GrandCentral
Encyclopedia
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google
launched on March 11, 2009. Google Voice had some 1.4 million users in October 2009, 570,000 of whom used the service 7 days a week. This number has risen since Google transitioned its Google Voice service from 'invite only' and made it available to all Gmail subscribers, but Google has not released a more recent number of users, claiming only that it is in the millions.
The service is configured and maintained by the user in a web-based application, styled after Google's e-mail service, Gmail
, or through the service's Android and iOS apps. Google Voice provides free PC-to-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plugin (available for Windows, Intel-based Mac OS X, and Linux).
Users may place outbound calls to domestic and international destinations from their cell phone app, the web-based application, or by dialing their Google Voice number. As of August 2011, users in many other countries also may place outbound calls from the web-based application to domestic and international phone numbers. Domestic and outbound calls to the US (including Alaska and Hawaii) and Canada are free from the U.S. & Canada and $0.01 per minute from everywhere else. International calls are billed according to a schedule posted on the Google Voice website.
For incoming calls, users must have an established US telephone service to activate their own Google Voice phone number. Users must configure this and/or additional phone numbers that ring simultaneously when their Google Voice number receives a call. The user may answer and receive the call on any of the ringing phones or through the web-based app. The service provides a US phone number, chosen by the user from available numbers in selected area codes, free of charge to each user account. Inbound calls to this number are forwarded
to other phone numbers of the subscriber. Received calls may be moved between configured telephones during a call.
Many other Google Voice services—such as voicemail
, free text messaging, call history, conference call
ing, call screening
, blocking of unwanted calls, and voice transcription
to text of voicemail messages—are also available to users . In terms of product integration, transcribed and audio voicemails, missed call notifications, and/or text messages can optionally be forwarded to an email account of the user's choice. Additionally, text messages can be sent and received via the familiar email or IM interface by reading and writing text messages in Gmail or by adding contact's phone numbers in Google Talk respectively (PC-to-Phone texting).
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. The number of rings before voicemail takes over is preset, however, and cannot be changed by the user. 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.
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.
and Vincent Paquet with funding by Minor Ventures
, was acquired by Google
on July 2, 2007, for US$
95 million in a transaction led by Wesley Chan
. After purchasing GrandCentral, Google appeared to have abandoned the project and very little information about it was released. Posters in the GrandCentral support forums complained frequently of the dearth of information about the service and the lack of customer support.
An "open letter" in Salon.com
by reporter Judi Sohn entitled "Will the Last One to Leave GrandCentral Please Turn Out the Lights?" reflected the frustration many of GrandCentral's early adopters have expressed in the GrandCentral forums.
On March 11, 2009, the management of the service revealed that the team had been working on it throughout that period, apparently in secret, and that it was being rebranded "Google Voice". It was to keep most of the functionality originally offered in GrandCentral and add new features.
message stating: "Google Voice on NBC Today Show. Invites to people on reservations list starting to go out today." The expansion has been limited to users queued on the invitation list. Users with paid-in balances also receive a limited number of invitation opportunities.
On July 1, 2009, Google Voice provided the option for users to change their service phone number for a US$10 fee.
for a reported US $30 million in cash. A major effect of this announcement is that Gizmo5
has suspended new signups until it is re-launched by Google. Google was reported to be working on a desktop application, though rumors now circulate that the project has been scrapped in favor of a browser-based solution.
While many customers in countries other than the United States
have been grandfathered into Google Voice services, the features are reduced and often cost very small fees to call their own country. Google Voice PC-to-phone calling works only for calls into North America or for domestic or international calls from North America; Google plans to implement this for other countries, but a time frame has not been released. A US telephone number is required to obtain a Google Voice phone number for redirecting incoming calls.
Users in Hawaii and Alaska were originally only minimally supported. No local area codes were available until October 3, 2009, and charges were required for calls to those areas until October 7, 2009.
) of incoming calls to the user's telephone service. In order to correctly transmit their own CLID, based on the Google Voice number, the call must be initiated with Google Voice rather than with the physical handset
.
The caller's Google Voice number is used as the CLID on outgoing calls when a call is placed by calling their own Google Voice number and using the service's menu choices, or when the web-based account portal is used to place a call. With the introduction of the Google Voice application on iPhone, Android and Blackberry phones, Google Voice users can directly dial from the Google Voice app with their Google Voice number as the outgoing CLID.
and iPhone can automatically place outgoing calls and texts via the user's Google Voice service. They will also manage incoming texts and calls should the user desire. This allows Google Voice subscribers to send and receive free text messages on their mobile phones without paying for a texting plan or incurring service charges from their mobile provider so long as all texts are sent and received through one's Google Voice number and not the number provided by the cell phone company.
