Is there anything in technology that Google is not getting into? Well according to a release yesterday apparently not. The search giant announced on its official blog that it was launching Google Voice a repackaged version of the GrandCentral VoIP network that it bought back in July 2007.
Google Voice is led by GrandCentral's co-founder Craig Walker and the newly packaged service provides an upgraded version of the original concept. Subscribers will receive a new ten-digit phone number that will link all your phone various numbers which will then ring simultaneously, home, cell and work, you name it.The idea being that from now on you will avoid the irritating voicemail phone tag game. Google Voice will also allow you to make calls for free to anywhere in the US and it will offer far cheaper rates for international calls, which is likely to threaten Skype's VoIP domination.
The service, unlike GrandCentral though, will also have an SMS conversion feature, so that no matter where you are, and if you are still unable to take the call, you'll be able to get your voice messages converted into a text message. This will then be posted to your mobile phone as well as to a searchable message as an email.
This sounds (pardon the pun) like it could be very handy especially when you want to scan through your messages quickly, rather than having to listen to them all.
The service will also allow users to set up conference calls with up to six callers.
Google is clearly sending another message to the rest of the telco's and wanna be telco's that Google is not happy with merely being the top of the pile in search and all things on the internet, but that it really plans to take over the communications world as well. Based on previous successes I wouldn't put it past them!
No doubt there will be some concern with regard to stability a well as privacy issues especially with Gmail having some dropped service complaints recently and because of the 'big brother' fear factor over the behemoth having data on just about everyone on the planet with access to the internet.
Initially the service will only be available to the former GrandsCentral users in the US, with a broader launch to be announced at a later date.
From what I gathered from a report on NPR the business model is free. For now, at least there aren't any plans to run Google ads but I'm sure once the service gathers momentum that's probably something already in the pipeline.