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

[AntonS]

Read the following:
http://blog.obihai.com/2013/10/important-message-about-google-voice.html
This means that Google Voice will stop working six months from now!

[FameWolf]

Hmm so I should return the obi200 I just purchased but have not yet received to newegg since apparently obihai has no plans to adapt the device even though their competitors have already announced they have versions that will work using google hangouts.   I'm glad they let me know soon enough so I only have 1 mostly useless device on hand as opposed to 2.

[bsdaiwa]

Hmm so I should return the obi200 I just purchased but have not yet received to newegg since apparently obihai has no plans to adapt the device even though their competitors have already announced they have versions that will work using google hangouts.   I'm glad they let me know soon enough so I only have 1 mostly useless device on hand as opposed to 2.

What "competitors have already announced they have versions that will work with google hangouts"?

[BigJim_McD]

I found the wording of the announcement a little confusing, but I'm eager to see more explanation for the following sentence in the announcement.

"Over the coming weeks, we will provide more detailed information, including easy to follow, step-by-step instructions on how you can keep using your OBi and your current phone number to keep your home phone bill extremely low, yet retain the power and flexibility that comes from using the OBi and your choice of services – even Google Voice."

It's my hope that there will be a low cost way to both keep using my OBi devices and also keep my Google Voice phone numbers, contact lists, groups and settings.

How ever it works out after May 15th. 2014, I can't complain, I've have used Google Voice including 'Free' Long distance for several hundreds of hours of "FREE" service making my purchase of OBi devices well worth the investment.

[carl]

How is your Obi "useless" ? There is a ton of excellent VOIP providers out there. Yes, you have to pay a tiny little bit but you get much more than from Google Voice.Look at localphone.com, $0.99/month for US DID and 0.5c/min  to the lower 48 and a real customer service and a lot of other services. Or Callcentric, a bit more expensive but a truly professional full featured phone service.  
Yes, we all enjoyed free ride with GV but honestly, no big deal.

Obi will be probably more likely to help with configuration for SIP in the future than they have been so far.

[SteveInWA]

I agree with Carl.

Yes, the wording of the blog post was a bit vague (perhaps intentionally, while "part two" is being written...remember, this announcement was just made today). 

But, many of us already use a hybrid approach to using OBi boxes with Google Voice, which has been discussed ad nauseum in earlier discussion threads: 

• Sign up for a DID with a good-quality VoIP ITSP, such as one of the companies on the blog list, and add that DID as a forwarding number to your list of forwarding phones here: https://www.google.com/voice#phones.
• Provision your OBi with that DID, and you'll receive inbound calls made to your GV number.
• Assuming your VoIP ISP allows spoofing caller ID of verified phone numbers for outbound calls, spoof your GV phone number, and place your outbound calls over your VoIP ITSP.
• Yes, this will cost some modest amount of money per month, but in trade, you get more reliable service, CNAM (caller ID name) on inbound and outbound calls if supported by your choice of ITSP, and E-911 service, none of which came with Google Voice.

[FameWolf]

Hmm so I should return the obi200 I just purchased but have not yet received to newegg since apparently obihai has no plans to adapt the device even though their competitors have already announced they have versions that will work using google hangouts.   I'm glad they let me know soon enough so I only have 1 mostly useless device on hand as opposed to 2.

What "competitors have already announced they have versions that will work with google hangouts"?

Posted by redjack back on 05/2013 @ http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r28309379-General-Google-HangOuts-vs.-XMPP

"We now have a prototype of the GVMate Phone Adapter using Hangouts up and running in the lab with Google Voice that supports both outgoing calling and incoming calling with CNAM caller name display. The same news for using the GVJackApp with a used/expired magicJack dongle.

Update: The one exciting thing found was that you can be signed into the same account at multiple locations and all of them ring when an incoming call arrives. Using Google Chat you could only really be signed in at one location at any given time to reliably receive incoming calls at that location."


As to those concerned about keeping their contacts and incoming calls etc for the time being, and until callcentric changes their policies in may 2014 you can forward your google voice calls to callcentric's free account which allows you to receive free incoming calls.  *note* You'll pay $1.50 a month for E911 unless you live outside USA or *cough* you say you do.

