ooma blog http://blog.ooma.com Get behind the scenes with ooma Sat, 09 Aug 2008 02:24:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 en Number Porting Updates http://blog.ooma.com/2008/07/16/number-porting-updates/ http://blog.ooma.com/2008/07/16/number-porting-updates/#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:04:21 +0000 VBob http://blog.ooma.com/2008/07/16/number-porting-updates/ When people find out about ooma, one of the first questions they ask is: "Can I keep my existing home phone number?" Absolutely! We handle all the number transfer details with your phone carrier and make it work for you seamlessly. But up until now, the cost to port your old number to ooma was $79 because of the time-consuming process of working with the carriers to get the number porting done. We've received a lot of feedback from potential customers who felt the price was a little steep. And we agree.

So here's what we've decided to do. We've lowered the cost of porting to $39.99 or free if you sign up for an annual subscription to ooma Premier. Customers who previously purchased a number port for $79 will be provided with a full year of ooma Premier service at no extra charge.

ooma Premier is our premium service -- sort of ooma on steroids. You'll get advanced calling features like the Instant Second Line, Message Screening, multiple phone numbers, Send-to-Voicemail, voicemail forwarding and more! A great value at $99.99 per year is made even better with the addition of complimentary number porting. You can test-drive ooma Premier for free, for 60 days, when you buy an ooma system. Now, go ahead and take it for a whirl!

]]> When people find out about ooma, one of the first questions they ask is: “Can I keep my existing home phone number?” Absolutely! We handle all the number transfer details with your phone carrier and make it work for you seamlessly. But up until now, the cost to port your old number to ooma was $79 because of the time-consuming process of working with the carriers to get the number porting done. We’ve received a lot of feedback from potential customers who felt the price was a little steep. And we agree.

So here’s what we’ve decided to do. We’ve lowered the cost of porting to $39.99 or free if you sign up for an annual subscription to ooma Premier. Customers who previously purchased a number port for $79 will be provided with a full year of ooma Premier service at no extra charge.

ooma Premier is our premium service — sort of ooma on steroids. You’ll get advanced calling features like the Instant Second Line, Message Screening, multiple phone numbers, Send-to-Voicemail, voicemail forwarding and more! A great value at $99.99 per year is made even better with the addition of complimentary number porting. You can test-drive ooma Premier for free, for 60 days, when you buy an ooma system. Now, go ahead and take it for a whirl!

]]> http://blog.ooma.com/2008/07/16/number-porting-updates/feed/ ooma at Best Buy L.A. http://blog.ooma.com/2008/06/25/ooma-at-best-buy-la/ http://blog.ooma.com/2008/06/25/ooma-at-best-buy-la/#comments Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:44:27 +0000 andrew.frame http://blog.ooma.com/2008/06/25/ooma-at-best-buy-la/

This is a very exciting time for all of us at ooma. Over the course of the last year, our team has constantly strived to enhance our services to provide you with the best experience possible and to deliver on the promise of the ultimate home phone service.

As further reinforcement that we are on the right track, Best Buy has put their support behind us and is now selling ooma in their Los Angeles area stores! Many of you received an email from me asking for your support, but for those of you haven’t received the latest news, we have just launched a Refer-a-Friend program to help our efforts in the Los Angeles area. Visit ooma.com/referral for the details, but the bottom line is that if you get a friend to buy and activate an ooma system from a select Best Buy store in Los Angeles, you and your friend will each get a $25 Best Buy Gift Card OR $25 of international calling. Your choice.

Update 7/8/2008: Remember, this referral program is limited to new subscribers who purchase their systems at Los Angeles area Best Buy stores and will end August 31, 2008. Don't know anyone in Los Angeles? Don't fret, we'll be rolling out to stores in additional areas soon!

I really appreciate all of your support and your belief in our vision and continued growth. We absolutely could not continue to improve our services without your feedback and suggestions. If you have any comments or ideas that you’d like to share, please post them here or email me at innovate@ooma.com.

