Google Sets the Date for the End of XMPP with Google Voice

[drgeoff]

Oh I wouldn't say that. Remember this is the team that helped launch the VoIP revolution. I rather doubt Obihas continued existence rests on if Google sneezes or not.

ObiHai has not done anything in way of revolution.
I bought this on 02/01/2011

I used callcentric back then in 2011.

Void the ability to use google voice nobody will buy obihai devices over devices from more reputable companies like linksys.

Do you realise that the Linksys ATAs (and the Sipura ones before that) were designed by the same engineers who more lately founded Obihai?  That is the reason for the "this is the team that helped launch the VoIP revolution" statement.

[SteveInWA]

"Void the ability to use google voice nobody will buy obihai devices over devices from more reputable companies like linksys."

Linksys doesn't exist anymore.  History lesson (as already referenced by Ostracus):  The folks now at Obihai developed the Sipura products. <and there are some parallel details with regard to Cisco's ATA-186, that I can't recall>.  Linksys bought Sipura, and didn't innovate; they just kept selling the same products with minor variations (PAP and SPA product lines).  Then, Cisco made a feeble attempt to get into the consumer business by purchasing Linksys (not just the ATA business, but the whole company).  They merged in their own technology and enterprise product lines, including SIP phones.  After deciding to return to their core competency as an enterprise networking vendor, they recently sold the Linksys business to Belkin.  The PAP and SPA ATA products haven't been manufactured, nor updated in several years -- they've been discontinued.

When it comes to the ATA market, the closest thing to a "latest generation successor to the PAP and SPA" products, are Obihai's line.  Otherwise, you're talking about clones from Grandstream or a couple of other vendors that sell to the telco provider market.

Whether or not the ATA hardware market survives over the near-term future is related less to Google Voice/Chat/Hangouts than it is to the overall trends in consumer telephony:  more mobile, less land line, and for land line, dominance by the broadband providers, with integrated modem/router/phone hardware boxes.

[carl]

When it comes to the ATA market, the closest thing to a "latest generation successor to the PAP and SPA" products, are Obihai's line.  Otherwise, you're talking about clones from Grandstream or a couple of other vendors that sell to the telco provider market.

Whether or not the ATA hardware market survives over the near-term future is related less to Google Voice/Chat/Hangouts than it is to the overall trends in consumer telephony:  more mobile, less land line, and for land line, dominance by the broadband providers, with integrated modem/router/phone hardware boxes.

I have to agree with that.

[7Priest7]

Whether or not the ATA hardware market survives over the near-term future is related less to Google Voice/Chat/Hangouts than it is to the overall trends in consumer telephony:  more mobile, less land line, and for land line, dominance by the broadband providers, with integrated modem/router/phone hardware boxes.

Wrong.
Free is better than any other price.
Google Voice at the moment is the only voip provider that is free.
The motivation to get ATA devices will be significantly less with the complex fee structures and hidden surcharges of current other SIP providers.

Like I said before, I had callcentric in 2011...
SOOO many hidden fees...
Nobody use callcentric, trust me I know from experience.

EDIT: My original desire remains true regardless of our differing opinions.
I still would like obihai to make the wise decision to adapt their technology when the time comes.
This debate is pointless... Neither of our opinions will be altered, let it die.

[Ansextra]

Free is better than any other price BUT when you pay for something you have more control.  Free services can change at any arbitrary moment.  When you pay you have a contract.  I am actually preferring my new VOIPo account to my GV account for my purposes.  I don't mind paying to get what I want and need when it comes to phone service.  As a teleworker phone service is extremely important to me.

[Rick]

When you pay you have a contract. 

Not quite.  Show me a contract that you have with your VoIP provider that GUARANTEES the services that you will receive.  And the penalties when they don't.

Callcenter got cyber attacked, intermittent service for weeks and weeks.

Callcenter lost power in the storm, no service for days and days.

Callcenter's third party database provider screwed up the 911 listings which I brought to their attention, they didn't know.

No guarantee of anything.

[mo832]

  Free services can change at any arbitrary moment.  When you pay you have a contract. 

That's not entirely true either. I can't tell you how many times I have seen (and others can name their own instances) where a service that I have paid for with a contract has changed, without asking me, without telling me, and without my liking the change. It's happened with ATT/Southwestern Bell/SBC, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable, other cable companies, Verizon. Cingular, other cell phone companies, Dialup ISPs, etc. Just paying vs. not paying for something does not insure anything from unwanted changes. Even a paid company can go out of business unexpectedly. Remember Sunrocket?

Several paid cable channels used to have no commercials, and then started inserting commercials. MTV used to have music, now they have teen reality shows. Still charging.

PBS is still free and still no commercials. Just because you pay, the only thing for sure is that you pay. Nothing else is for sure.

[giqcass]

MTV used to have music, now they have teen reality shows. .

Excellent example.  Music television should have more music. 

[mo832]

MTV used to have music, now they have teen reality shows. .

Excellent example.  Music television should have more music. 

