Businesses wanting to use VoIP technology can explore Zoom Phone services. This cloud communication platform works on desktop and mobile devices. This works well for businesses with remote teams. Their services include voice and video calling, messaging, call routing, call monitoring and recording and voicemail transcriptions. Zoom Phone services are available in 47 countries. Subscribers can choose from three monthly plans according to the features needed and their budgets.
Ooma is a communication platform similar to Zoom Phone. It is designed with the needs of small and growing businesses in mind. It offers a range of communication services such as virtual faxes, three-way calling, etc. bundled in 3 plans with monthly subscription rates. Add-on packs are also available. Subscribers can use Ooma services to stay connected through chrome extensions for laptops and desktops, smartphone apps and desk phones. Plug and play solutions are available in the form of stand-alone devices with pre-installed software. The Pro and Pro+ plans also include access through desktop apps.
Zoom Phone subscribers to the Metered pack enjoy unlimited internal calls in the USA and Canada and metered outbound calls for $120 per user per year. Key features of the plan are voicemail transcriptions, IVR menus, app integrations and call recording.
For $180 per user per month, Zoom Phone subscribers can upgrade to the Unlimited pack. This lets you call any number in USA and Canada without extra billing. You can also include calls to 19 other countries by purchasing an add-on pack.
Zoom Phone plans may work out to be cheaper but Ooma does not require an annual commitment.
For $19.95 per month per user, businesses can subscribe to the Ooma Essentials plan. This plan gives them access to VoIP calling through local/ toll-free numbers and 50 standard features. It is ideal for small businesses wanting a cost-effective communication system.
The Ooma Pro plan is priced at $24.95 per user per month. This subscription fee is inclusive of all the features of the Essentials plan as well as call recording, voicemail transcription, video conferencing and other features.
Upgrading to the Ooma Pro+ plan will cost businesses $29.95 per user per month. This gives subscribers access to all the features of the Pro plan as well as call queueing, hot desking, integration to Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 and other features.
All Zoom Phone services can be accessed through a desk phone or desktop app.
ZoomPhone scores against Ooma when it comes to accessibility.
While all Ooma plan subscribers can use desk phones, only Pro and Pro+ users can also use a desktop app.
Subscribers can make and receive calls and access other Zoom Phone features through Android and iOS devices.
ZoomPhone and Ooma offer similar out-of-office connectivity interfaces.
Businesses can access VoIP services easily through the Ooma Android and iOS app.
Irrespective of the plan chosen, Zoom Phone routes incoming calls through auto attendants or IVR menus.
Like ZoomPhone, calls to Ooma numbers are greeted with customized messages. Ooma plans include a multi-level virtual receptionist. They can then be routed to relevant extensions depending on keystroke responses.
If the greeting and hold music available in the Zoom Phone audio library are not enough, you can upload a customized message to strengthen your brand image.
1. Administrators can go to the Call Handling section on the Settings menu
2. Click on add audio to upload a recorded message. Alternatively choose a file from the audio library
Like ZoomPhone, Ooma gives business subscribers the option of customizing welcome greetings.
Step 1. Sign in to Ooma with admin access and go to Settings.
Step 2. Set business hours schedule.
Step 3. Upload a recorded greeting or text for the text to speech option.
Call monitoring can be enabled for all Zoom Phone lines including common phones and shared line groups. Supervisors can listen to calls as they happen, whisper to agents, join conversations and take over calls.
Unlike ZoomPhone, Ooma subscribers do not have the ability to listen to live conversations, whisper to agents during a conversation, join calls or take them over. However, whenever needed, they can initiate 3-way conversations between their agents, customers and themselves. They can listen to voicemails left by customers from their email inboxes and study call log reports on call duration, call history, etc. This includes reports on calls handled by individual agents and teams. These reports provide actionable insight into agent and team productivity.
In addition to these features, Pro and Pro+ plan subscribers can also access voicemail transcriptions.
Irrespective of whether calls are made or received from desktop or smartphone interfaces, all Zoom Phone calls can be monitored and recorded for quality control. This feature is disabled by default but can be enabled at any point of time. Supervisors can listen to live calls, speak to agents during a live call without the other person’s knowledge, join a call or take over calls. Calls can be monitored one at a time. Calls that cannot be monitored in real time can be recorded for later analysis.
While ZoomPhone offers universal access to call recording, call recording is not included in the Ooma Essential plan but is available to Pro and Pro+ subscribers.
Businesses subscribing to the Zoom Phone metered plan can make and receive unlimited internal calls but are billed on a per minute rate for outbound calls. Calls can be made to 150+ countries. Call rates are dependent not only on location but also the type of phone number being called. For example, calls to landline numbers in Australia are billed at a rate of $0.0443 per minute while calls to mobile phones are billed at $0.1820 per minute.
Along with internal calling, calls to the USA and Canada are included in the Unlimited plan. This may also include calls to 19 other countries by purchasing an add-on pack. Calls to other numbers are billed according to use but at a rate lower than the Metered plan rates.
When it comes to domestic calling within the USA, Ooma's unlimited call feature gives it an advantage over ZoomPhone. If you do not want international calls billed at per-minute rates, subscribers can get an add on international calling pack. All Ooma plans are inclusive of unlimited calling within the USA.
A Zoom Phone account can be created on the communication platform’s website. If you don't want to port your existing number, you can set it up with a new number. Once the account has been created, you can make and receive calls through Zoom Phone applications for desktop and mobile devices or IP desk phones. These desk phone devices are available on the Zoom Phone website.
ZoomPhone and Ooma have similar account creation steps.
Subscribers can port an existing business phone number or apply for a new one when setting up their Ooma accounts. Services can be accessed through analog phones, IP phones, chrome extensions for laptops and desktops or smartphone apps. Pro and Pro+ plan subscribers can also download and use a desktop app for MAC and Windows devices. In addition to their services, Ooma also offers a range of IP phones on the website.
