Pros & Cons

---

Ooma Overview—Versatility for Small Businesses

---

Ooma is a leading provider of cloud-based communications services for small and midsize businesses as well as residential users. Founded in 2003, the company aims to deliver high-quality, easy-to-use phone and fax services, video conferencing, call recording, and other collaboration tools over the internet.

Ooma leverages VoIP technology to replace traditional analog phone lines and POTS systems with flexible, cost-effective virtual phone solutions. Its offerings include Ooma Office plans tailored for SMBs, Ooma Telo packages for homes, and Ooma Enterprise solutions for larger deployments.

Key features across its business and residential platforms include unlimited calling, virtual receptionist, ring groups, call routing, voicemail to email, call blocking, number porting, conferencing, and mobile app integration.

With its innovative patented technology, Ooma has emerged as a premier low-cost alternative to legacy on-premise systems. Over two million users trust Ooma for reliable home and business communication. Its network now covers all 50 US states.

Along with phone services, Ooma has recently expanded into internet, security camera, and smart home office solutions for comprehensive connected experiences. While keeping pricing affordable, it offers enterprise-grade capabilities scaled for small and mid-sized organizations and remote teams.

Plans & Pricing

---

For small firms, Ooma Office starts with Essentials at $19.95 per user per month for more than 50 features and scales up to Pro at $24.95 with video conferencing, or Pro Plus at $29.95 with additions such as queuing, and CRM integration.

Larger enterprises can tap Standard for $19.99 per user per month, choose the Enhanced plan with collaboration tools at $27.99, or Ooma’s Call Center plan with intelligent routing at $49.99. Ooma customizes Enterprise editions based on your needs

It also offers AirDial to transition from legacy POTS lines—prices will vary depending on your needs

The flexibility to adjust service tiers, optional add-ons, and predictable rates keep Ooma competitive. You can mix and match solutions across your business, residential, internet, and security offerings to build the perfect bundle. With transparent pricing and bundles aligned to different capabilities, Ooma provides tailored options for unique needs.

Ease of Use

---

Ooma’s top priority is making its products easy to use. From streamlined hardware to intuitive mobile apps, Ooma removes headaches from modern business communication with its out-of-the-box functionality.

For small firms adopting Ooma Office, you can be up and running in minutes thanks to its patent-pending auto-configuration technology. After plugging in your Telo device and connecting to WiFi, the system handles number assignment, provisioning, and activation automatically. Without technical expertise, your team enjoys enterprise-level capabilities out of the box. Call, text, review analytics, access virtual receptionist menus, modify settings, join video meetings—everything important is right at your fingertips. Ooma’s intuitive mobile and desktop interfaces make daily usage a breeze.

Ooma also simplified the transition from legacy POTS lines with its AirDial solution. The unified hardware, software, and phone service integrates seamlessly under one bill and management dashboard. You avoid piecing together disjointed vendors and technologies.

Once set up, Ooma’s mobile and desktop apps provide easy access and management to all of your Ooma products. Ooma enables splitting time between home, office, and remote locations while maintaining seamless calling and collaboration. Whether you prefer desktop phones or mobile devices, Ooma flexes to accommodate your needs.

Call Management Features

---

From intelligent call routing to detailed analytics, Ooma equips entrepreneurs and remote teams with enterprise-grade call management capabilities.

For managing your call workflow, a key aspect is Ooma’s full-featured desktop and mobile apps—enabling complete call control no matter where you’re working. Seamlessly transfer calls, toggle do not disturb when focusing, and review detailed logs on the go. Ooma makes unified communication management a breeze.

For client calls, built-in recording options help document important conversations to reference later. You can enable automatic recording or on-demand capture with a tap. Maintain searchable records of consultations and interviews without third-party integrations.

Ooma Office Pro Plus introduces handy Hot Desking by dialing *50 on any phone system extension. After logging in, that device operates just like your primary work line to boost mobility. This simplifies hoteling and equipment sharing without service disruption.

Intelligent call routing via Virtual Receptionist provides tailored menus and prompts for callers to self-direct interactions. You can customize options, business hours, holiday greetings, and more to optimize caller experience.

For reliable connectivity, activate Ooma’s multi-ring capability to have all your linked devices ring simultaneously. Never miss an urgent customer call or emergency again, even if you left your desk phone behind. Configuring ring groups takes this further by defining specific ringing patterns across your team’s devices.

To reduce unwanted disruptions, Ooma offers stellar call blocking features. Your phone automatically screens out suspected robocalls so your time stays protected. Anonymous callers also hit right into voicemail for added peace of mind.

Ooma’s virtual fax capability is a game changer for faxing those important documents, enabling teams to send and receive faxes online without a physical fax machine.

With Ooma Office Pro plans, built-in analytics and leaderboards provide real-time insights into call traffic, activity trends and usage across extensions. Monitoring productivity becomes effortless.

Ooma unlocks the flexibility needed to personalize communication management for your business at scale.

Communication Tools

---

As an internet-powered VoIP system, Ooma provides flexible remote access—delivering reliable phone service, conferencing, and messaging to empower productivity. Whether you’re in the office, home, or traveling, simply connect online to make and receive calls through your Ooma number. Cloud technology adapts seamlessly to your increasingly mobile world.

For customer convenience, Ooma makes transferring existing landline or mobile numbers easy and free. Businesses can also provision toll-free lines to boost perceptions. With clear digital audio quality, Ooma aligns to modern communication expectations.

