Ooma and RingCentral offer useful VoIP services that can replace your old regular phone service with a modern voice system that you can manage from your browser. These VoIP systems not only allow you to make and receive calls from various devices, but Ooma and RingCentral also offer messaging and video conferencing functionality with the ability to support call center operations.
What is Ooma?
Ooma offers phone, video, and messaging solutions for small businesses and enterprises, as well as options for home phone and security needs.
Ooma segments its business solutions into four main offerings:
- Office Essentials Oomawhich is a cloud-based VoIP for small and medium businesses.
- Ooma Office Prowhich adds video conferencing, call recording, voicemail transcription, and Google and Microsoft integrations, among other features.
- Ooma Office Pro Pluswhich adds hotdesking, call queuing, and Salesforce integration.
- Ooma Enterprisewhich is highly customizable and can act as a call center solution.
Ooma also provides communication and security solutions for individuals. These include:
- Ooma Telowith three distinct connection modes: Ooma Telo, Ooma Telo Air or Ooma Telo LTE.
- Ooma Securitywith three plan options – Monitor, Secure or Pro Secure – that support a wide range of sensors including motion, door/window and water.
Additionally, Ooma AirDial is intended to allow you to replace lines that have traditionally required a dedicated POTS line, such as a dedicated elevator, fax, or security system line. The company says AirDial provides a wireless connection (provided in partnership with T-Mobile) to ensure data does not travel over the public internet.
What is Ring Central?
RingCentral offers telephony, video and messaging solutions for small businesses, enterprises and startups in a variety of sectors and industries.
RingCentral’s three core products include:
- RingCentral MVPwhich includes messaging, video, and phone services, with an optional RingCentral Webinar add-on.
- RingCentral Contact Centerwith inbound, outbound and digital engagement solutions.
- RingCentral Video for video meetings and team messaging.
RingCentral MVP plans offered include:
- Essentialwhich is limited to a maximum of 20 users.
- Standardfor an unlimited number of users, with support for Internet faxing, video conferencing, and Google and Microsoft integrations, among other features.
- Primewhich adds call recording, single single-on, desktop sharing, and Salesforce integration, among other options.
- Ultimatewhich adds device status reports and alerts, and unlimited storage.
Ooma and RingCentral: Feature Comparison
Ooma and RingCentral offer the basic features you would expect from a VoIP phone system. Multi-Ring allows incoming calls to ring simultaneously on a desk phone and mobile app, or other designated phone, so you can receive calls anywhere. Call groups allow calls to ring to multiple people, so whoever is available can answer quickly. Routing features help callers reach the right person, with voicemail features that allow people to leave a message when no one is immediately available.
Ooma and RingCentral are much easier to manage than most traditional on-premises phone systems. Add an employee? Assign a new number and quickly configure its calling, messaging and conferencing options. They can start making and receiving calls from their laptop or, if you prefer, you can configure an IP phone to work on a wired or wireless network.
Office and conference devices
Ooma and RingCentral offer desk and conference phones. Ooma offers a range of Ooma-branded phones as well as systems from Yealink. RingCentral offers phones from many vendors, including Avaya, Cisco, Mitel, Polycom, Unify, and Yealink, as well as devices from other vendors that can be manually configured.
Mobile app
Ooma and RingCentral offer mobile apps that work on Android and iPhone. The app allows customers to make and receive calls using the service’s phone number, rather than the phone number tied to the device’s SIM (or eSIM) phone number. The mobile apps from both providers seem relatively well-maintained and rated. However, if you intend to use Ooma on Android, its 3.0-star rating suggests you may want to test the app to make sure it meets your needs.
Team messaging
Ooma and RingCentral offer team messaging, audio conferencing, and video conferencing capabilities. Ooma supports SMS messaging from your business number and also includes presence indicators so you can tell if people are available or not. RingCentral messaging allows file sharing with chat. RingCentral offers a free edition of their video conferencing, with a paid upgrade option that supports more participants, phone participants, and longer-term storage of recordings.
App integrations
The systems differ significantly in the number of integrations available, but both systems integrate with Microsoft Teams. Ooma offers Ooma Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams, while RingCentral offers at least two options: RingCentral Cloud PBX for Microsoft Teams and RingCentral for Microsoft Teams.
Additionally, the RingCentral App Gallery offers an extensive list of app partners, add-ons, and integrations that work with RingCentral. For example, the RingCentral App Gallery highlights how RingCentral integrates with several Google apps. Ooma Enterprise offers over 50 app integrations.
Enterprise and call center capabilities
Ooma and RingCentral offer features designed for call center operations. The Ooma Enterprise call center platform offers intelligent routing, tools to help design call flows, automatic call distribution, interactive voice response, as well as reporting and to analyse. RingCentral Contact Center manages both inbound and outbound call capabilities, capacity, availability, and skills-based routing, as well as customizable rules, chatbots, and virtual assistants, as well as reporting and reporting capabilities. ‘to analyse.
HIPAA Compliance
Ooma and RingCentral differ in their suitability for US-based healthcare providers. Ooma stated in its Terms of Service that “Ooma makes no representations, warranties, or warranties that your Services, Account(s), or Equipment (or use of any of the foregoing by a party) complies or will comply with HIPAA or any other law or will cause any party to comply with HIPAA or any other law.”
Instead, RingCentral offers a trade association agreement with the vendor for organizations that need to comply with HIPAA. This makes RingCentral a potential solution for healthcare providers or any organization that needs to comply with HIPAA regulations.
SEE: Feature Comparison: Time Tracking Software and Systems (TechRepublic Premium)
Choosing between Ooma and RingCentral
Small businesses that are also looking for a security solution might prefer Ooma, thanks to the company’s suite of sensors and security monitoring plans. Ooma AirDial offers an intriguing innovation that can be an attractive alternative in some locations previously served by a standard POTS line.
Companies that prioritize security or software integrations might prefer RingCentral. Healthcare providers looking to comply with HIPAA should definitely consider RingCentral, and RingCentral’s significant number of available software integrations make it likely that the communications suite can work with the tools you use. already. The variety of supported devices and robust video conferencing capabilities may also tip your decision towards RingCentral.
Both Ooma and RingCentral offer the powerful, browser-based management of modern VoIP phone systems that you might expect, and either product is a welcome option over traditional business phone systems.
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