Ooma Business VoIP Review: 2018
Ooma VoIP is an easy-to-use business phone solution for your very small business.
As one of the more popular names in VoIP, Ooma (pronounced like Uma Thurman), is a cloud-based VoIP solution that caters to small businesses that specialize in an array of industries. Ooma not only helps businesses manage their operations and become more efficient but also helps them become more professional.
But before we jump into Ooma, let’s discuss VoIP. Voice over Internet Protocol is a groundbreaking technology that allows users to make telephone calls through the internet instead of relying on a separate phone line. Even if you’ve never heard of it, chances are you’ve used it.
After conducting thorough research and reading customer reviews, we’ve found that Ooma Business VoIP is best for small businesses on a budget.
How Ooma Business VoIP benefits small businesses
Ooma claims to gear its services around small businesses. Its proprietary, high-definition voice quality system doesn’t have the features some of its larger competitors do. However, it provides an affordable price tag and easy-to-use interface. As an award-winning Voice over Internet Protocol system, Ooma garners thousands of customer reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 3.9 stars.
Ooma offers a comprehensive VoIP plan for businesses for only $19.95 per month.
Ooma Business VoIP plans
| Plan | Starting price (per month/user) | Features |
| Office Pro | $19.95 | Unlimited calling in US & Canada, three-way conferencing |
Although Ooma is a solid VoIP software, we also found some unfortunate downsides. For example, Ooma doesn’t have hardware costs built in.
Strengths
- Scalable services
- Affordable pricing
- Easy-to-use interface
- 30-day free trial
- 24/7 live chat
Weaknesses
- Hardware costs
- One standard plan
- Complaints of dropped calls
Ooma standard VoIP features
Ooma’s VoIP plan includes these features:
Office features
- Voicemail
- Extension dialing
- Virtual receptionist
- Call transfer
- Call log
- Modes for business and after hours
- Ring groups
- Music on hold
- Conference bridge
- Virtual fax
- Extension-to-extension calling
- Dial by name
Mobility features
- Call forwarding
- Voicemail forwarding
- Multi-ring
- Virtual extensions
- Voicemail audio email attachments
- Smartphone app: 2-phone-in-1
Calling features
- Unlimited calling in US and Canada
- Low international rates
- Caller ID and name
- 911 service
- Free number transfer
- Toll-free numbers
Ooma Business phone products
Ooma offers a variety of phones to meet your unique business needs.
| Product | Features | Learn more |
| Ooma Office Base Station | On-site hardware, cloud computing | See Unit |
| Ooma DP1 Wireless Desk Phone | Wireless DECT 6.0 technology with 150 ft. range, message waiting indicator | See Phone |
| Yealink SIP-T21P E2 2-Line IP Phone | Caller ID, three-way conferencing | See Phone |
| Yealink SIP-T23G IP Phone | Voice clarity, dual-port Gigabit Ethernet with PoE (Power over Ethernet) support, included power supply and Ethernet cable | See Phone |
| Cisco SPA 303 3-Line IP Phone | Caller ID, blind transfer (1-step transfer), extension dialing | See Phone |
| Cisco SPA 504G 4-Line IP Phone | Caller ID, blind transfer (1-step transfer), extension dialing | See Phone |
| Yealink CP860 IP Conference Phone | 10 ft. 360º voice pickup range, acoustic echo cancellation (320 ms) | See Phone |
| Yealink CPE80 Expansion Microphone | Bi-color LED, 10 ft. (3 meters) 60ºH voice pickup, microphone mute options with touchpad | See Microphone |
| Ooma Linx | Wireless connection, 4 connected devices | See Unit |
| Ooma Expansion Base Unit | Ooma Office support for up to four expansion base stations and 20 analog phones | See Unit |
Ooma’s pros and cons
Pros
First, we’ll start with the positive features. Ooma has a lot going for it. Here are some of the advantages of Ooma.
- Scalable: Ooma breaks the mold of the traditional VoIP solution by offering scalable solutions for startups and small businesses. In a small business, it’s important to pay only for the features and users you want. As your business grows, you can add more users and features. Additional phone numbers cost $9.95 per number per month.
- Affordable costs: Ooma’s business phone service offers a decent number of features for only $19.95 per user per month.
- Trial period: Most VoIP services lack a free trial period. Fortunately, Ooma offers a 30-day free trial under its money-back guarantee.
- Live chat: Running a business can be a difficult task. With Ooma Office, users can benefit from 24/7 live chat. Plus, Ooma’s reviews claim that its representatives were not only helpful and friendly but also educational and informational. According to the reviews we read, you can expect quick follow-ups.
