I don't get why Voicemail is better than my phone's?

[wowser]

Help me understand why I should use Ooma's VM instead of my phone's. I have a multi cordless system, where I can get messages from every phone in an instant. It shows how many messages each has, and I don't have to dial my number to retrieve messages.

I wish Ooma was more like other VOIP where it's just a box that you can hide and use your phone to control everything. Am I missing something? There must be some reason for this design. You can't even get cordless phones without a built in voicemail system.

[kramerica]

One difference, is you can access your messages on the internet from anywhere in the world, and/or have the message emailed to you at work, to your mobile phone, etc.

[Soundjudgment]

The reason is you are controlling the Cordless phone base to get and record messages. In the Ooma system, you are not storing any messages in the base. You are in fact using the Ooma Voicemail Central Servers to get and retrieve your messages. The Ooma base is little more than a button-pushing center and has no capacity to get or send messages. It is only acting as a gateway to the Internet where everything is stored. This is why you have to have a working Internet connection to use any of those calling features.

Also keep in mind that the Ooma voicemail service is for all users: those with telephones that may have voicemail features built-in but choose not to use it, and those who do not have such equipped-phones. So this gives everyone a level playing-field to work from. YOU may decide to forgo any of the Ooma voicemail features and continue to use your own telephone's capability for this. It is simply up to how you instruct Ooma to answer any missed calls. Put in a LONG Ringtime and it will never bother to pick up, unless your own Voicemail system isn't working due to say, a power-failure when the house-kitty pulls out the AC cord. THEN you will be glad you had the Ooma-based protection from those missed calls on your side.

The advantages here are as stated: You have no need to use the Home phones to get voicemail. You simply dial into your own phone number OR you can choose to get those same messages over the Internet OR through Email delivery. So in that sense then, yes, Ooma is better.

[skellener]

Help me understand why I should use Ooma's VM instead of my phone's.

You don't have to use Ooma's voicemail if you don't want to. Just use your phone's voicemail. It's up to you. Use what you prefer.

I wish Ooma was more like other VOIP where it's just a box that you can hide and use your phone to control everything. Am I missing something? There must be some reason for this design.

If you just think of the Ooma hub as an answering machine, then you'll understand the design. It sounds like maybe the new Ooma Telo might be more what you are looking for.

You can't even get cordless phones without a built in voicemail system.

Well that' just silly - sure you can.Panasonic KX-TG9361B DECT 6.0

[Clifftr]

If you prefer to use your cordless phone's answering machine instead of ooma's voicemail - simply login to your ooma account, click the "Preferences" tab and then "voicemail" - and increase the "Number of seconds before voicemail picks up" to a setting high enough so that your answering machine will pick up your incomming calls first.