Thanks!

Andrew Frame
Founder and CEO


]]>

This is a very exciting time for all of us at ooma. Over the course of the last year, our team has constantly strived to enhance our services to provide you with the best experience possible and to deliver on the promise of the ultimate home phone service.

As further reinforcement that we are on the right track, Best Buy has put their support behind us and is now selling ooma in their Los Angeles area stores! Many of you received an email from me asking for your support, but for those of you haven’t received the latest news, we have just launched a Refer-a-Friend program to help our efforts in the Los Angeles area. Visit ooma.com/referral for the details, but the bottom line is that if you get a friend to buy and activate an ooma system from a select Best Buy store in Los Angeles, you and your friend will each get a $25 Best Buy Gift Card OR $25 of international calling. Your choice.

Update 7/8/2008: Remember, this referral program is limited to new subscribers who purchase their systems at Los Angeles area Best Buy stores and will end August 31, 2008. Don’t know anyone in Los Angeles? Don’t fret, we’ll be rolling out to stores in additional areas soon!

I really appreciate all of your support and your belief in our vision and continued growth. We absolutely could not continue to improve our services without your feedback and suggestions. If you have any comments or ideas that you’d like to share, please post them here or email me at innovate@ooma.com.

Thanks!

Andrew Frame
Founder and CEO

  
 

]]> http://blog.ooma.com/2008/06/25/ooma-at-best-buy-la/feed/ New Feature: Voicemail Attachments http://blog.ooma.com/2008/06/23/voicemail-attachments/ http://blog.ooma.com/2008/06/23/voicemail-attachments/#comments Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:21:54 +0000 VBob http://blog.ooma.com/2008/06/23/new-feature-voicemail-attachments/

ooma is pleased to announce the addition of voicemail attachments for our ooma Premier customers. Now, you can enjoy the ultimate convenience of having your voicemail delivered to up to three e-mail accounts and listening to your messages from your favorite desktop, web, or mobile e-mail client. If you're using our Personal Number feature to setup a private extension for your home office or other family member, each account holder can control where they want their voicemail delivered.

We have also launched a new user interface that makes configuration of notifications and voicemail attachments a snap, especially if you want notifications to go to your mobile phone. Check it out in the ooma Lounge!

]]>

ooma is pleased to announce the addition of voicemail attachments for our ooma Premier customers. Now, you can enjoy the ultimate convenience of having your voicemail delivered to up to three e-mail accounts and listening to your messages from your favorite desktop, web, or mobile e-mail client. If you’re using our Personal Number feature to setup a private extension for your home office or other family member, each account holder can control where they want their voicemail delivered.

We have also launched a new user interface that makes configuration of notifications and voicemail attachments a snap, especially if you want notifications to go to your mobile phone. Check it out in the ooma Lounge!

]]> http://blog.ooma.com/2008/06/23/voicemail-attachments/feed/ New Retail Pricing http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/25/new-retail-pricing/ http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/25/new-retail-pricing/#comments Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:30:26 +0000 dennis.peng http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/25/new-retail-pricing/

We, at ooma, are dedicated to eliminating monthly phone bills for US calling. To make it even easier to switch to ooma, we’ve introduced a new package of hardware and features called ooma Core. This offer comes with the award-winning ooma Hub™ device and the ooma Scout™ device, bundled with unlimited US calling, caller-ID, call-waiting, and voicemail, all for $249 with no monthly fees. New customers will get to try out ooma's enhanced calling features with a free trial of ooma Premier. This bundle includes the Instant Second Line™, the Broadband Answering Machine™ with real-time message-screening, Send to Voicemail, Do Not Disturb, a second personal number with private voicemail, and more. After the trial, new customers can subscribe to ooma Premier for $12.95 per month or $99 per year. For those of you who purchased the ooma Hub device for $399, we’ve already upgraded you to ooma Premier for Life. This gets you a lifetime subscription to ooma’s enhanced calling features with no monthly charges (this offer is good for the life of the ooma Hub device)! We’ll also throw in complimentary number porting and an extended three-year warranty (valued at $79 and $69, respectively) to show our appreciation for your ongoing support. We hope you’ll take some time to check out our redesigned Web site, explore the new features in the ooma Lounge, and participate in our engaging customer forum. We look forward to hearing what you think.]]>

