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Google voice does not support message waiting indicator anymore?

Started by markintheforum, November 16, 2014, 04:12:09 PM

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ceg3

Quote from: Ryan_Tilton on February 27, 2015, 12:10:52 PM
I am always trying to grow our customer base.  Business is all about discovering where there is a problem and fixing it for people.  I have information regarding the MWI issue on our main website.  I don't think Obihai has the ability to fix this issue using their new "Approved" method.
The problem I have with this is that you aren't offering an add on service for our Google Voice setup. I checked with your chat service and what you are referring to are modifications to your existing voice mail setup and this only applies to Vestalink subscribers.  Spam or not, I don't think you are being direct in your aims.

Ryan_Tilton

The fact is we are getting signups based on this alone.  People are willing to pay to have this feature back.  

[link deleted]

And just to clarify, its an entirely different service from Google Voice.  

OBiSupport

Vestalink (Ryan Tilton),

Please stop the parasitic marketing tactics on the OBiTALK forum.  You are welcome to start a Vestalink specific post promoting your service to OBi device owners.

Thank you

Ryan_Tilton

The reason MWI is not working is because Google has no interest in the OBi device, otherwise it would be working.    I am in no way defaming them in their own house.   I think Obihai is just not being clear with what "Official" support means which could confuse certain customers.  

"To be clear about the term "supported", there are two different ways to look at the term: "we allow access to something we control" or "we provide technical or development support for you to do something we control." In the case of Obihai, it's only the former definition.

Historical background: Obihai was formerly using an unauthorized, unapproved method to access Google users' accounts to use the Google Chat (XMPP) protocol for calling, etc. This method was turning over the Google user's user ID and password to the third party -- a security exposure. Google did not approve of (or "support") that access.

Google has a safer method of controlling access to its users' account data and services, via a secure authentication method known as OAUTH 2.0. Google "supports" the use of that method to authenticate (verify permission) to use their customers' accounts, and the user controls which services to which the third party is given access. "Support" means, Google publishes the method and makes it available for use by others. Obihai converted their device firmware to use this supported authentication method. Google is not supplying any "support" to actually make use of the data or services accessed.

After Obihai upgraded their products to use OAUTH 2.0 authentication, Google said, in effect, "we agree that you are using a supported method to access our users' accounts". That's all. The rest is up to Obihai."

http://goo.gl/ooH7tE

LTN1

I am glad that Vestalink's previous posting has been self deleted.

No doubt from a historical standpoint that what Obihai did when it piggy-backed on Google Voice's technology in the early days was in violation of Google's TOS.

As for what type of legal relationship between Obihai and Google at the moment, the details hasn't been disclosed. As to what "Google Voice supported" or "Google Voice approved" means, that too, hasn't been defined. I don't know if it is helpful for third parties to define the relationship when they don't know the internal details. And neither Google nor Obihai has to disclose anything as long as no one is doing anything illegally.

Google is very protective of its brand name. I don't think Google would allow a company like Obihai to mislead the public of their relationship for long. I don't know the details but I just know that the new OBi202 I purchased, has that Google Voice logo that I would prefer not to have. I suspect that the "support" or "approved" between Google and Obihai is more than just using the right OAUTH 2.0 authentication as the darn devices now are advertising Google Voice! I don't think any business would advertise for another in such an overt at your face manner unless there was an agreement that went beyond just a tacit allowing for the use of proper log on.