Mountain View, California — In an attempt to further widen its service, search engine titan Google over the weekend extended a small technological enhancement to its voice calling feature in Gmail with an ability to click-to-call on phone numbers instantly that friends, colleagues and other contacts send them in a Gmail e-mail or chat message instead of having to type in the number manually.
The service is operational since March 10 enabling users to enjoy click to call facility, and the familiar green phone icon next to contacts’ numbers in their Gmail messages that they can click to pop-up the dialer instantly. You have to mouse over the number to see the green phone icon, though.
Henceforth, when someone emails you a phone number, it will appear as links. Click the number, depending the type of software and hardware accessories your computer is bundled with, and if you have the voice and video plugin installed — a dialpad with the number will appear, and you can click-to-call it with just another click.
A post on the Gmail Blog explained, “You no longer have to get out your phone and retype a number anytime someone sends you an email or chat message. Starting today, you will see that phone numbers appear as links… Just click the number, and Gmail’s dialpad will pop up, already populated with the number you are trying to call.”
The spruced-up, time-saving feature is based on the Google Voice integration from August of 2010, which augments the Gmail calling feature. The new feature, effective March 10, makes phone numbers appear as links, and brings up the Google Voice dialer when clicked.
Moreover, when Google rolled out the Google Voice integration to Gmail, it originally mentioned that local calls would be free through 2010, but they later modified to extend it through the end of 2011. They added that as long as international calls provide enough revenue, they will try to keep the service free domestically.
The aim is to keep users from leaving Gmail to make a call from their landlines or mobile phones. These enhancements should attract people who are short on cell phone minutes or are close to ditching their landlines. They will also help extend the battery life of phones, even if those other factors are not a consideration.
Nevertheless, the feature is limited just to phone numbers in Gmail chats and messages, this latest feature brings Gmail voice calling one step closer to Skype, which has had similar functionality for quite some time.