Google Voice does not officially support SMS
to phone numbers outside of the United States. Google had purposely blocked International texts, with the intention of reintroducing the service once billing systems are in place.
inbox. Since August 26, 2010, U.S. and Gmail users may place calls to the U.S., Canada, and international destinations from within Gmail. Calls to U.S. and Canadian phone numbers are free, while calls to international destinations cost as low as 2 cents per minute. This is possible with the help of a voice and video chat plugin that users download and install so their browsers can take advantage of cameras, microphones, and speakers installed in the computer. Additionally, all of these features are being made available to Google Apps customers as Google transition all of the apps accounts (gmail, etc. within your own domain name instead of google.com) to be regular Google accounts. The account transitions should be complete by the end of 2010 and domain administrators are able to initiate the transition from their dashboard immediately if they so desire. If the user has a Google Voice account, the account phone number is used as caller identification relayed to the destination.
Users can also opt to have their text messages, transcribed voicemails (including an audio attachment), and/or missed calls forwarded to their Gmail account. Forwarded text messages emails can be replied to as if they were regular emails. Contacts' SMS capable phones can also be added to the user's Gmail address book or Google Talk buddy list so that text conversations can be initiated and sustained through these interfaces.
Many Sprint users have complained about not being able to restore their voicemail back to the factory default Sprint voicemail after having configured it for Google Voice. Additionally Google Voice does not allow commercially available virtual PBX systems, like RingCentral to receive the forwarded phone calls. This precludes many business users from using this service.
A myriad of other technical issues have bombarded the user forums prompting many business users to stop using the service based on very inconsistent service, including many calls going straight to voicemail.
in the U.S. indicates that the number is not valid. Google previously recommended having "an alternative means of accessing 911 or similar emergency services."
or Google Talk
, but offers no simple way to communicate with users of other VoIP services, e.g. by direct connection between IP addresses or SIP
gateway
.
.
In 2009, Google reserved 1 million telephone numbers with Level 3 Communications
which were presumed to be for Google Voice.
(FCC) that Google should be required to allow calls to high-cost destinations. Google responded that it is not obligated to allow these calls.
functions and features.
A Google spokesman released this statement on the matter:
The Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) has opened an inquiry regarding the rejection of Google Voice for the iPhone. "The FCC asked why Apple rejected the Google Voice application for the iPhone and removed related 'third-party applications' from its store." The FCC has also requested Google to submit a letter describing the application of Google Voice. "The request is part of a broader-ranging inquiry by the commission on exclusive deals between cell phone carriers and handset manufacturers for hot phones."
In their response to the FCC, Google stated that the Google Voice application uses the carrier's voice network to place phone calls, dispelling misconceptions that it is a Voice over Internet Protocol application. AT&T stated that they had no role in approval or rejection of the Google Voice application. Apple stated that they have not rejected the application but are continuing to examine it. One argument against allowing the Google Voice app on the iPhone is that they are concerned that it replaces the iPhone user interface with its own; however many dialers and messaging apps are available from the app store.
As a result of rejection from the Apple Store, Google released its Google Voice iPhone application as a web app in January 2010, and certain apps like GV Mobile are available through Cydia
on jailbroken iPhones.
In September 2010, Sean Kovacs, creator of the app GV Mobile +, announced on his Twitter that Apple had re-accepted the application, and it has since been available for purchase on the Apple App Store. This is the second Google Voice service app available in the Apple's official application store for a year and a half, released just a day after "GV Connect" had been available.
In November 2010, the official iPhone
application became available in the App Store in the US. Google Voice is still not available in the App Stores outside USA. Several other Google Voice clients exist for users outside the USA. For example Talkatone's iPhone
client is available in Canada as well as the US.
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
launched on March 11, 2009. Google Voice had some 1.4 million users in October 2009, 570,000 of whom used the service 7 days a week. This number has risen since Google transitioned its Google Voice service from 'invite only' and made it available to all Gmail subscribers, but Google has not released a more recent number of users, claiming only that it is in the millions.
The service is configured and maintained by the user in a web-based application, styled after Google's e-mail service, Gmail
Gmail
Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
, or through the service's Android and iOS apps. Google Voice provides free PC-to-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plugin (available for Windows, Intel-based Mac OS X, and Linux).
Users may place outbound calls to domestic and international destinations from their cell phone app, the web-based application, or by dialing their Google Voice number. As of August 2011, users in many other countries also may place outbound calls from the web-based application to domestic and international phone numbers. Domestic and outbound calls to the US (including Alaska and Hawaii) and Canada are free from the U.S. & Canada and $0.01 per minute from everywhere else. International calls are billed according to a schedule posted on the Google Voice website.
