Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) ushered in a new alternative to traditional telephone communications. While the landline has long been our lifeblood for staying connected, it was also costly, at times offered less than stellar quality and presented challenges to scalability. When the Internet offered a better solution, people paid attention.

Of course, VoIP has been around for more than 30 years. It’s just been in the last decade that the market has adopted this approach to connectivity, taking advantage of the lower cost communication and streamlining operations across platforms. When Google (News - Alert) got involved, it got even better.

The company launched its Google Voice, which offered users a free or extremely low-cost option for VoIP. For many, it’s their primary telephone service due to solutions such as the Obihai technology found in the OBi202. This product allows users to connect a traditional phone to the Internet so they can send or receive calls with the use of Google Voice. It sounds like a great and inexpensive way to stay connected – but not for long.

Google recently announced plans to turn off its XMPP service, the offering that makes this kind of connectivity possible. The main turnoff for the company is that products such as those offered by Obihai don’t have to use the Google website to interface with the app to launch the service. Given that Google drives nearly all of its revenue through its website; it has motivation to prevent services from bypassing it.

For consumers who want to use the service, the news is not the greatest as they have to search for another option after May 15, 2014. For OBi202 users and other Obihai customers, the search needs to be on for an alternative to ensure they don’t lose service. The company is offering a list of alternatives that will work with their device that still deliver low cost connections. If cost savings isn’t the priority, users can forward a Google Voice number to a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone and connect it to the OBi202 device to ring the call on a traditional phone.

It may sound complicated, but Obihai is easing the process by helping users find a better way to enjoy seamless connectivity. To explore its options, the company recently sat down with Erik Linask in the TMC (News - Alert) newsroom at ITEXPO. Check out their conversation in full in this informative video.