I don't ever remember getting a letter from MTV saying "beginning March 1, 1992, we will begin to reduce our music video programming, and start featuring exciting cartoons like Beavis and Butthead and Daria. Eventually, you will have a hard time finding *any* music on our network. If you agree with this change, do nothing. Your bill will not increase (*yet*). If you disagree with this change, please return the enclosed form, and your bill will be reduced by $6.00 per year, though you will be entitled to preview the new format for 12 months with no obligation. If you want the music to remain, our executives have determined you are out of luck. Thank you for being a valued MTV subscriber."

[Ansextra]

Ok.  I give up...   But I'm still happy with VOIPo and that I won't back down from.

[sdb-]

With a paid service, if you like it enough to pay, and there are sufficient people who think like you think, the provider can make money selling the service.  The provider can get market signals by raising and/or lowering the price and/or monitoring competitor pricing and entry/exit.

With a free service, there is no incentive for the provider to continue, and very little feedback as to the value of the service.  Is it liked only because it is free?

[giqcass]

With a paid service, if you like it enough to pay, and there are sufficient people who think like you think, the provider can make money selling the service.  The provider can get market signals by raising and/or lowering the price and/or monitoring competitor pricing and entry/exit.

Free services make money.  Hasn't anyone ever told you nothing in life is free?  I can't tell you what the bottom line is on Google Voice but it provides the company with something of value.  Monetary or resources.  Whatever it is they aren't shutting it down.  They are upgrading it.  That means it's valuable to them.  They have an increasing user base.  That means it's valuable for the consumer as well.  In most cases Google only makes tiny fractions of a cent.  They deal in huge volume. 

With a free service, there is no incentive for the provider to continue, and very little feedback as to the value of the service.  Is it liked only because it is free?

Almost all Google services are free to consumers and they are a giant company that continues to expand.  They are making money.  Bottom line: We can't put a dollar amount on it but Google has an incentive to continue Google Voice.

[sdb-]

The difference is indirect (a free service) vs. direct (a paid service) compensation.

Almost all direct also have indirect components, but the balance between indirect and direct determines whose interests will be respected.

So where is google getting their money?  They will see, as driven by market forces, to optimize for the payer(s).

If you aren't paying, your interests are of lesser concern.

[giqcass]

It does not matter where the company gets the money.  The bottom line is always their concern.  Whether the service makes money in some fashion is what they care about.  I've had Google voice longer then many paid services.

[Lavarock7]

For those lamenting the end of free GoogleVoice through Obi, keep these things in mind.

1) There MAY still be a way to do it; there is still plenty of time. Let's see what happens in the next few months.

2) When GrandCentral offered free phone calls, it took quite a while for people to catch on.

Then Google bought Grand Central and more people started using the service.

Then Obihai came up with a way to simply use the service with an actual telephone that did not require web browsers or extra dialing. even more people signed up and started using the service.

If you think about it, the Obi devices got more people involved in VOIP because of GoogleVoice then would have otherwise. Because of that, more people are interested in VOIP and competition for VOIP service is dropping in price.

People are now paying pennies or fractions of a cent per minute for calls that used to pay $30 or more a month for. Obi/GV allowed people to test drive new technology and processes and now may have to pay a small amount to do similar.

Decades ago you could go to a gas station and get air for your tires for free. Now many of those places charge for air.

[mo832]

Everybody brings up valid points. The way I see it (my own opinion) is, if whatever you do works for you, and you like the functions and you like the price (or no price), that's wonderful.

But whether you pay or don't pay, or pay a little or a lot, changes will happen, and sometimes you might lose the service altogether, even if you pay a premium. Imagine if you loved Nextel IDEN walkie-talkie service. You can't get it anymore at any price. There are alternatives, but nothing is 100% exact, and you still had to adapt your setup. The same will likely be true in the near future for BlackBerry. If you love it, and it's always been more expensive than average, you may have to change to something else, simply because the rest of the world doesn't see it the same way.

So, don't fall for the illusion that because you pay for something, you are insulated against anything.   

[Ansextra]

Whether you pay for it or not VOIP is here to stay.  Telcos are removing copper lines wherever they can as far as I know.  People consider their phones provided with their cable companies to be landlines but they're VOIP.  Unless GV makes money for Google I honestly don't see why features would be added to their current service.  GV is a stripped down calling plan.  It's a great service and I use it all the time but my new VOIP provider is offering far more features that I use on a regular basis.  The cost is reasonable enough that I don't mind paying.  I also understand that even pay services disappear.  I still remember hearing about Sun Rocket.  I'm not naive. I'll take my chances though.

[Ostracus]

How well do all the pay services do with spam calls? Also do any offer essentially "throw-away" numbers that you don't mind giving out, knowing it could be bombarded in the future?

[Ansextra]

I can tell you that VOIPo has a built in telemarketer block feature that is community based.  In addition you can blacklist any number by using *27 immediately after the call.  This can also be controlled by the VOIPo dashboard.

[carl]

How well do all the pay services do with spam calls? Also do any offer essentially "throw-away" numbers that you don't mind giving out, knowing it could be bombarded in the future?

Anveo offers throw away numbers. Callcentric has a telemarketer block. Just examples, there is more out there.