ooma Now Available to Everyone Via the Web

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, ooma, Inc., announces the opening of direct consumer sales over the company’s Web site (www.ooma.com). Direct sales of ooma™ systems are being offered at introductory pricing of $399 for each ooma Hub™ device and $39.95 for each ooma Scout™ device. The ooma system features unlimited US calling and comes with a suite of premium features, including the ooma Instant Second Line™ and the ooma Broadband Answering Machine™ with no additional monthly fees. In 2008, when the introductory pricing period expires, the ooma Hub device will carry a suggested retail price of $599.

“In the case of ooma, though, the benefits were evident right away. I’m saving a significant amount of money each month on my phone bill, I get the added benefit of the Broadband Answering Machine and Instant Second Line, and the entire process of setting it up was simple.”

“We are thrilled to begin selling to the public via the ooma Web site,” said Andrew Frame, ooma founder and CEO. “With the launch of our consumer sales channel, we now have the ability to deliver ooma systems directly to consumers and provide online support and product information. Consumers across the country will gain access to a digital voice appliance that enables individual ownership of home phone service.”

The ooma Consumer Experience

Even before opening direct sales to consumers, ooma systems have been in use by hundreds of consumers participating in the company’s White Rabbit beta testing program. To date, more than 325,000 calls have traversed the ooma network. Consumers across the country are enthusiastically responding to ooma’s features and unlimited calling:

“Having relied on my cell phone for my long-distance calls for years, I can appreciate the convenience of ooma,” said ooma customer Annie Nguyen. “Now instead of making my long-distance calls from my cell phone with questionable service reliability, I just pick up my home phone, listen for the ooma dial tone and make the call. ooma has really brought me back to using my home telephone.”
“I’m not a very technical person – rarely am I the first one to adopt new technologies,” said Ann Jones, an ooma customer. “In the case of ooma, though, the benefits were evident right away. I’m saving a significant amount of money each month on my phone bill, I get the added benefit of the Broadband Answering Machine and Instant Second Line, and the entire process of setting it up was simple.”
“In addition to the fact that I'm saving around $50 per month on long distance charges, my favorite part about ooma is the Broadband Answering Machine," said ooma customer M. Boyd. "I like to control how and when people can get in touch with me, and ooma gives me the flexibility to change my voicemail settings - I can turn the Broadband Answering Machine on only when I'm expecting an important call to avoid unwanted voicemails, and I really like the option to check what messages I might have online at the ooma Lounge.”

A New Way to Educate and Engage

In conjunction with the general availability to purchase ooma via the Web, ooma is also releasing a marketing program designed to increase public awareness of the ooma technology and brand. Conceptualized by ooma’s Creative Director, Ashton Kutcher of Katalyst Films, the program ushers in a new approach to marketing digital voice appliances. “The ooma marketing program reflects the irreverence of the brand and highlights the potential of the technology,” said Frame. “Our goal with this effort is to activate the growing ooma nation online, drive engagement with the brand, and lead interested consumers to purchase.” Program elements are currently seeded across the Web, and will be sequentially available for review at www.ooma.com/.

About ooma

Founded in 2005, ooma is a company that manufactures digital voice appliances. The ooma system uses a new technology that transforms telecom services from being service-oriented to device-oriented. The company has numerous patents pending. ooma (www.ooma.com) is privately held and headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

The ooma system includes the ooma Hub device, which attaches to your high-speed Internet connection and a regular telephone or digital phone station, and an ooma Scout device that extends these features and fully enables the benefits of the Instant Second Line, to anywhere in your house where you have a standard phone jack.

Each system comes with a suite of innovative features, including:

The Instant Second Line™ – provides two fully functional phone lines at one convenient number
The Broadband Answering Machine™ – combines the convenience of a traditional answering machine, such as call-screening, with the advanced functions of voicemail
The Online ooma Lounge – allows users to gain up-to-the-minute access to voicemail from anywhere in the world

The detailed terms and conditions of ooma’s products, services, and support are fully set forth in the Terms and Conditions, available online under the “legal” tab on the bottom navigation bar of the ooma Web site. ooma reserves the right to change or modify its offering, including limiting US calling and premium features to an initial set of customers. Customers who purchase the ooma system at the above-referenced introductory rate will pay no monthly charges for using the ooma system for unlimited US calling for three years. The Instant Second Line requires the purchase of at least one ooma Scout device.

ooma, the ooma logo, the ooma Hub, ooma Scout, Instant Second Line, the sound of the ooma dialtone and Broadband Answering Machine are trademarks of ooma, Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Graphical and video assets available for use include video clips, product photos, and the ooma identity.