RSSOoma previews a 'free-for-life' VoIP device for the home
By Jacqueline Emigh | Published November 12, 2008, 2:52 PM
NEW YORK, N.Y. - ISP and consumer VoiP specialist Ooma will soon start selling its phone system in Best Buy stores and other retail outlets, while also bringing out a new model named Telo which adds cordless phones to the "free calling" mix.
Under Ooma's current plan, a consumer pays $249.99 for an Ooma phone system, and all calling inside the US is then "free for life," according to Matthew Podboy, who heads up affiliated company Voce Communications.
Speaking with BetaNews at last night's CES Unveiled@NY press event, Podboy said that Ooma's bundled services, available at no extra charge, include caller ID, call waiting, and voice mail. You can also get a set of "premium" services by paying an extra $99.99 per year. New features can be downloaded over the Internet to the Linux-based phone system.
The startup's upcoming redesigned phone system, Telo, will feature a new look, along with a cordless handset based on DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) 6.0 technology.
![Ooma's VoIP-based Telo pre-paid phone, which offers service that's said to be "free for life."](http://images.betanews.com/media/2234.jpg "Ooma's VoIP-based Telo pre-paid phone, which offers service that's said to be "free for life."")
With the new Telo model previewed last night, each Ooma hub unit will support up to six cordless handsets, for various rooms in the house. The handset will provide capabilities that include speaker phone, mobile transfer, connected phonebook, and "high-definition" voice, to name a few, he said.
The "mobile transfer" feature will let you transfer "Ooma calls" to and from a cell phone. "Connected phonebook," on the other hand, will let you upload your phonebook online and access it directly from the Telo handset, BetaNews was told. HD voice -- for better clarity -- will only be usable when both parties have Telo handsets.
Starting during the holiday season, more than 1,000 stores will be selling Ooma phone systems, including Best Buy, J&R, Fry's Electronics, Micro Center, and Datavision retail locations, according to Podboy.
Too many companies re getting into this market with free services (just read about a new one yesterday in TechCrunch) - what is the business model here?
my comments at http://www.commentino.com/orim
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|I wish them well, but all is see here is a possible acquisition by some cable provider.
1. Price of the equipment alone-- even if only one handset-- is considerable...that, router(even if combo phone & router), BB's cut.......
They have much cheaper competitors:
A. MagicJack is $39 yearly...sometimes special promotions and/or street pricing can knock that by as much as half.
B. Wireless carrier T-Mobile will rebate you a free Linksys router modded to allow any pots phone & regular house jacks to connect to it(as well as their cellular phones wirelessly-- so that the plan minutes aren't used)...then charge you $9.95 a month for unlimited calls USA/Canada.
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|Neither Magic jack not T-Mobile offer exactly the same thing.
And you left out SkypeOut/In.
The TMobile solution for $10 a month is in addition to the absurd additional service rates!
This solution effectively allows you to hook up almost any 'normal' househould or SOHO line equipment including anwering machines, fax, etc.
While your solution indeed works, they are either much more expensive in total (the unlimited wireless plan plus data), or extremely limited to one device.
This offers yet another viable option that increases the utility at a lower price than wireless subscription - as well as higher throughput.
It will be interesting to see what Panasonic and their new push (as well as others as they address this niche) into this area deliver as well.
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|foxfyre - Per your earlier comment, yes, you do need your own broadband connection. Also, I've heard back from Matthew Podboy with a ship date for the Telo. It'll be Q1 of next year.
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|Thanks for the update! :-)
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|So this is Obama's idea of solving the nation's issues, huh? A #%$@& phone?!
If he really wanted to make a difference , the least he could have done is make MGD64 cheaper!
He could also.......what?...oh...
Nevermind....
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|McCain lost. Get over it. Or are you the standard libertopian whack job and you hate all government? You guys are truly funny in your ignorance about how the world works in reality. Maybe this is why there has never been a truly successful libertopian state in all of history...
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|Troll or just plain retarded? You make the call!
