Mountain View, California — Search engine titan moved into high pitch with its year long acquisition of GrandCentral — moving another step closer to intorducing “Google Voice,” a free speech recognition service designed to unify all of their phone numbers and transfer calls to all of their devices, transcribing voice calls into text messages, call multiple parties at once and make discounted international calls, including many of GrandCentral’s features bringing some buoyancy to the world of mobile communication.
According to a Network World reports, rumors are swirling around this week as Google Inc. has reserved 1 million phone numbers with communications and information services company Level 3, boosting speculation that the company may finally set up to intorduce its long-anticipated Google Voice service.
The company has not announced anything so far, but rampant rumors have been flourishing about when it might be released, except for the this little piece of instruction at GrandCentral website that says “if you are a GrandCentral user, over the next few days you will be prompted to upgrade to Google Voice”.
This instruction is a clear indication that the free service announced in March would become live anytime and it was speculated that it even could have been released today, however its main page has yet to change over the course of the evening.
Furthermore, this new report also indicates just how popular Google Voice might become with mobile phone users and in addition, how unpopular it could become with the big service providers out there.
Google Voice is a product of Google’s 2007 acquisition of GrandCentral, a Freemont, CA-based firm that uses Web-based software to voice calls over the Internet.
When Google Voice does launch, industry analysts state that the technology will cater to many different uses. Some might consider it is a replacement for fixed line or mobile voice, while others might say it is a replacement for long distance or prepaid calling cards, TMCnet’s Gary Kim wrote. Still, some users say Google Voice is a form of consumer unified communications.
“When it goes public, I think the rush to grab Google Voice numbers is going to be stunning,” Kevin Dando, director of digital and education communications for PBS, said in a statement. “I know some of my friends check the Google Voice page almost every day to see when they can grab a number and get started using it.”
Sources decline to state when the 1 million numbers may be assigned. Level 3 has been supplying Google with phone numbers since the introduction of Google Voice, so the 1 million numbers are an indication Google is close to adding a significant amount of users.
A Google spokesperson would only say “as a matter of policy, we typically do not comment on contracts with third-party technology suppliers.”
Nevertheless, it would be intereisting to see how phone carriers react to its release and its rise in popularity. For example, the service offers free calling and SMS which is sure to become a hot topic in the months to come. With the popularity of smartphones ever increasing, Google Voice is definitely going to be something to look at for people trying to keep costs down. Google also has integrated the Voice service with Gmail contact lists.
The feature is significant because switching to a new Google Voice number comes with a cost such as having to distribute the new number to friends and family. Interest already appears to be increasing in GVdialer, a mobile application for Google Voice.
According to one source, once the app is fully set up users can dial directly from their phone’s contacts, speed dial, call log or keypad, and GVdialer will automatically connect the call using Google Voice. In addition, Google would add number portability by this year end to Google Voice, which would allow users to keep one of their existing phone numbers as their Google Voice number. For example, users could make their cell phone number as their Google Voice number.
And let us not forget the other features that it offers that you can judge for yourself. Below are three different videos that displays how easy it is to place calls, set up a conference call and how the phone calls are routed.
Google Voice — Place Calls:
Google Voice — Conference Calling:
Google Voice — Phone Routing: