You most likely know that VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a technology which enables you to place phone calls over a broadband internet connection instead of a traditional landline phone service provider, or POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service).
There are lots of services and devices which allow customers to take advantage of the cost savings that this technology allows . I will introduce three of the highest profile : Vonage, magicJack, and Ooma Telo.
Vonage is the most established of the three. It supplies everything you could want in a home phone , and more.
Vonage’s most widely subscribed to calling plan offers unlimited calls in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico; low international rates to 60 countries; and many convenient benefits like voice mail, three-party calling, caller ID, existing number portability, the ability to take your number with you if you move, and many other features.
The one big draw back with Vonage is the cost . Their popular “Vonage World” calling plan will cost you $25.99 per month. That’s not so dear compared to a fixed-line phone, on the other hand , the main point of acquiring VoIP is the lower cost . With that in mind , $25.99 a month seems a little wallet . Vonage also offers business phone plans that are a little more expensive , but still seem like they probably could save the average office a lot of money. It seems to me that Vonage is a good option for an office , but leaves something to be desired as a residential phone service provider.
While Vonage has a lot in common with a fixed-line telephone service, magicJack is a complete departure from one . The Magic Jack itself is a telephone jack that you plug into a USB port on your computer. Then all you have to do is set it up by following the prompts that will pop up on your computer screen. A soon as it’s set up , you can plug your standard RJ-11 phone jack-equipped telephone into the magicJack and start calling .
The most attractive thing about the magicJack is its affordability . The initial investment in this device is only $39.95, which includes the $20.00 purchase price and the first year’s service charge. After that, there is an annual service charge of $19.95. That’s right : $19.95 per year.
The magicJack is also imminently portable . At 113 x 55.56 x 13.65 mm ( 4.45 x 2.19 x 0.54 inches), It can easily be carried in your pocket. You can use it for making unlimited calls in the United States (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and Canada from anywhere that you can access a broadband internet connection–even if you’re overseas . Say for instance you travel to Italy. You’d still have to pay Magic Jack’s international rates to call anybody in Italy (currently $0.02 per minute to a fixed line phone, and $0.28 to a mobile), but you could call home for free.
One weak point is that it does not offer portability of your current land line phone number. In simple speak , it’s not possible to transfer your home phone number to the magicJack. However , you can choose from a list of area codes and telephone numbers when you first set it up, and receive calls at that number wherever you are in the world.
A more annoying drawback for most people is the fact that it’s impossible to turn off the magicJack’s advertisements. The following is quoted from the terms of service agreement:
You also understand and agree that use of the magicJack device and Software will include advertisements. Advertisements will be served through the magicPage™ Software or the magicJack softphone – the software/softphone attempts to serve local advertisements and classifieds using a completely automated process that enables us to effectively target dynamically changing content. Our computers may analyze the phone numbers you call and your registration information in order to improve the relevance of the ads. We do not provide any personal information to our advertisers or third parties.
That sounds fairly annoying , but I suppose it’s like a bad smell: with time , you hardly even notice it. But that’s not the biggest downside of the magicJack. The biggest downside , from the point of view of its being a replacement for a regular land line, is that it only works when your computer is on .
As our final product review , let’s look at the Ooma Telo. From the aspect of being a replacement for a traditional home phone, the Ooma Telo offers the best of both worlds .
Like Vonage, it works independently from your computer, so it doesn’t matter if your computer is on or off, or even if you have a computer. It’s also more or less stationary. That’s a good point for a family with young children. today, most people rely on their cell phones most of the time, but if you have young children in the house, it can be reassuring to have a phone accessible to anyone who may be looking after them, like parents or a baby sitter.
As is the case with magicJack, there are no monthly phone bills with an Ooma Telo . In fact , there are no phone bills at all. After you buy the Ooma Telo box, you are only charged $11.75 a year ,which is for taxes and regulatory fees.
The box itself is a modern and sleek unit and includes an answering machine that employs capacitive sensing technology, so the buttons respond to the slightest touch of a finger .
A negative aspect is that it lacks portability . Of course you can take it with you if you move , but it’s not a gadget that you would carry about with you on a daily basis .
The disadvantage of the Ooma Telo is the initial investment . It is from $200.00 to $250.00. That’s not an enormous amount of money , but it will put a bigger dent in you wallet than the 40 bucks for a magicJack. On the other hand , in comparison to Vonage, it would pay for itself in no time .
To reiterate the main points , Vonage is a solution that offers a seamless change over from a land line to VoIP (with the caveat that number portability is not available for some land line numbers) and a list of features that make it much more convenient than your land line phone service ever thought of being . But, and this is a big but, it’s one of the most expensive VoIP providers.
MagicJack is extremely affordable , but is not up to snuff as a replacement for a land line: it doesn’t offer existing number portability and doesn’t work when your computer is off .
The Ooma Telo provides the best of both worlds. similar to Vonage it offers a seamless transition from a land line to VoIP (with the same caveat about existing number portability) and like the magicJack, when you say “hello” to this VoIP provider, you can say “goodbye” to your monthly telephone bills. For more info and the best prices on the Ooma Telo, check out Ooma Telo.Net at http://www.oomatelo.net