Competition

The Major Competitors of Magic Jack Plus

Magic Jack Plus is definitely one of the biggest players amongst all the VoIP based telephone service providers at present. The service comes from VocalTec, the company that introduced VoIP telephones for the first time ever. Starting from the Internet Phone in 1995 till the technologically advanced Magic Jack Plus in2011, the products from VocalTec has always had en edge over the other service providers in the market. However, there has been some serious competition from some other very strong companies.

With the increasing popularity of broadband phones, many companies have entered the business of providing VoIP telephone service. However, most of them were no match at all for Magic Jack Plus. The most prominent names amongst all competitors are those of Skype, NetTalk Duo, Ooma, and Vonage. 

NetTalk Duo is one of the strongest competitors of Magic Jack Plus and offers almost similar benefits as Magic Jack Plus. The biggest similarity is that they also do not require a computer to operate. Users of both these services continue enjoying the basic service of a landline like voice mail, call diverting, caller ID, etc. Like Magic Jack Plus, NetTalk Duo also provides the option of retaining the previous phone number. Both these are very convenient to carry while traveling, and customers can either use it via an Ethernet port or through their computer using downloadable software.

The most striking similarity is that the services are available for exactly the same prices. However, there is one distinct advantage that NetTalk Duo has over its competitors. Along with unlimited free calls, they also provide the facility for video calling. 

Skype has always been a major force in the market of broadband phones. They have loads of features including that of video calling facility. Along with Magic Jack Plus, Skype has been one of the pioneering companies in this field. However, they never made an all out effort to become a replacement for landline phones in order to maintain its low price range. It offers free conversations with Skype users only for an annual fee of $16 or higher depending on the plan. Skype also supports unlimited calls to American and Canadian numbers for only $3 per month. Many users have mentioned that the call quality offered by Skype is not as good as Magic Jack Plus, and there are issues of call disconnection and echoing.

Vonage is also a trusted name amongst the customers in the United States and Canada. They were one of the earliest VoIP phone companies to gain immense popularity in the market. The prime reason behind the huge popularity of Vonage is the amazing pricing that it offers for long distance and international calls. The Vonage customers do not need to buy any phone card to avail this service. Their international calling charges are incredibly low, and that is why they are considered to be a leading provider for international calls. The service is available for only $25 per month. The industry experts feel that Vonage would probably be the biggest loser due to the advent of Magic Jack Plus in the market, because Magic Jack Plus offers equally appealing international calling plans. 

The list of the competitors would not be complete without mentioning about Ooma. The biggest advantage of Ooma is that they do not have any annual fees. However, they do charge a huge sum of $199 for the purchase of the phone. Ooma offers some additional features like three way calling and online phonebook. However, the services are much more expensive that Magic Jack Plus.

The future of the VoIP phone appears to be highly exciting, thanks to so many companies providing quality service to its customers. The technology of VoIP is still evolving, and much more can certainly be expected in the days to come. Magic Jack Plus will always hold an edge over its customers because of it price, service quality, and reliability. This is great news from a buyer’s perspective because they are the ones who will gain the most out of this competition to be the market leader.