“One phone number for all your phones, for life” is how Google see Google Voice.
Imagine being able to give out just one phone number that is yours forever and which covers all your other phones whether they be landlines or mobiles, work phones or home phones no matter how many times these phone numbers change. What’s more, it’s a free service.
Sounds pretty cool doesn’t it? Well! That is exactly how Google Voice works. Google bought GrandCentral back in July 2007 and immediately stopped accepting new users and haven’t done anything with it until today.
GrandCentral was an internet service that used Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to link customers’ phone numbers together. Since April 2008 if you visited their website to try and register for a number you would have come across a “Reserve a Number” page for when the service became available again. Those waiting days are now over.
Today, Google announced that GrandCentral would become Google Voice and have added many new features that are bound to make the service incredibly attractive to both customers new and old and terrifying for existing telephone service providers.
Google Voice features
• One number for all your phones
• Voicemail
• Call blocking
• Call screening
• Voicemail transcripts
• Text messaging
• Call Conferencing for up to 6 people
• International calling at very low rates
• Webpage to adjust all your own settings
“The new application improves the way you use your phone,” said Google. “You can get transcripts of your voicemail and archive and search all the text messages you send and receive. You can also use the service to make low-priced international calls and easily access Goog-411 directory assistance. ”
Google Voice is currently only available to existing GrandCentral customers who can immediately upgrade to Google Voice but within a matter of weeks the service will be extended to anyone wishing to sign up.
If it works and there’s no reason to believe it won’t, the only hassle I can see with the service is you will have to spend some time giving out the number to all your family, friends, workmates, business contacts, and anyone else that has your phone number and hope that they use it. You’d also have to change business cards, web contact phone numbers and stationery. Apart from that it sounds fantastic.
Pity it’s only available in the USA.
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