For incoming calls, users must have an established US telephone service to activate their own Google Voice phone number. Users must configure this and/or additional phone numbers that ring simultaneously when their Google Voice number receives a call. The user may answer and receive the call on any of the ringing phones or through the web-based app. The service provides a US phone number, chosen by the user from available numbers in selected area codes, free of charge to each user account. Inbound calls to this number are forwarded
Call forwarding
Call forwarding , in telephony, is a feature on some telephone networks allowing an incoming call to a called party to be redirected to a third party. For example, the third party may be a mobile telephone, voicemail box or other telephone number where the desired called party is situated. It was...
to other phone numbers of the subscriber. Received calls may be moved between configured telephones during a call.
Many other Google Voice services—such as voicemail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
, free text messaging, call history, conference call
Conference call
A conference call is a telephone call in which the calling party wishes to have more than one called party listen in to the audio portion of the call. The conference calls may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party...
ing, call screening
Call screening
Call screening is the process of evaluating the characteristics of a telephone call before deciding how or whether to answer it.Some methods may include:* listening to the message being recorded on an answering machine or voice mail...
, blocking of unwanted calls, and voice transcription
Speech recognition
Speech recognition converts spoken words to text. The term "voice recognition" is sometimes used to refer to recognition systems that must be trained to a particular speaker—as is the case for most desktop recognition software...
to text of voicemail messages—are also available to users . In terms of product integration, transcribed and audio voicemails, missed call notifications, and/or text messages can optionally be forwarded to an email account of the user's choice. Additionally, text messages can be sent and received via the familiar email or IM interface by reading and writing text messages in Gmail or by adding contact's phone numbers in Google Talk respectively (PC-to-Phone texting).
Overview
Google, via Gmail 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 may also make free PC-to-phone calls into North America (this service will remain free at least until the end of 2011). A Google Voice local phone number for incoming calls is 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 TalkGoogle Talk
Google Talk is a freeware voice over Internet protocol client application offered by Google Inc. The first beta version of the program was released on August 24, 2005...
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
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
with indexable automated voicemail transcription, accessible via a web browser, e-mail, or by phone. The number of rings before voicemail takes over is preset, however, and cannot be changed by the user. 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
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
forwarding, and call recording. Additionally, customers of Gizmo5
Gizmo5
Gizmo5 was a Voice over Internet Protocol communications network and a proprietary freeware soft phone for that network. On November 12, 2009, Google announced that it had acquired Gizmo5...
, a Session Initiation Protocol
Session Initiation Protocol
The Session Initiation Protocol is an IETF-defined signaling protocol widely used for controlling communication sessions such as voice and video calls over Internet Protocol . The protocol can be used for creating, modifying and terminating two-party or multiparty sessions...
(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
Web application
A web application is an application that is accessed over a network such as the Internet or an intranet. The term may also mean a computer software application that is coded in a browser-supported language and reliant on a common web browser to render the application executable.Web applications are...
, or SIP-based telephone hardware, until Google discontinued Gizmo5 service after April 3, 2011.
Similar in concept, free Personal Numbering
Personal Numbering
Personal numbering is the name for virtual telephone number services in a number of countries including the UK and Spain. Typically the national destination code used for this service is 70 service. This service has historically been poorly defined by Oftel and also Ofcom...
services have been available in the UK since 1993. It is also similar to the AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
True Connections 500
Area code 500
Area codes 500, 533, and 544 are non-geographic area codes reserved for Personal Communications Services. The 500 code was authorized by the United States Federal Communications Commission, and introduced into the North American Numbering Plan in 1995....
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.
Origin
GrandCentral, founded in 2005 by Craig WalkerCraig Walker (businessman)
Craig Walker is currently the first entrepreneur in residence to join the Google Ventures team. Walker was previously the Group Product Manager for Real-Time Communications at Google, where he oversaw all of Google’s voice communications products, including Google Voice, Google Talk, and Google...
and Vincent Paquet with funding by Minor Ventures
Minor Ventures
Minor Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs early-stage tech and media companies. The company was founded in 2005 by CNET co-founder Halsey Minor and run by Ron Palmeri from its founding until August 2010...
, was acquired by Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
on July 2, 2007, for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
95 million in a transaction led by Wesley Chan
Wesley Chan
Wesley Chan is an early employee at Google Inc. and is currently an investment partner at Google Ventures, the financial investment fund of the global search company. He has led investments in and sits on the Board of Directors of software/web startups, cleantech companies, and biotech...
. After purchasing GrandCentral, Google appeared to have abandoned the project and very little information about it was released. Posters in the GrandCentral support forums complained frequently of the dearth of information about the service and the lack of customer support.
An "open letter" in Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
by reporter Judi Sohn entitled "Will the Last One to Leave GrandCentral Please Turn Out the Lights?" reflected the frustration many of GrandCentral's early adopters have expressed in the GrandCentral forums.
On March 11, 2009, the management of the service revealed that the team had been working on it throughout that period, apparently in secret, and that it was being rebranded "Google Voice". It was to keep most of the functionality originally offered in GrandCentral and add new features.
