SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ooma, Inc., a smart communications platform for businesses and consumers, today announced that it has introduced the Ooma Remote Device Manager, a web portal for monitoring and managing its Ooma AirDial turnkey POTS replacement solution.
Legacy copper-wire phone lines, also known as plain old telephone service or POTS, are being rapidly phased out by telecommunications providers. This creates a significant challenge for safety devices and business-critical systems that require a POTS line – ranging from fire alarm panels to elevator phones, fax machines, public safety phones, building access systems and more – that often can’t be migrated to voice over internet, or VoIP, service.
Ooma AirDial (https://www.ooma.com/airdial) provides turnkey replacement for POTS lines by combining the AirDial base station with virtual analog phone service from Ooma and a data connection through a nationwide wireless network.
Affordable and simple to install, Ooma AirDial is now also easy to manage through the new Ooma Remote Device Manager, or RDM, web portal.
Anyone involved in an AirDial deployment – IT teams, property managers, telecom supervisors, etc. – can access the RDM portal anywhere at any time to view the status of AirDial devices. The RDM can be customized to display key data – either in list view or device detail view – such as in-service status, wireless signal strength and the health of the backup battery.
The RDM can also be set to send automatic notifications, by text or email, to multiple users whenever there are events such as an AirDial device going out of service or having a low battery. What’s more, IT consultants managing AirDial installations for multiple customers can monitor devices across all of their accounts and even control billing and selection of service plans.
Brickpoint Properties, a residential and commercial property management company in Stoneham, Mass., replaced costly and unreliable POTS lines with Ooma AirDial for applications including elevator phones, building lobby annunciator panels, boiler room water temperature alarms and swimming pool emergency phones.
“The Ooma Remote Device Manager really helps me stay on top of what’s happening with AirDial units at five Brickpoint locations without having to send anyone on my team to the site,” said Matthew Shellenberger, CEO of Networking Now in Cambridge, Mass., and the virtual chief technology officer of Brickpoint. “I get a broad overview of all of the products and I can then drill down to specifics of one device or go into details of what’s happening with just one phone number.”
To see AirDial in action to Brickpoint Properties, watch the short video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuSSBHwbGW0.
Although there are still millions of POTS lines remaining in the United States, industry analysts expect they could disappear completely within five years. At the same time, service costs are going up dramatically as providers struggle to support their remaining POTS infrastructure from a smaller pool of customers.
Ooma commissioned a report from IDC, titled “Impending Copper Sunset Could Leave Critical Infrastructure in the Dark,” that explores the problem and gives guidance on finding solutions. The report is available to download for free at https://www.ooma.com/idc-report/.
Ooma AirDial is designed from the ground up as a complete POTS replacement solution, unlike some offerings that only provide hardware and require the customer to provide service or don’t have a remote device manager. AirDial’s many features, in addition to the new RDM, include:
- Up to four analog connections with standard dial tone and full backwards POTS compatibility
- Options for either an exclusively wireless connection or failover from a wired broadband connection to wireless
- Backup battery that will maintain service for eight hours or more during an outage
- LCD display that shows wireless signal strength, battery status and phone line status
- Heat sink and ventilation for fan-less cooling
- Number porting
- Mounting that can be either vertical (wall) or horizontal (shelf)
“Since announcing Ooma AirDial on November 1, 2021, we’ve been inundated with requests from businesses of all sizes, as well as channel partners, who’ve been waiting for a comprehensive POTS replacement solution,” said Chris Burgy, vice president of corporate development at Ooma. “Now we’re taking an important next step with Ooma Remote Device Manager, which gives our customers 24/7 access to their AirDial units without having to leave their desks.”
Ooma AirDial will be shown at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas on April 11 to 14, in Booth #1931. The product is available now in the United States only. To learn more, please visit https://www.ooma.com/airdial.
About Ooma, Inc.
Ooma (NYSE: OOMA) creates powerful connected experiences for businesses and consumers, delivered from its smart cloud-based SaaS platform. For businesses of all sizes, Ooma provides advanced voice and collaboration features including messaging, intelligent virtual attendants, and video conferencing to help them run more efficiently. For consumers, Ooma’s residential phone service provides PureVoice HD voice quality, advanced functionality and integration with mobile devices. Learn more at www.ooma.com or www.ooma.ca in Canada.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute “forward-looking statements.” The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements related to the functionality, features and performance of, and demand for, Ooma AirDial. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in Ooma’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2021 filed on April 7, 2021, and in its subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Ooma undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.