Quote from: AlanB on May 17, 2014, 04:34:25 PM
Quote from: swg0101 on May 16, 2014, 05:27:11 PM
Sounds like a bait and switch technique to me... although the integration shouldn't require any firmware changes since they currently use SIP for the integration. If you currently use Groove IP, you can even get a number without porting an existing one over... their site does seem to be quite buggy at the moment..
It's not bait and switch. Any Obi bought before May 1 works fine ( although maybe not on GV for long)
Many companies offer incentives for new customers that don't apply to past purchases. We may not like it but it's not bait and switch.
I am referring to the part where
Ring.to may become "paid" in the future, not the part where it requires you to purchase the OBi after a certain date. Since the site itself is still vague in its entirety, it would be interesting to see if they end up discontinuing service or switch to a paid / tiered model as they seem to imply on their website.
Quoted from their website:
Quote
Bandwidth, the company behind RingTo has over a decade of supporting disruptive communications companies. We believe that your phone number is a powerful asset and by using the RingTo service, you are actually helping us refine our systems that are commercialized in other areas of Bandwidth's business.
The RingTo service will be completely free for the foreseeable future. Don't worry – we won't hit you with a bill by surprise, and there will always be a free tier to our service when / if we decide to charge for the service. Early adopters (like you) can expect to get every feature RingTo offers, at no cost, and we'll give you at least a month of advanced notice if we ever do start charging. Unlike other service providers, we do not charge you to port your number in and we do not charge or block you from taking your number out.
OK – There is ONE catch. You have to port your number in to RingTo if you want to enjoy the service.
The fact that you have to port your number to them to
enjoy their service is somewhat suspect (and the fact that it's so easy and free makes it sound like the "hook" factor - note how many porting articles they have on their website from the various providers.) This is especially the case since they have already mentioned about free "tiers" in the beginning of their service. It is also quite interesting that they are calling phone numbers a
powerful asset to their company. I don't doubt any of their statements though, but it would be curious as to what path their business takes.
It won't be surprising if it turns out to something like this (not saying it would):
1. Wait until at least 100,000 users sign up, add limited free international calling + SIP + mobile calling to attract new users.
2. Offer free service for at least 2 years to indicate stability.
3. Slowly transition to a tiered model where outbound minutes are limited to offer "free" usage, with the option to buy more usage or "referrals" to "earn" usage. Inbound minutes remain unlimited (this is because carriers get paid with inbound calls).
This way they continue to hook you with freebies, but at the same time get more potential customers in their service who may be interested in their paid offerings. Since they already got most people to port in their home phones at this time (good timing with Google Voice?), limits are likely to make people cough up cash (e.g. if the free outbound cap is limited to 200 minutes a minute, but that is not quite enough to meet your home phone needs.) This is the only way I could see a phone number being an "asset" and how the business could operate if they are not putting ads in your phones calls...