GV changing from XMPP
ceg3:
Any chance the change will add features, such MWI or CNAM?
SteveInWA:
Funny you should ask about that -- I was thinking the same thing last night. Over the years, I've been badgering Obihai to add 911 and CNAM services. I think one issue was that it's not so hard from a technology standpoint, but those two services cost money, and how can Obihai (now Polycom) provide them at some sort of annual fee. As for MWI, I don't know if it is technically feasible, but I'm going to lean on both sides to see what can be done. Thanks for bringing it up.
SteveInWA:
I've been checking the third-party forums, to try to identify any problems, while this rolls out. As typical, many of the comments on DSLReports are Alex Jones-style conspiracy theories, bias against large companies, or unfounded speculation.
Here are some facts:
Google is definitely not killing Google Voice. Why any reasonable person would think that, given that Google is very actively overhauling and improving the service, is beyond me. Anyone who speculates otherwise, or claims that Google has been letting the service die of neglect, simply hasn't been paying attention.Yes, Google really means it this time: the XMPP servers will be shut down permanently, as announced by Google. The "migration period" for OBiTALK products starts now. Any OBiTALK products that haven't been migrated by the shutdown date will stop working, unless and until they are updated.One conspiracy theory is that Google is recording and saving everyone's calls. No, they are not doing that. There are tens of millions of Google Voice users. Imagine the size of the data centers that would require, not to mention the legality. At most, if you opt-in, they will use speech-to-text software to transcribe your voicemail messages. There is no monitoring of active telephone calls, without the law enforcement agencies following due process, via a national security letter, court order or subpoena. You are welcome to examine all of the data Google is collecting about you, on your Google account management page: https://myaccount.google.com/. Anyone can read Google's policy and approach to handling government requests for information, here: https://support.google.com/transparencyreport/answer/7381738/.There are often claims that companies do things like this out of malice, or as a way to shut down some rogue action by bad actors. All I can say is that people whose belief systems assume the worst in human behavior could benefit from some serious self-reflection. Google couldn't give a flying f**k about a handful of users and their third-party firmware. Google's Terms of Use and Acceptable Use policies are clearly documented. Their focus is on offering the service to users who comply with those policies, and specifically, to shut down abusers. A few examples would be: acquiring multiple Google Voice DIDs and setting up multiple trunks, to use for robocalling, abuse, spam, harassment, stalking, other illegal use, or reselling the service to others. Google has abuse-detection algorithms that look for abusive calling and texting patterns, and they may suspend or permanently shut down users who violate their terms.No, Polycom is most definitely not going to dump Google Voice support, nor discontinue the OBiTALK ATAs. They've spent months working with Google to prepare for, and to continue to be compatible with Google Voice. Instead, I would expect cosmetic changes for re-branding, and, just like every other tech company, new hardware may be released over time, which will still support Google Voice.Google's infrastructure includes dedicated hardware to support VoIP, and it is designed to include Polycom hardware support.The Obihai/Polycom merger combines companies with complementary products. Polycom did not market ATAs, just as Obihai didn't market conference calling equipment, and those products are not going to be canceled. I would expect certain IP phone products to be consolidated between the two companies' legacy product lines. If Plantronics acquires Polycom, it will simply provide further synergy between companies with complementary products, and enable the combined company to more effectively compete in the enterprise market (e.g. companies using Microsoft Skype For Business, or competing offerings).Over time (years, not months), as individuals, households and business dump POTS service, I expect market demand for ATAs to diminish, while growth in the IP phone market will increase. However, that has no bearing on Google Voice, as current Obihai legacy IP phones all support Google Voice, and there is no reason that can't continue to be the case. Similarly, as the market shifts to cloud-based, integrated telephony solutions, local PBX use will greatly diminish.
My information comes from direct conversations with employees of both companies, and it is not random speculation.
FYI links:
https://www.google.com/googlevoice/program-policies.html
https://www.google.com/intl/en_US/googlevoice/legal-notices.html
https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&gl=us
BigJim_McD:
Steve,
Thanks for sharing "some facts" on the changes.
I always look forward to your updates on the changes coming our way.
mo832:
So, does this mean that an Obi 1xx box will positively NOT work directly with GV anymore, even with GVGW?
Is there no known way to change GVGW to make the new system work with an Obi 1xx?
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