The obi becomes mostly useless for me because I'm cell phone only (which means I already get free long distance) and the obi's primary purpose (once again just for ME) was for sending and receiving faxes at a fixed phone number using google voice.  The occasional free call during hours when I didn't have unlimited free calling was a bonus but apps like talkatone still allow free outgoing calls for up to *I think* 3000 minutes a month.

[Wilbour]

I am not the most clever guy around so I find this confusing,

"Unfortunately, you will no longer be able to use the Google Voice communication service to make calls using the phone connected to your OBi device.  Also, the ability to receive calls to your Google Voice number, directly from Google's service, will not be possible. "

and

" First, your OBi will continue working as it does today – with calls to your Google Voice number ringing the phone and use of Google's service for connecting calls to the numbers you dial."

Seem to contradict each other.

[SteveInWA]

Wilbour:

I know, that statement was poorly-written.  The first quote is accurate.  The second quote should have read:  "First, your OBi will continue working as it does today, until after May 15th, 2014..."

[FRUGALFREAK]

A good majority of users want a simple fee structure of per month fee for unlimited service. None of the alt services listed on announcement seemed like a good fit for those people. I don't want technical configurations, SIP, XMPP blah blah blah, Just offer me a nominal fee for unlimited service instead of per Min billing and ease of setup with my Obi.

[Phokus]

So they're not going to even attempt to adapt the OBI products to Google Hangouts?

[AntonS]

I was planning on doing what is said below. Which SIP provider of Anveo, Callcentric or VOIPms allows spoofing caller ID's?

But, many of us already use a hybrid approach to using OBi boxes with Google Voice, which has been discussed ad nauseum in earlier discussion threads: 

• Sign up for a DID with a good-quality VoIP ITSP, such as one of the companies on the blog list, and add that DID as a forwarding number to your list of forwarding phones here: https://www.google.com/voice#phones.
• Provision your OBi with that DID, and you'll receive inbound calls made to your GV number.
• Assuming your VoIP ISP allows spoofing caller ID of verified phone numbers for outbound calls, spoof your GV phone number, and place your outbound calls over your VoIP ITSP.
• Yes, this will cost some modest amount of money per month, but in trade, you get more reliable service, CNAM (caller ID name) on inbound and outbound calls if supported by your choice of ITSP, and E-911 service, none of which came with Google Voice.

[Shale]

 *note* You'll pay $1.50 a month for E911 unless you live outside USA or *cough* you say you do.

Hasn't GV only been offered to those who report they are in the US?

[carl]

  *note* You'll pay $1.50 a month for E911 unless you live outside USA or *cough* you say you do.

Hasn't GV only been offered to those who report they are in the US?

Yes, but you could set it up in the US and use it (almost) everywhere.

[carl]

I was planning on doing what is said below. Which SIP provider of Anveo, Callcentric or VOIPms allows spoofing caller ID's?

None. But Localphone let's you set as caller ID any phone number you register with them, it could be your cell phone, your GV number, other SIP provider's number or whatever else.

[carl]

A good majority of users want a simple fee structure of per month fee for unlimited service. None of the alt services listed on announcement seemed like a good fit for those people. I don't want technical configurations, SIP, XMPP blah blah blah, Just offer me a nominal fee for unlimited service instead of per Min billing and ease of setup with my Obi.

I doubt the "Good majority" but for example VOIPO is like that.

[FameWolf]

 *note* You'll pay $1.50 a month for E911 unless you live outside USA or *cough* you say you do.

Hasn't GV only been offered to those who report they are in the US?

The fee mentioned was in regards to callcentric service which is both in and out of the USA.

[steveken]

I suppose I am one of the very few people who use the phone barely any. I mean, it is usually less than maybe 5 minutes a month. That is why Google Voice was so attractive to me. I just want a way to make or receive the few calls a month I do participate in for free. I got rid of any other type of landline I had in the past because I just never used it enough to justify the expense. I really hope they can get it working through the Hangouts API's. If they don't, can anyone suggest another option for a cheapskate like myself that rarely uses any minutes at all? I mean, the cheaper the better, obviously.

[cluckercreek]

First post. I just purchased my Obi 110 last week and have been setting it up. It figures that GV would stop. 

[Robert.Thompson]

http://nerdvittles.com/?p=5758