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|Lest the stupid troll attempt try to edit his statement to minimize his complete idiocy:
"McCain lost. Get over it. Or are you the standard libertopian whack job and you hate all government? You guys are truly funny in your ignorance about how the world works in reality. Maybe this is why there has never been a truly successful libertopian state in all of history..."
You are an absolute fool!
But you have you head stuck so far up your posterior that you fail to note the play on words with regards to the name of the product, you idiot!
Only you would read a political meaning into a completely farcical post meant purely for the play on words - in this case the manufacturer's name!
Damn its sad when you have to explain the entire joke to a pre-cambrian haploid.
But as usual, you never disappoint.
Reality? What the hell do you know about reality?
After all, here you are trying to seriously interpret a completely tongue in cheek post that attempted to mimic the style of a wacked Rosanna Rosanadana rant on SNL!!!!!
The truly hilarius part is that not only did you fail to recognize that it was a joke, but you completely missed that it is a complete parody of itself as well.
Oh, but that was a real skit, of which you demonstrate your ignorance as you attack me!
Take a bow!!! You have outdone yourself!
Now YOU are the joke! LOL!
With this post you COMPLETELY DEMONSTRATE that you are a COMPLETE IDIOT and a tired @sswipe ready for the trashbin. Get a clue dimwit.
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|"Troll or just plain retarded? You make the call!"
Such a hard choice when it comes to sjc001...can't we just agree on both?
Face it sjc001, you were too stupid to catch the obvious joke!
LOL!
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|Poor baby. I truly sorry for you and your delusions. They definitely border on being religious. There is no hope for you and your hatred and ignorance. Time for your meds to be upped yet again.....
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|Hello. Are you there, retard? Guess no one's home even though the lights are on. Another idiot to feel sorry for. They're just big time losers as it is.
Now things will improve in America now that the republicans have lost so much of their power. America can get back to where it should be instead of that libertopian inspired treason called Reaganomics.
Lets hope that the people of America have learned never to trust such illogical thinking again. Libertopianism is nothing but a lie for the greedy and selfish.
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|Hello, foxfart. You really should take your meds.
The only joke around here is you.A sad joke at that.
Anyways, your opinion truly doesn't actually matter too much, scum. I just reply to you, and your ilk, for a laugh. I'm happy now that America will have a chance to rebuild itself from the mess your kind put it in with you delusions.
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|LOL!
The troll's hallucinations continue.
Face it dimwit, you missed the joke! (Obviously a case of being far too close as you embody it!)
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|The 3rd world troll continues his ridiculous rant!
Face it fool, you missed the joke!
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|Blah Blah Blah
More insight from a 3rd world parasite with his hands out whining to be given more.
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|Dude, STFU,,,,,
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|I assume this service assumes one has DSL and a phone line, so the cost of this phone must be amortised on costs in addition to the base services.
Still a good deal over the long run.
Any information on what the additional premium services are?
Ironically, this is also the potential of WiMax - the loss of the apparent division between wired and wireless devices, and end-user provided devices. ...If and when that vision is ever realized...
[edited for speilink typos! ;-}
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|I have had Ooma since April...and it is great. I was a prestige customer, (no annual fee for the premier services-free for life if you got in in the first 6 months). I, however, paid $400 for the equipment. But, I was paying $30 per month for my old land line and about $10 per month for calling. This will be free phone after Feb. 28, 2009. Most already have the router..so to amortize it over any period doesn't make since unless you went out and bought a router for this purpose. The basic features are just the common stuff, call waiting, caller-id ETC. The advance features are 2 lines, (on the same phone #), email/text message when message is left, (with voice file attached), instant call forwarding to other number, (my cell rings as my home phone does-I can answer anywhere). Many more. See ooma.com for details.
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|Wonder if this will be any good. Although the free-for-life would be something to consider. Look at TIVO. When they first came out, they had a free-for-life. Now that they are popular, you can't get it anymore, but the people that did get it, are reaping the benefits.
Wonder if something similar could happen here.
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|Umm Tivo still has a free-for-life option...
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