Google Voice vs Ooma

June 08, 2023 | Author: Adam Levine
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Google Voice
Google Voice is a telephone service that provides call forwarding and voicemail services, voice and text messaging as well as international call termination for Google Account owners and for G Suite customers.
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Ooma
VoIP phone service and communication solution customizable for any size business.
Google Voice and Ooma are both popular Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, but they have some key differences in terms of their features and target audience. Google Voice is a free service offered by Google that allows users to make and receive calls, send text messages, and manage voicemail using their existing phone number or a new Google-assigned number. It provides features like call forwarding, voicemail transcription, and integration with other Google services. Ooma, on the other hand, is a paid VoIP service that offers a more comprehensive phone system for homes and businesses. It provides advanced features like virtual receptionist, call recording, extension dialing, and integration with popular business tools. Ooma also offers hardware options for better call quality and reliability. While Google Voice is more suitable for personal use and simple communication needs, Ooma caters to the needs of businesses and users who require a full-featured VoIP solution.

See also: Top 10 VoIP services
Google Voice vs Ooma in our news:

2018. Google Voice version for enterprise came to G Suite



Google is introducing an enterprise version of its Google Voice service exclusively for G Suite users. While Google Voice has traditionally been popular among everyday consumers, offering numerous advantages beyond a regular phone number, the enterprise version aims to provide companies with similar functionalities. This includes AI-powered features such as voicemail transcription, which employees may already be utilizing in a manner that bypasses company guidelines. Administrators have the capability to provision and transfer phone numbers, access comprehensive reports, and configure call routing options. They can also assign phone numbers to departments or employees, granting them a universal number that isn't tied to a specific device. This simplifies communication by ensuring easy accessibility when needed. Additionally, the enterprise version includes a spam filtering feature, which proves beneficial in handling the influx of unwanted automated calls for various purposes.


2017. Google Voice gets group chat and other new features



Google has introduced a refreshed version of its VoIP calling service, Google Voice, across mobile and web platforms. The primary focus of this update is to provide the product with a modernized look and feel, as it had not received significant upgrades for quite some time. Alongside the visual enhancements, the relaunch brings several new features, including photo-sharing, group conversations, Spanish-language voicemail transcription, and more. In the updated app, Google Voice incorporates separate tabs in the inbox for text messages, calls, and voicemail, as explained in the company's blog post. Additionally, conversations now remain in a continuous thread, simplifying the process of keeping track of messages from contacts within a single location.


2011. Google adds phone conferencing to Hangouts



Skype's killer feature that propelled its immense popularity was undoubtedly video calling. The revenue generator for Skype is IP telephony. Google, however, was unable to replicate the same success with GTalk/GMail/Google Voice as people had already become accustomed to Skype. Nonetheless, Google aims to make strides with its rapidly expanding group video chat platform, Google Hangouts. Google's strategy involves integrating Hangouts with IP telephony. The new feature in Google Hangouts enables users to make calls to landlines and mobile phones, allowing individuals who are not currently at a computer to join online meetings. This integration is particularly crucial for business meetings, as it facilitates connecting clients or partners to the discussion. Presently, these external calls are limited to the United States and Canada and are free. However, it is highly likely that this functionality will soon be available in other countries through paid Google Voice calls.


2011. GMail VoIP is available almost globally


The VoIP service in GMail, previously available only in the U.S. and Canada, is now accessible to users in nearly all countries worldwide, supporting 38 different languages. However, there are a few countries where Gmail Call Phone is currently not available, including Argentina, China, Cuba, Egypt, Ghana, India, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Peru, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Korea, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. With this global expansion, Google has also reduced its VoIP rates, making them slightly more affordable compared to its main competitor, Skype. For instance, a call to France costs 8 cents (compared to 16.9 cents in Skype), and a call to the USA costs 1 cent (compared to 1.9 cents in Skype). Similar to before, using GMail Call Phone requires a quick installation of a browser plug-in, which is the same plug-in used for video calling in GMail.


