Several years ago Tom was recommending RingCentral. I’m a solopreneur in Canada, and have been using RingCentral for several years, but am looking for alternatives beause their desktop app does not support Linux, and their Android app is tied into Google services and has numerous trackers.
Do I have any viable alternatives?
As an aside, has anyone found a usable way to substitute VOIP over cell data for voice/text cell service.
Can you please elaborate more on this?
I am not sure about Canada, but in the US that are a few service providers that can provide you a SIM that uses your own SIP connection. Some use Verizon towers for connectivity.
Are you looking for a service to use yourself or something to resell?
Sorry for the delay in repling… thanks for the reply. For myself.
Hi @PitzKey
RE: Can you please elaborate more on this?
Rob Braxman does a reasonably good job of explaining it-maybe start here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYuex7q0ZOw
I have been using Linux for over 5 years now, and RingCentral apps don’t support linux, and I have been using a phone with no google services. Data usage dropped by at least 30MB/day, and the battery life is way better.
I’m a solopreneur, and I have several voip lines that I use for different business streams.
RingCentral has become a bit overbearing (annual contract/invasive apps/poor linux support, all numbers need the same caller ID, or I am into a multi account system which is expensive and even harder to work with) and I’m looking for alternatives.
I use an ATA when I am at my desk from my home office and when I am at my “client office”, or on the road, I use my cell phone.
Even with RingCentral, I simply forward to my cell phone, and use the dial out feature to return calls, and the app to text.
It is difficult to know which line is calling before answering, so the best I have been able to do is use the “press 1” feature with an identifying message. This also makes sure that the voice mail gets the calls if the cell is off line instead of the “customer is unavailable” recording.
No one has my cell number except my wife, and I use the cell phone as a “terminal” to access RingCentral.
I’m wondering if my use case is highly unique? I would think that many solo businesses operators would have a similar need (even just to keep personal/business separate).
Any thoughts?
Digerati, did you ever find a solution to this?
Unfortunately not… I’m still looking, but I haven’t had the time to focus on it, so for now I have been putting up with RC.