We, at ooma, are dedicated to eliminating monthly phone bills for US calling. To make it even easier to switch to ooma, we’ve introduced a new package of hardware and features called ooma Core. This offer comes with the award-winning ooma Hub™ device and the ooma Scout™ device, bundled with unlimited US calling, caller-ID, call-waiting, and voicemail, all for $249 with no monthly fees.

New customers will get to try out ooma’s enhanced calling features with a free trial of ooma Premier. This bundle includes the Instant Second Line™, the Broadband Answering Machine™ with real-time message-screening, Send to Voicemail, Do Not Disturb, a second personal number with private voicemail, and more. After the trial, new customers can subscribe to ooma Premier for $12.95 per month or $99 per year.

For those of you who purchased the ooma Hub device for $399, we’ve already upgraded you to ooma Premier for Life. This gets you a lifetime subscription to ooma’s enhanced calling features with no monthly charges (this offer is good for the life of the ooma Hub device)! We’ll also throw in complimentary number porting and an extended three-year warranty (valued at $79 and $69, respectively) to show our appreciation for your ongoing support.

We hope you’ll take some time to check out our redesigned Web site, explore the new features in the ooma Lounge, and participate in our engaging customer forum. We look forward to hearing what you think.

]]> http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/25/new-retail-pricing/feed/ New Features - Personal Numbers and Private Voicemail http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/25/new-features-personal-numbers-and-private-voicemail/ http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/25/new-features-personal-numbers-and-private-voicemail/#comments Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:24:02 +0000 VBob http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/25/new-features-personal-numbers-and-private-voicemail/

We’re delighted to announce the first of many breakthrough enhancements for your ooma system! Customers can now add multiple phone numbers and private voicemail accounts! This means you can assign phone numbers for every member of your family! Each number can be set to ring on all the phones in your home or just on individual ooma devices. Now, when a phone call comes in for your talkative teenage daughter, only the phone connected to her Scout will ring, leaving the rest of your home in peace. All ooma Premier customers get to choose a second phone number in any calling area of the US. You can add up to eight additional phone numbers for $4.95 each per month. Personal phone numbers come with a password-protected voicemail box and Lounge account to customize calling preferences, such as voicemail greetings and ring patterns.

Click to Enlarge

More »]]>

We’re delighted to announce the first of many breakthrough enhancements for your ooma system! Customers can now add multiple phone numbers and private voicemail accounts!

This means you can assign phone numbers for every member of your family! Each number can be set to ring on all the phones in your home or just on individual ooma devices. Now, when a phone call comes in for your talkative teenage daughter, only the phone connected to her Scout will ring, leaving the rest of your home in peace. All ooma Premier customers get to choose a second phone number in any calling area of the US. You can add up to eight additional phone numbers for $4.95 each per month.

Personal phone numbers come with a password-protected voicemail box and Lounge account to customize calling preferences, such as voicemail greetings and ring patterns.


Click to Enlarge

We’re also offering number porting for a one-time fee. So if you’ve been waiting to drop your landline and eliminate monthly bills for US calling and bundled features, now is the time! Reaction, so far, has been wildly enthusiastic:

“Delighted to say once my number was ported I no longer use a landline, loved calling to have my landline service disconnected,” said Mary R.

“Just ported my long time local number to ooma. Dumped Verizon!” praised Russell L.

Lastly, we hope you’ll take some time to explore our newly re-launched Web site at www.ooma.com. Let us know what you think! Your input keeps us on our toes!