2010. Google added 60 more services to Google Apps

As part of their commitment, Google has now incorporated consumer services, which were previously limited to individual users, into the Google Apps suite. Recently, they introduced Google Voice (currently available for US and Canada users only), and today, they have expanded the offering to include a selection of 60 Google services. The account administrator has the flexibility to choose which services to include and which ones to exclude. Furthermore, the administrator has the authority to specify which users or groups will have access to each service. For instance, the marketing staff can be granted access to services like Adwords (for advertising purposes), Google Analytics (for monitoring site statistics), Blogger, and YouTube (for managing corporate blogs and video content). On the other hand, IT professionals may find Google App Engine useful for developing business applications. Other potentially valuable services for businesses include Google Reader (as an enterprise RSS reader) and Picasa (for creating intranet galleries). It's important to note that the option to add new services is also available in the free version of Google Apps.


2010. GMail = Unified Communications client



Few days ago the analytical company Frost & Sullivan stated that Google will soon storm the unified communications market, which is dominated by Cisco, Avaya and Microsoft. After all, Google has GMail, Google Voice, GTalk, Buzz, Gizmo5, Android, GISP and it remains just to combine all these technologies into single offering. And Google has decided to immediately confirm this forecast - from today GMail allows you to make and receive phone calls (thanks to the integration with Google Voice and Gizmo5). Meanwhile the VoIP service in GMail is available only in US. ***


2010. Google Voice hacked iPhone by means of HTML5



The story of Google Voice ban on the iPhone is over. Thanks to Apple and AT&T, Google Voice app hasn't arrived to iPhone yet. That's why Google went the other way and launched the web service, that works in the mobile Safari browser just like the native application. It allows you to make calls via the Web interface, view and listen to the voice mail, send and receive text messages. But the most interesting thing in this story is that the emergence of this application may cause a revolution in the current mobile marketplace. Earlier we wrote about the political games around the HTML5 implementation. And one of the major players in these political games is Apple, the manufacturer of the most popular mobile device, iPhone, which is known for its closeness. No application can get to iPhone unless it's approved by Apple. ***


2009. Google acquired Gizmo5



Multiple sources (including TechCrunch) say that almost exactly Google has bought  Gizmo5 for $30 millions. If it's true, Skype now will get the very powerful competitor. Interesting, that month ago Skype was going to buy Gizmo5 itself in order to replace the Global Index technology (that was a reason of lawsuit) with Gizmo5 SIP-based platform. But now when Skype has after the Skype settlement, though, Gizmo5’s strategic value to Skype sort of plummeted. But, it turns out, that Gizmo5 has the strategis value to Google. And, really, it ideally fits Google's communication plans. First of all, GTalk can call only between internet users, but can't call PSTN and mobile phones. Gizmo5 will easily provide this opportunity to GTalk users. ***


2009. BT unveils Google Voice alternative, develops voice platform for SaaS



Ribbit, owned by BT (British Telecom) announced the new service Ribbit Mobile, that provides personal virtual PBX and can be linked to your existing mobile number. Ribbit Mobile's features are very similar to Google Voice - it can forward incoming calls according to your settings, send/receive sms, voicemail and transcribe voicemail. Unlike Google Voice, that only works with phone-company phones and SIP, Ribbit can also connect to Skype. And its main advantage is Web integration. Ribbit Mobile allows to call and receive calls in the web interface or using the widget. That is what Google Voice can't do. ***


2009. Google Voice is rolling out mobile apps for Android And Blackberry

The availability of Google Voice apps for Android and BlackBerry has simplified the usage of Google Voice phone numbers by automatically routing outgoing calls through Google to the intended recipients. The Android app offers the most comprehensive experience as it seamlessly integrates with the native dialer, address book, and call log. This integration prevents users from accidentally dialing numbers through their device's phone number. On the other hand, the Blackberry app is less integrated and only utilizes the native address book while employing its own dialer. Users are unable to directly return missed calls from the call log; instead, they need to navigate back to the address book and select Google Voice to initiate the call. Nonetheless, this functionality effectively resolves a significant issue. Additionally, the apps provide access to essential Google Voice features, such as listening to or reading voicemails and text messages, viewing call history, sending SMS messages, and making international calls at affordable rates.

Author: Adam Levine
Adam is an expert in project management, collaboration and productivity technologies, team management, and motivation. With an extensive background working at prestigious companies such as Microsoft and Accenture, Adam's in-depth knowledge and experience in the field make him a sought-after professional. Currently, he has ventured into entrepreneurship, owning a thriving consulting and training agency where he imparts invaluable insights and practical strategies to individuals and organizations, empowering them to achieve their goals and maximize their potential. You can contact Adam via email adam@liventerprise.com