- Online knowledge base: If you can’t reach its customer service hotline, dig into the online knowledge base. Ooma offers a slew of video tutorials, FAQs, and troubleshooting.
- Wireless phones: Through Ooma Linx, businesses can place wireless phones in multiple locations for employees.
Cons
Like all services and products, Ooma has a few drawbacks. If you’re thinking about investing in Ooma, also consider the following disadvantages.
- Hardware costs: Many VoIP competitors include built-in costs, but a significant downside to Ooma is its one-time hardware costs.
- Customer service: We mentioned that Ooma handles 24/7 customer chat like a pro. But while its around-the-clock customer support is stellar, we also noticed it doesn’t have a customer service phone number. So if personalized help is something important to you, consider other options.
- Complaints of dropped calls: As we conducted our research, we noticed some mixed reviews. For example, there were reports of call drops and downtimes, so keep that in mind during your search for VoIP plans.
VoIP terms to know
PBX
Ooma Office is a full-featured, virtual PBX (Private Branch Exchange). This means it can assist several devices and extensions at an affordable cost.
SIP trunk
As a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), this technology transfers voice, data, and video through a data network of copper telephone connections through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PTSN). This connects phone and internet service to an individual digital line.
Number porting
If you are considering upgrading or switching your phone service, it’s important to keep number porting in mind. Luckily, unless your business is dramatically changing geographic locations, most VoIP services offer number porting. With Ooma, business owners can easily transfer their existing number over.
BYOD
This concept is similar to “bring your own beer,” only more techy. “Bring your own device” (BYOD) refers to the policy of allowing employees to bring their personal laptops, tablets, and phones to the workplace instead of working on company equipment. Although most VoIP companies offer BYOD, Ooma doesn’t support BYOD at this time. For further information, check out Business.org’s guide to BYOD.
FAQs
What are the benefits of VoIP?
VoIP offers a slew of advantages for businesses. Regardless of the type of your business, here are the benefits of VoIP:
- Installs and configures easily
- Scales with your businesses
- Supports older technology (like fax)
- Saves businesses money in the long run
- Integrates with other software
Still unsure how VoIP benefits businesses? Here’s an in-depth look at Voice over Internet Protocol and its advantages.
What are some features of business IP phone services?
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- Financial security: A VoIP telephone system offers a lower up-front cost for small businesses in a variety of ways.
- Flexibility: VoIP phone systems offer businesses a flexible way to communicate. When investing in VoIP systems, business owners can scale up or down their usage or number of seats depending on the size of their company. More and more phone systems, including Ooma, are offering businesses affordable and customized plans to meet the goals of a modern business.
- Portability: VoIP doesn’t have to be secluded to an office space. Ooma’s business plan allows users to make and receive calls as if they were in the office.
- Multifunctional setup: Another big advantage of Ooma VoIP we haven’t mentioned is its multifunctional ability. In addition to providing phone systems for businesses, it also provides smart home security for homeowners. Residential users get unlimited nationwide calling, real-time alerts, automatic alarming and disarming, and easy wireless installation. Plus, in the unfortunate event that you need to call 911, your home address automatically transmits to emergency responders.
Why should my business consider a VoIP phone service?
If your company is using an archaic telephone service, a VoIP system can replace it seamlessly and easily. VoIP can also connect directly to your business’s PBX (Private Branch Exchange), which eliminates the need for a separate line.
What are some alternatives to Ooma?
Although Ooma is a leading VoIP provider for small businesses, you may want to keep browsing due to your unique preferences. Other VoIP business phone systems we recommend include RingCentral, 8×8, Verizon VoIP, Nextiva, and Jive.
What are the common VoIP pricing and costs?
In our research for the best business VoIP providers, we’ve found that most plans start at $20 per user per month and increase to $55 per user per month. Keep in mind that pricier plans offer more advanced, feature-packed plans.
| Brand | Features | Starting price per month |
| RingCentral | Best full-service VoIP provider | $19.99 |
| Verizon | Best for medium businesses | $25 |
| Nextiva | Most affordable | $19.95 |
| Jive | Best feature-rich option | $19.95 |
| Vonage | Best no-contract option | $19.99 |
The bottom line
Ooma Office is an affordable VoIP phone system that is perfectly suited for very small businesses. Although it may not have all the bells and whistles other systems offer, it provides attractive and functional business VoIP hardware, great call quality, and a superior mobile app.
Are you a business owner who has any positive or negative experiences with Ooma VoIP phone services, or is there a phone service you recommend? Sound off in the comments below.
Disclaimer
At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don’t guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.