]]> http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/25/new-features-personal-numbers-and-private-voicemail/feed/ Spotlight Employee: Feroz Ali http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/24/spotlight-employee-feroz-ali/ http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/24/spotlight-employee-feroz-ali/#comments Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:11:45 +0000 VBob http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/25/spotlight-employee-feroz-ali/ Job: Director of Network Operations Mantra: If I love it, I build it (or at least make it faster).

When I first heard about ooma through a former colleague, I have to admit I had my doubts.After years of running 24x7x365 network operations at DirecTV and 8x8, I decided to ease into an early paid retirement or, in other words, enter the field of management consulting. But then I heard about this cool little device that was going to revolutionize the landscape of home telephony, and I couldn’t resist going in for a quick meet-and-greet. That was back in September of 2006, although it seems more like last Tuesday. And that former colleague of mine? He now sits in the cubicle beside me. Since then, I’ve assembled a great team of leaders (and friends), who’ve helped architect the robust service infrastructure into what it is today. Of course, challenge is nothing new to me. I’ve always been something of a thrill-seeker. As a teen, I literally kicked butt as a champion amateur boxer, winning several regional divisions, including the Golden Gloves (sorry, the annoying editor made me include this). But, hey, I’m a lover, not a fighter. So around ten years ago, I threw down my gloves and picked up a guitar pick and a wrench... When I’m not whittling away the hours with my team, I can be found (or at least heard) careening down the racetracks of NorCal in my 1989 IROC-Z Camaro that I began rebuilding in 1997 [check out the video below!]. As for my bike? I’ve been rigging and riding my beloved Yamaha R1 with the same crew of 30 or 40 friends, many of whom I’ve known since age 13. Of course, we’ve added a few junior additions to the mix, but it hasn’t stopped us from hitting the road loud and hard.

More »]]> Job: Director of Network Operations
Mantra: If I love it, I build it (or at least make it faster).

When I first heard about ooma through a former colleague, I have to admit I had my doubts.After years of running 24×7x365 network operations at DirecTV and 8×8, I decided to ease into an early paid retirement or, in other words, enter the field of management consulting. But then I heard about this cool little device that was going to revolutionize the landscape of home telephony, and I couldn’t resist going in for a quick meet-and-greet. That was back in September of 2006, although it seems more like last Tuesday. And that former colleague of mine? He now sits in the cubicle beside me. Since then, I’ve assembled a great team of leaders (and friends), who’ve helped architect the robust service infrastructure into what it is today.

Of course, challenge is nothing new to me. I’ve always been something of a thrill-seeker. As a teen, I literally kicked butt as a champion amateur boxer, winning several regional divisions, including the Golden Gloves (sorry, the annoying editor made me include this).

But, hey, I’m a lover, not a fighter. So around ten years ago, I threw down my gloves and picked up a guitar pick and a wrench… When I’m not whittling away the hours with my team, I can be found (or at least heard) careening down the racetracks of NorCal in my 1989 IROC-Z Camaro that I began rebuilding in 1997 [check out the video below!].

As for my bike? I’ve been rigging and riding my beloved Yamaha R1 with the same crew of 30 or 40 friends, many of whom I’ve known since age 13. Of course, we’ve added a few junior additions to the mix, but it hasn’t stopped us from hitting the road loud and hard.

My greatest passion outside of work (and, umm, home), however, is music. I just formed a new band a few months ago. Our major influences include Stone Temple Pilots, Zeppelin, Rush and Pearl Jam. We’ll be putting together a set of originals by summer, since we’re not the cover type. We’re still searching for a name, so any suggestions are welcome!

I was also asked whether my penchant to peek under the hood and rebuild extends to my personal life. But on that question, I respectfully decline a reply.

