that offer unlimited calling plans to certain countries, which can be an ideal benefit for those that are looking for a way to stay connected.
Still, by far the rates of international calling using VoIP are far lower than the costs of using a traditional phone calling plan.
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