Prepare for an epic match: 8x8 vs. Ooma. Determine the supreme communication solution for your business. Let the battle commence!
First up, we've got 8x8: The future of business communication through cloud services. Centralize voice, video, text on one platform. Enjoy unlimited calling, team messaging, call monitoring, analytics. Choose from 3 business communication plans and 3 contact center options.
Stepping into the ring on the opposing corner, please welcome Ooma: Your total business communication solution. Ooma offers VoIP services, communication hardware, and monthly plans with extras such as international calling and voice-to-text. Discover 50+ features, including call forwarding and virtual faxes.
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8x8 users can make and receive calls with a desk phone or through the desktop app.
Ooma's office connectivity interfaces may seem limited compared to 8x8. Calls can be made and received through IP desk phones. Pro and Pro+ subscribers can also use a desktop app.
8x8 users can make and receive calls from their mobile devices through the app.
The Ooma mobile app is comparable to the 8x8 app. It allows subscribers to make and receive calls from outside the office.
For the X2 and X4 plans, a multi-level auto-attendant allows you to establish multiple layers of call flows based on customer size, location and other rules.
Both 8x8 and Ooma include call routing in all plans but the methods are different. Ooma includes a multi-level virtual receptionist in all plans. This directs incoming calls on the basis of the caller’s keystroke responses.
Greetings can be customized from the 8x8 Admin console. Step 1. Login as admin and select Auto Attendants from the Admin console. Step 2. Click on the edit icon and choose Weekdays/ Holidays/ Alternate from the Call Handling menu. Step 3. Choose one of the following, Open Hours Menu/ Closed Hours Menu/ Lunch Hours Menu. Step 4. Select Create Audio File. You can upload a recorded message or choose to record a new message by calling a number.
Like 8x8, Ooma subscriber account admins can customize call greetings from the dashboard. Step 1. Users with your admin role sign in to Ooma. Step 2. Set business hours from the Settings menu. Step 3. Upload a prerecorded message or select the text to speech option and type your message.
8x8 Express plan admin can easily configure user accounts and view status reports on all devices. This allows you to know when and where your agents are accessing their accounts. However, you cannot monitor live conversations or view transcriptions for later analysis. As an 8x8 X2 pan user, you can view user status updates from your desktop or mobile device. This lets you know when agents are on call, when they are available for a call and when they are unavailable. You can also have voicemail transcriptions delivered to your email inbox for easy retrieval and analysis. Admin account holders also get advanced moderator controls during audio and video meetings. The X4 plan is inclusive of all the features included in the Express and X2 plans as well as the ability to listen to live calls. If required, you can speak to your agent without the other person knowing or you could join the call and make it a conference call. In addition, you can also get access to call activity analytics.
8x8 advanced plan subscribers may get access to more call monitoring features as compared to Ooma subscribers. Call monitoring for Ooma Essentials plans subscribers does not take the usual route. Incoming and outgoing calls cannot be supervised while live, supervisors cannot coach agents, join or takeover calls. That said, they can initiate 3-way calls between themselves, agents and customers. They can also get reports on individual and team call analytics from their dashboards. This includes reports on call history, call duration, etc. If required, these reports can be downloaded as CSV files. Voicemails can also be forwarded to email inboxes for easier access. In addition, Pro and Pro+ plan subscribers can access voicemail transcripts in their email inboxes.
All incoming and outgoing calls can be recorded in the X2 and X4 plans.
8x8 and Ooma follow a similar strategy for call recording. The Essential plan does not offer a call recording facility. This feature is only available in the Pro and Pro+ plans.
Calls to numbers other than those in the USA and Canada are billed at a per minute rate depending on the destination. For example, calls to India are priced at $0.06 per minute while those to Spain are billed at $0.03 per minute.
The availability of Ooma calling packs may make international calling cheaper for Ooma subscribers as compared to 8x8. Apart from numbers in the USA, international calls are billed at country-specific rates. Depending on where your target audience is, it may be better to get an add-on international calling pack.
You can register and sign up for an 8x8 account on the web portal with your email address. Once the registration process has been completed, you can download the application for smartphones, laptops or desktop devices. The application can be downloaded for free. 8x8 users can also access the services through supported desk phones. If you do not have a device, you can buy one from the 8x8 website.
As with 8x8, set up is the same for all Ooma subscribers. However access interfaces differ according to the Ooma plan chosen. Ooma allows businesses to port an existing number or get a new phone number. Essentials plan subscribers can use a chrome extension for laptops and desktops, analog phones or IP phones. Ooma has a wide range of IP phones available on the website. Subscribers can also download a free smartphone app for Android and iOS devices. Pro and Pro+ plan users have the added option of desktop apps.