]]> http://blog.ooma.com/2008/04/24/spotlight-employee-feroz-ali/feed/ Here by Popular Demand: Number Porting http://blog.ooma.com/2008/03/12/here-by-popular-demand/ http://blog.ooma.com/2008/03/12/here-by-popular-demand/#comments Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:30:15 +0000 VBob http://blog.ooma.com/2008/03/12/here-by-popular-demand/

After months of testing, we're thrilled to announce that we're ready to start porting phone numbers at ooma. So, for all those customers who've been waiting to drop their phone provider (and monthly bills) and keep their current number, the time is now! As a special introductory offer, we'll be porting numbers* without charge to customers who purchase an ooma Hub™ device before March 31st. That's a $79 value, free! To take advantage of this limited-time offer, please contact a member of our customer support team at 1-888-711-6662. We're here to take your calls Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 5pm, PST. - Update 3/18: Please refer to the Number Porting knowledgebase article for more details. *Number porting is subject to availability and coverage in your calling area.]]>

After months of testing, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re ready to start porting phone numbers at ooma. So, for all those customers who’ve been waiting to drop their phone provider (and monthly bills) and keep their current number, the time is now!

As a special introductory offer, we’ll be porting numbers* without charge to customers who purchase an ooma Hub™ device before March 31st. That’s a $79 value, free!

To take advantage of this limited-time offer, please contact a member of our customer support team at 1-888-711-6662. We’re here to take your calls Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 5pm, PST.

- Update 3/18: Please refer to the Number Porting knowledgebase article for more details.

*Number porting is subject to availability and coverage in your calling area.

]]> http://blog.ooma.com/2008/03/12/here-by-popular-demand/feed/ Catch the ooma demo! http://blog.ooma.com/2008/03/07/catch-the-ooma-demo/ http://blog.ooma.com/2008/03/07/catch-the-ooma-demo/#comments Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:31:44 +0000 VBob http://blog.ooma.com/2008/03/07/catch-the-ooma-demo/ [Click to Play] The key benefit of ooma has always been easy to convey: unlimited US calling and bundled features with no monthly charges. The full breadth of ooma's enhanced calling features--like the Instant Second Line™ and the Broadband Answering Machine™--has been more challenging to explain. So we asked ourselves: How can we best demonstrate the full ooma experience? The answer was simple: an interactive flash demo. If you haven't checked our homepage for a while, we hope you'll click here and take a look. We'll also be adding video tutorials to the support site in the near future. If you have any feedback or if there's anything else you'd like to see, please drop us a comment and let us know.]]>
[Click to Play]

The key benefit of ooma has always been easy to convey: unlimited US calling and bundled features with no monthly charges. The full breadth of ooma’s enhanced calling features–like the Instant Second Line™ and the Broadband Answering Machine™–has been more challenging to explain. So we asked ourselves: How can we best demonstrate the full ooma experience?

The answer was simple: an interactive flash demo. If you haven’t checked our homepage for a while, we hope you’ll click here and take a look.

We’ll also be adding video tutorials to the support site in the near future. If you have any feedback or if there’s anything else you’d like to see, please drop us a comment and let us know.

]]> http://blog.ooma.com/2008/03/07/catch-the-ooma-demo/feed/ Spotlight Employee: Simon CapperEmbedded Software Manager http://blog.ooma.com/2008/02/29/spotlight-employee-simon-capperembedded-software-manager/ http://blog.ooma.com/2008/02/29/spotlight-employee-simon-capperembedded-software-manager/#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:49:01 +0000 VBob http://blog.ooma.com/2008/02/29/spotlight-employee-simon-capperembedded-software-manager/
Check out our own Simon Capper in this Skydiving video spoof of the show "Venture Bros."

After spending too many years in the telecom industry, I finally found myself at ooma. After hearing about the company vision, it took me all of 3.62 seconds to join. That was two years ago. Many crazy late-night sessions of fast-and-furious-coding filled with Red-Bull-and-pizza later, we ended up with the ooma Hub™... at once challenging, demanding and fun to build!

Reading the glowing feedback on customer surveys and positive reviews on Amazon.com gives me a great deal of satisfaction about what we've accomplished. We have a remarkably well-rounded team at ooma, and I look forward to developing new features in the months ahead.

