OBiTALK end of life is almost here, but Ooma is still committed to home phone service

For the past two years, Ooma has been sounding the alarm that OBiTALK, the residential product line of the former Obihai Technology, will reach its end of life. A Sept. 26 email to OBiTALK customers from [email protected] confirmed that the OBiTALK.com portal is shutting down on Oct. 31, 2024, nearly a year later than originally forecast.

End of life for OBiTALK

OBiTALK, first released in 2014, is a gateway to access a VoIP phone service. Connecting OBiTALK equipment to the internet allows you to use the free Google Voice phone service with a home phone. In the last 10 years, a lot has changed. Obihai Technology was acquired by Polycom in 2018; Polycom was acquired by Plantronics in 2018, the joined companies became Poly in 2019; and then Poly was acquired by HP in 2022. In December 2021 came an end-of-life announcement for OBiTALK, which meant that Poly stopped selling the Obi200, Obi202 and OBI212, and stated that engineering and service support would end on Dec. 18, 2023.

What does this mean for current users of OBiTALK devices? With support ending Oct. 31, 2024, it's past time for OBiTALK customers to make arrangements for alternatives before they pick up their phones and find them dead. The email to customers admits that HP provides no guarantee the OBiHAI phone and/or ATA will continue to work after Oct. 31, 2024. Chatter in the Google Voice community on Reddit.com claims that while OBiTALK devices configured to use consumer Google Voice may continue to work, customers won't be able to add, change or delete accounts because OBiTALK provisioning of Google Voice through the OBiTALK portal will stop with the shutdown. So don't purchase any OBiTALK devices from resellers.

The solution

You deserve a home phone service that's committed to helping you connect with your loved ones. That's Ooma.

Ooma home phone service uses a device called Ooma Telo. While Ooma Telo is similar to OBiTALK in that they both provide an analog-to-digital switch, Ooma is a complete service. It offers not only the necessary equipment, but the VoIP service as well, so you can get a full-featured home phone alternative from the same company. More importantly, you'll get reliable Enhanced 911 service, which is something that Google does not provide with Google Voice.

Ooma Telo options

Ooma Telo (with a one-time MSRP cost of $99.99) connects to your home router through an Ethernet cable. If you'd rather have a wireless connection, Ooma Telo LTE (MSRP of $129.99) connects through a cellular network.

Beyond the upfront cost, Ooma home phone service is free. You only pay applicable fees and taxes, roughly $6 to $9 a month depending on your location, making it far cheaper than a traditional landline. The perks of Ooma service include:

• Free U.S. calls (or free calls with Canada for Canadian residents)
• Ooma's PureVoice HD technology (crystal-clear calls)
• Call Waiting
• Caller ID
• Voicemail
• Low-cost international calls
• Ooma Home Phone app for outbound calling and voicemail
• E911 and 911 alerts

Ooma Premier is an upgrade that costs $9.99 per month (plus applicable taxes and fees). With Ooma Premier, you get a free second number, both inbound and outbound calling on the Ooma Home Phone app, more extensive voicemail options (including Do Not Disturb), Enhanced Caller ID, Enhanced Call Blocking and more options to connect to smart home devices.

In lieu of a landline phone

While it's sad to see technology reach its end of life, the demise of OBiTALK isn't a sign that the home phones in general are going away. In lieu of turning back to a traditional landline phone, OBiTALK residential customers should consider full-service VoIP options. Ooma eliminates the hassle and complications of combining two services together as OBiTALK did to accomplish the same goal: a VoIP residential phone. With Ooma, you'll get home phone service from a company that's committed to residential phone service. And you can keep your current phone number by transferring it to Ooma for a one-time cost of $39.99.

Learn more by calling or reaching out to Ooma today.

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