Google Voice - Overview

Overview

Google, via Gmail currently provides free PC-to-PC voice (and, optionally, also video, which has been around much longer) calling worldwide. As described above, Google Voice users in many countries may make low-cost calls to international phone numbers, and currently may also make free PC-to-phone calls within North America. This service will remain free at least until the end of 2013. A Google Voice local phone number for incoming calls is currently available only for users in the United States. Users may select a single US phone number from various area codes. Incoming calls to the number may ring simultaneously any of the user's configured phones or the account's Google Talk feature. Based on the calling number, or contact group (e.g., Family, Friends, Work), or on time of day, e.g., disabling a home phone during business hours and routing calls to mobile or business number, individual numbers may be configured to ring. The service also features voicemail with indexable automated voicemail transcription, accessible via a web browser, e-mail, or by phone. Google Voice provides automatic blocking of known numbers, e.g., telemarketers, the ability to switch lines in mid-call, differentiated voice mail greetings based on caller, SMS forwarding, and call recording. Additionally, customers of Gizmo5, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) service vendor now owned by Google, were allowed to forward calls to their Gizmo service which may be answered using a free computer application, a web application, or SIP-based telephone hardware, until Google discontinued Gizmo5 service after April 3, 2011.

Google Voice supports the sending or receiving of MMS (picture) messages, but only on Sprint.

Similar in concept, free personal numbering services have been available in the UK since 1993. It is also similar to the AT&T True Connections 500 service offered in the 1990s. AT&T's service required the direct involvement of AT&T to change the phone number list, while the Google service is user-configurable on the web application.

The original voice of GrandCentral and Google Voice belonged to actress and voice-over artist, Laurie Burke, but has been replaced with recordings by Kiki Baessell, a Googler who had no experience in professional voice-overs, but was chosen because of her pleasant, familiar voice.