P2P VoIP Outfit Ooma Struggling? Blog darling sees rash of executive departures... Remember Ooma? The $400 broadband voice gizmo that was being praised by legions of startup-promoting, star-struck blogs as the second coming of voice? The one backed by actor Ashton Kutcher (who directed this viral ad for the company)? You may be shocked to learn that Valleywag is reporting that the company is struggling. According to the report, the company has lost three high-level executives (including their CFO) and no longer employs its outsourced PR firm. The departures include Yahoo veteran Tish Whitcraft, CFO Tom Cronan, and VP of communications Sarah Ross — though we're told Ross is still consulting for the company. Outcast PR, Ooma's agency, tells me it no longer represents the company; dropping a PR agency is usually the sign of a company whose cash is running short. No wonder: Ooma's phone device is overpriced and technically unimpressive.
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  PhoenixDown-- Wants FIOSPremium
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY
kudos:1 | Shocked I say! Shocked! *gasp* | |
|  ptrowskiGot Helix?Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
kudos:4 | Ooma has been punked! Is anyone really surprised by this news? I sure as hell am not. | |
|  TJ_in_IL
join:2006-06-10
Winthrop Harbor, IL
 ·Comcast
| LOL One of my co-workers used to give me crap about SunRocket/Teleblend, and my choice to change to ViaTalk. He signed on with Ooma, and said it was the best thing... ever!
Now who's laughing??
Wonder if I could get him to sign on with my affiliate link for ViaTalk???
TJ | |
|  | | | BPremium,MVM
join:2000-10-28
1 edit | You mean someone actually bought the thing? Wow. I thought it was more like a conceptual art thing.
For reference, thread started yesterday at »Ooma Circling the Drain....
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In a realm outside causality and function | |
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 dvd536as Mr. Pink as they comePremium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
kudos:4 | Magicjack For the win at $40/year | |
| | ptrowskiGot Helix?Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
kudos:4 | Re: Magicjack said by dvd536:For the win at $40/year Most likely they will be headed the same way. | |
| | | | | Re: Magicjack If they do well they will be sued in to oblivian by Verizon. | |
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 prag
join:2000-12-19
Santa Clara, CA | Whew! Heh, they tried to recruit me for a job a little over a year ago. Glad I passed on that one. 
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Blue Skies ! | |
| | | ooma The story is lame. It references back to more Valleywag stories which a just a bunch of mis-information. It's like printing a story that the sky is pink, and then referencing back to it in another story. Some executives have left (unheard of, that never happens ) and gasp they ditched their PR firm!!!! (that MUST mean disaster...). It wouldn't surprise me if these negative stories were "planted" by the telcos or established VoIP services, since if ooma succeeds it will take away their business. First, the comparison with phonegnome. Ooma can completely replace your existing phone service, phonegnome is used in conjunction with your phone service. It's apples and oranges, I've used both... Second, the "gasp" cost. Sure, ooma costs $400 for the unit, but it completely eliminates your monthly recurring, which for me was around $30. I recoup that cost in less that 14 months, after that it is gravy. Why people can't pull out their calculator and figure this out is a mystery to me. I suppose if your credit cards are maxed out and you are living from paycheck to paycheck and can't budget your way out of a box, it may be an issue. If that is the case though, perhaps its better you don't have phone service and save the dollars. Third, ooma has a nest egg which will take quite some time to run through. Their costs aren't the same as traditional voip vendors so they won't be running through their cash pile like drunken sailors. | |
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