Obitalk is going away ... will Anveo for Obitalk continue to function

[k1ffx]

We have been using the "Anveo for OBITALK" offering for several years using the OBI100 device.  This has been very functional and very cost effective.  

I received email today informing me that OBITALK itself is going away. 

My question is: what now happens to the Anveo for OBITALK offering?   Am I about to lose my "landline" service?

[Not sure this is the best board to post this to, but it seemed like the most likely.]

Thanks -

Bruce Rosen

[SUSANNEEDSHELP]

I got the same email just now.  I am also wondering if the free phone system (OBItalk and Google Voice) I had set up for over the last 15 years is going away.  It was so nice having my wfi phone to use with multiple handsets to use throughout the house.  How will I be able to get phone calls now ... possible with Google Voice calling my cell phone or will Google Voice not work because OBItalk has gone away?

[k1ffx]

I decided to try opening a support ticket at Anveo.com to get their take on their continued (or not)  support for Obihai devices.   Anveo responded to the ticket right away as follows:

Anveo supports OBI devices even after OBITALK.com shutdown.

We posted an article regarding obitalk.com shutdow at https://anveo.com/voice/obitalk-shutdown-google-voice.

So in your case since your device is already configured it will keep working without any changes.

My best take on this is that with Obitalk.com going away, you can no longer "log into" your Obihai device to do device configuration (which I haven't done even once since putting my Obi100 online years ago).  But, if your device is working the way you need it to, it will continue working.

And have a look at that URL ... quite a bit of information there about steps Google Voice users can take ... and if I read it correctly, I think Anveo supports some other way of actually getting into the device (something about connecting with SIP credentials).

Anyway, hope this helps.

Best -

Bruce

[SteffenBaierUK]

Hello @k1ffx or @SUSANNEEDSHELP 

welcome to the HP Poly community.

• The official explanation of why and when the ObiHai Portal will retire is >here<
• In case the question is related to Google Voice our partner Google provides >this<
  There is also a 3rd party discussion over >here< on Reddit concerning ObiHai and Google. There are also more details >here<

from the HP Poly ObiHai FAQ:

Q: Will I still be able to use my OBiHAI Device to contact 911 in case of an emergency?

A: While the changes to the OBiTALK Consumer Portal is not intended to have any impact to the daily operation of already configured devices, there is a risk that existing devices will become unregistered, either temporarily or permanently during this decommissioning process.  

Therefore, HP advises users to reach out to their Cloud PBX provider and E911 provider should they have concerns about their ability to dial 911 in an emergency. Additionally, HP recommends customers begin to seek alternative measures for requesting emergency services should the decommissioning impact your existing device.

Q: Will I retain access to my device?

A: Yes!  While the OBiHAI devices were enhanced through their connection to the OBiTALK Service, the connection was not required for most configurations.  You will continue to be able to locally configure your OBiHAI devices for as long as you own the device and may continue to use and register it to other Cloud PBX providers.

Best Regards

Steffen Baier

[k1ffx]

Thanks, Steffen.