Phonebooth Launches Free Google Voice Alternative for Startups and Small Businesses
Phonebooth.com, a VOIP service for individuals and small businesses, just launched a free version of its service. Phonebooth, just like Google Voice and Ribbit Mobile, provides its users with a free local phone number that can be forwarded to any cell phone and landline. Phonebooth also offers voicemail transcriptions. What makes it stand out from it competitors, however, is that it offers an auto attendant feature that allows you to route callers to different employees.
It's worth noting that Bandwidth.com, the company behind Phonebooth, has been providing infrastructure services to other VOIP services, including Voxeo and Yext, for more than three years. The company's VOIP network delivered almost 4 billion minutes in 2009. Bandwidth began a beta test of the paid version of Phonebooth.com last year and now has over 1,000 customers.
Features in Phonebooth's free version:
- Free local phone number for your business
- Includes an auto attendant (Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Support...etc.)
- Unlimited extensions for your employees or partners
- Read your voicemail, with VM-to-email & text transcription
- 200 free minutes of inbound calling (6¢ additional)
- Includes new Contact Us Plus feature
A Free VOIP Service that Will Grow With You
Starting today, Phonebooth will offer a free service geared towards individuals. The company also announced the general availability of its $20/month/user option, which offers a fully featured phone system in the cloud. One of the advantages of using Phonebooth over similar services like Google Voice or Grasshopper is that the company allows users to upgrade their phone system over time. Once your company outgrows Phonebooth's basic plan, you can easily switch to a higher-end phone system (Phonebooth on Demand) with hardware IP-based phones.
Phonebooth's users will be able to choose local numbers from virtually everywhere in the U.S. (the service us U.S.). Sadly, though, there is no way to make your Phonebooth number appear on the caller ID for outgoing calls from your landline or cell phone. Phonebooth doesn't currently offer any mobile apps, though the company told us earlier today that mobile apps are definitely on Phonebooth's roadmap.
Contact Plus Widget
In addition to the free VOIP service, Phonebooth is also launching a new widget for small businesses - Contact Us Plus - that allows potential customers to use Phonebooth's VOIP service to initiate a call right from the website. In addition to initiating phone calls, the Phonebooth widget can also feature additional contact info (Twitter account, email etc.), as well as your address and a map. Phonebooth's users can also opt to show phone numbers for different departments in their company in the widget.
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it looks like someone deleted the css file the site looks bad
http://phonebooth.com/
Fadi,
I think you hit the site as the update was made. If you refresh at www.phonebooth.com - you should see a much better looking version. ;)
Thanks!
Chris Moody
Phonebooth.com
We use google voice.. so far it needs to improve its audio to text system..we are going to try phonebooth out!
I'd love to see more of these services launch with local number availability in Asian countries... They're missing a trick there...
The service doesn't look very open to me. Can't even sign up for an invite. Soon is all it says
Thank you very much for finding things a hard-pressed for time freelancer might overlook.
@Greg
Earlier this morning a form was added at www.phonebooth.com where you can be automatically notified when the next batch of numbers are available (you may need to refresh your browser).
More numbers are in the process of being added.
Thanks!
Chris Moody
@cnmoody
Phonebooth.com
@phonebooth
$20/month is misleading on the higher end office service as it has a 5 user minimum making the monthly cost at least $100.
I'm a ringcentral user (and google voice), and am happy with RingCentral but would love a comparable service with VM transcription.
=
@Matt D
WOW! You're right! How lame. I was all excited to sign up for $20 a month, then they totally scam you.
I love how they brag in their commercials how they are "not that type of company" that tries to trick you with costs, then, when you go to sign up they do it to you.
And deleted. Back to google voice.
Wait, it gets even worse! There are taxes and "fees" added as well as a 1-year required contract! HAHAHAHAHA!
"plus taxes and fees with 1-year contract"
How free is Google Voice?
Like can I stop getting service from my phone company? (Such as Optimum Voice)
Like is this its own phone company?
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