On the video collaboration front, Ooma Office plans scale to meet diverse needs. Essentials supports audio conferences, while Pro expands to 25 video participants with screen sharing capabilities. To host large virtual events, Pro Plus accommodates up to 100 attendees.

The intuitive dashboard simplifies scheduling and launching sessions via desktop or mobile. A neat feature, noise suppression, ensures minimal disruptive background.

Ooma Office Enterprise editions double down on core telephony with unlimited calling, stellar HD audio, caller ID, messaging, and more. Ooma’s reliability and call quality exceed traditional landlines.

With team members across multiple cities, Ooma’s robust tools keep everyone connected. Between clear voice services, integrated conferencing, voicemail access, and messaging, Ooma provides the seamless functionality growing businesses need.

Unlike some VoIP competitors, Ooma requires no annual contracts. You can adjust plans as needs evolve. Combined with budget-friendly pricing, Ooma offers tremendous value. The platform scales up smoothly as you expand without heavy upfront investments.

Hardware Options

---

From all-in-one devices to wireless sensors, Ooma offers the equipment needed to optimize business communications.

For small business clients, Ooma Connect is the foundation—the Ooma Connect base station, which serves as the brains of your phone system, and pair it with the LTE 460 adapter for uninterrupted connectivity even if your internet goes down.

Ooma also provides a robust selection of 11 VoIP desk phones and five Wi-Fi models to outfit your whole team.

For a streamlined home office setup, the Telo Home Office bundle pairs a DP1 desk phone with Ooma’s reliable home phone service for a one-time fee of $149.99. This creates an affordable and professional business line.

Ooma’s risk-free 30-day returns guarantee provides peace of mind when purchasing hardware. Also, keep a lookout, as Ooma sometimes offers buy-one-get-one-free deals on phones to help grow your capacity affordably.

While Ooma doesn’t manufacture the IP phones themselves, it certifies a range of Poly and Yealink models known for durability and audio quality. Between the mobile apps, desktop handsets, wireless sensors, and all-in-one appliances, Ooma offers the right hardware combinations for your communication requirements.

Overall, Ooma’s flexible, future-proof equipment ecosystem blending next-gen services with classic style is commendable. The expandable systems grow alongside your business needs. And bulk discounts make outfitting large deployments affordable. If you want business-modern tech with vintage charm or solutions for a home office, Ooma has you covered.

Integrations

---

While functionality is solid out of the box, tapping into leading CRM and business software takes Ooma’s features and lifts them up.

For small teams, Ooma Office Pro Plus enables integrating call data with popular CRM platforms like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365. You can automatically log interactions in real-time and access contact records directly from your desktop phone. This streamlines lead and client management without tedious manual entry.

With call recording activated, Ooma can also automatically attach and store audio files to CRM profiles for future reference. Click-to-call functionality within your CRM then connects you instantly to contacts.

Ooma also supports Zoho CRM and Freshdesk help desk software to complete its small business integration suite.

On the enterprise side, Ooma’s top-tier VoIP plans expand the toolkit for connecting vital business apps through open API access. You can build custom workflows and leverage call data more fully with in-house software stacks. Monitoring call analytics directly within existing dashboards becomes possible.

The CRM integrations that come standard with Pro Plus provide helpful templates if pursuing custom API development. You can replicate these common use cases then expand from there to meet unique needs.

Between baked-in integrations and API extensibility, Ooma offers solid options for linking your phone system to sales and support tools. Unfortunately, the platform is limited in its integrations and lacks native integration with some popular SMB CRMs like HubSpot. This should be factored into your decision if relying heavily on other software.

The Salesforce, Microsoft, Zoho, and Freshdesk connectors cover standard use cases conveniently.

Customer Support

---

While no service is perfect, Ooma provides numerous customer support outlets and responsive assistance to resolve issues quickly for home users and businesses.

For larger deployments, Ooma Office Enterprise plans assign dedicated customer success managers to walk you through onboarding and provide ongoing account management. Having a go-to contact streamlines troubleshooting and unlocks proactive optimization.

Ooma’s 24/7/365 phone support also offers a reliable channel for urgent inquiries. While some users have noted lengthy hold times, Ooma prides itself on being fully accessible at all times.

It is also important to point out that on a number of occasions, users were unable to get the necessary technical support and resolutions that they were seeking—chat reps are hit-or-miss for complex troubleshooting. Thus, some issues may require escalation to more experienced technical staff.

Take advantage of Ooma’s live chat for convenient real-time assistance.

Seeking sales guidance? Clicking “Get a Quote” on its website quickly connects you with the right team to discuss products and pricing for your needs. Ooma makes it easy to call sales directly without long hold queues.

Beyond support interactions, Ooma provides a wealth of resources and documentation on its website. You’ll find FAQs, how-to articles, on-demand webinars, informative blogs, case studies, and more. Its training materials equip you to become power users.

Overall, Ooma delivers satisfactory support through its heir tiered options. Chat and phone reps provide frontline assistance while account managers offer personalized guidance for large accounts. DIY content helps compliment interactions.

Final Thoughts

Ooma remains a contender in cloud communications by offering exceptional value across critical areas like pricing, ease of use, features, hardware, and support. While they lack some bells and whistles of enterprise-grade systems, Ooma’s solutions bring robust VoIP, collaboration, and security capabilities within reach of growing SMBs.

For a budget-friendly platform you can rely on for your business and home office, it checks all the boxes.

Ooma is tough to beat for modernizing your business communication.