I believe I still have a life, let me check, yes, it's still there. In my "spare time," I enjoy a family with two young boys. And, when I'm really good, I get to go skydiving. I think I've fallen about 5,000 miles from airplanes since the tick of the millennium, and I've enjoyed every minute of it!]]>
Check out our own Simon Capper in this Skydiving video spoof of the show “Venture Bros.”

After spending too many years in the telecom industry, I finally found myself at ooma. After hearing about the company vision, it took me all of 3.62 seconds to join. That was two years ago. Many crazy late-night sessions of fast-and-furious-coding filled with Red-Bull-and-pizza later, we ended up with the ooma Hub™… at once challenging, demanding and fun to build!

Reading the glowing feedback on customer surveys and positive reviews on Amazon.com gives me a great deal of satisfaction about what we’ve accomplished. We have a remarkably well-rounded team at ooma, and I look forward to developing new features in the months ahead.

I believe I still have a life, let me check, yes, it’s still there. In my “spare time,” I enjoy a family with two young boys. And, when I’m really good, I get to go skydiving. I think I’ve fallen about 5,000 miles from airplanes since the tick of the millennium, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it! It’s one of the few things that really gets me out of work mode. Being a geek, I also enjoy sci-fi: My current favorites are Torchwood and Doctor Who.

Cheers,
Simon

P.S. I also like beer.

]]> http://blog.ooma.com/2008/02/29/spotlight-employee-simon-capperembedded-software-manager/feed/ It’s time for ooma Jeoparty! http://blog.ooma.com/2008/02/29/its-time-for-ooma-jeoparty/ http://blog.ooma.com/2008/02/29/its-time-for-ooma-jeoparty/#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:42:51 +0000 april http://blog.ooma.com/2008/02/29/its-time-for-ooma-jeoparty/

-If you can guess the question that goes with the following answer, you'll be entered to win one of three fantastic prizes: An ooma picnic blanket, an ooma wine accessory set, or a chic ooma T-shirt! These two names were NOT originally considered when branding today's ooma Hub and Scout.
  • A. What are the Wedge and the Wedgie?
  • B. What are the Big Box and the Little Box?
  • C. What are the Bumble and the Bee?
  • D. What are the Itchy and the Scratchy?
  • E. What are the Hoot and the Holler?
  • F. What are the Ping and the Echo?
Click here to submit your answer. Winners will be randomly drawn from those who select the right answer.We will also select a winner for the most inventive ooma Hub and Scout names. Update 4/28: Thanks to everyone who participated in this survey! And the winning entries are...

More »]]>

-If you can guess the question that goes with the following answer, you’ll be entered to win one of three fantastic prizes: An ooma picnic
blanket, an ooma wine accessory set, or a chic ooma T-shirt!

These two names were NOT originally considered when branding today’s ooma Hub and Scout.

  • A. What are the Wedge and the Wedgie?
  • B. What are the Big Box and the Little Box?
  • C. What are the Bumble and the Bee?
  • D. What are the Itchy and the Scratchy?
  • E. What are the Hoot and the Holler?
  • F. What are the Ping and the Echo?

Click here to submit your answer. Winners will be randomly drawn from those who select the right answer.We will also select a winner for the most inventive ooma Hub and Scout names.

Update 4/28: Thanks to everyone who participated in this survey! Winners have been notified. If you haven’t guessed the answer the above question already, the answer was “What are the Itchy and the Scratchy?” Yes, Wedge and Wedgie were considered names for the ooma Hub and Scout (for all of 5 seconds).

We received a lot of creative names of the ooma Hub and ooma Scout - thank you for all the submissions! Honorable mentions include:

Brain & Lobe
Ranger & Tonto
Adam & Eve
Oompa & Loompa
Pea & Pod
Badabing & Badaboom
Ooh & Aah
Hubba & Bubba

The two contest winners chosen by internal poll were (drum roll please):


Jingle & Jangle — Submitted by Basil H.
Bill & Ted — Submitted by Scott R.

Congratulations!

]]> http://blog.ooma.com/2008/02/29/its-time-for-ooma-jeoparty/feed/