Google transition
Google Voice was launched on March 11, 2009, based on GrandCentral, with new features, including voicemail transcriptions and SMS managing. Google transitioned former GrandCentral accounts to Google Voice and announced that the service would start accepting new members "within weeks" of the announcement. On June 25, 2009, NBC's Today Show stated that Google Voice would be available nationwide on that day. Google confirmed this in a TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
message stating: "Google Voice on NBC Today Show. Invites to people on reservations list starting to go out today." The expansion has been limited to users queued on the invitation list. Users with paid-in balances also receive a limited number of invitation opportunities.
On July 1, 2009, Google Voice provided the option for users to change their service phone number for a US$10 fee.
GrandCentral termination
On September 15, 2009, GrandCentral calling services were shut down. Subscribers who use the website could still log into the site to retrieve old messages and data. After termination of Grandcentral phone services, users who haven't moved over to Google Voice were still advised to upgrade their account to Google Voice.Gizmo5 acquisition
On November 12, 2009, Google announced that it had acquired Gizmo5Gizmo5
Gizmo5 was a Voice over Internet Protocol communications network and a proprietary freeware soft phone for that network. On November 12, 2009, Google announced that it had acquired Gizmo5...
for a reported US $30 million in cash. A major effect of this announcement is that Gizmo5
Gizmo5
Gizmo5 was a Voice over Internet Protocol communications network and a proprietary freeware soft phone for that network. On November 12, 2009, Google announced that it had acquired Gizmo5...
has suspended new signups until it is re-launched by Google. Google was reported to be working on a desktop application, though rumors now circulate that the project has been scrapped in favor of a browser-based solution.
Open availability
On June 22, 2010 Google Voice dropped the requirement for invitations to become a subscriber, and the service became available to anyone in the USA with a Google account. As a result, many users have been unable to obtain local numbers in conjunction with the service and some area codes are no longer available.Features
Features of Google Voice, many retained from GrandCentral, include:- A single Google forwarding number to all of the user's phones
- Unlimited free calls and SMSSMSSMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
within the US and Canada, up to three hours in individual length. - Calling international phone numbers with rates starting at US$0.02 per minute
- Call screening. Announcement of callers based on their number or by an automated identification request for blocked numbers
- Listening in on someone's recording of a voice message before taking a call (press 2 while answering, * to "pick up")
- Blocking calls from specified numbers
- Send, receive, and store SMS online
- Answering incoming calls on any configured phone
- Call routing. Selection of phones that should ring based on calling number
- Voicemail transcripts. Reading of voicemail messages online
- Listening to voicemail online or from a phone
- Notification of voicemail messages via email or SMS
- Personalized greetings based on calling number
- Forward or downloading of voicemails
- Conference calling (press 5 when answering call)
- Call recording and online archiving (press 4 while on a call)
- Switching of phones during a call
- Viewing the web inbox from a mobile device/phone
- Customize preferences for contacts by group
- Ability to change your number for a fee
- Ability to port your mobile number for a fee
- Specifying an existing phone number instead of the Google Voice number on initial setup for use with limited functionality, such as some voicemail functions. and using the voice mail system for the user's phone number (mobile devices only).
- The inability to use short codes with Google Voice prevents exorbitant fees from being charged due to a single mis-dial.
While many customers in countries other than the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
have been grandfathered into Google Voice services, the features are reduced and often cost very small fees to call their own country. Google Voice PC-to-phone calling works only for calls into North America or for domestic or international calls from North America; Google plans to implement this for other countries, but a time frame has not been released. A US telephone number is required to obtain a Google Voice phone number for redirecting incoming calls.
Users in Hawaii and Alaska were originally only minimally supported. No local area codes were available until October 3, 2009, and charges were required for calls to those areas until October 7, 2009.
Caller line identification
As a call forwarding service, Google Voice also forwards the caller line identification (CLID or caller IDCaller ID
Caller ID , also called calling line identification or calling number identification or Calling Line Identification Presentation , is a telephone service, available in analog and digital phone systems and most Voice over Internet Protocol applications, that transmits a caller's number to...
) of incoming calls to the user's telephone service. In order to correctly transmit their own CLID, based on the Google Voice number, the call must be initiated with Google Voice rather than with the physical handset
Handset
On a telephone, the handset is a device the user holds to the ear to hear the audio sound. Modern-day handsets usually contain the phone's microphone as well, but in early telephones the microphone was mounted directly on the telephone itself, which often was attached to a wall at a convenient...
.
The caller's Google Voice number is used as the CLID on outgoing calls when a call is placed by calling their own Google Voice number and using the service's menu choices, or when the web-based account portal is used to place a call. With the introduction of the Google Voice application on iPhone, Android and Blackberry phones, Google Voice users can directly dial from the Google Voice app with their Google Voice number as the outgoing CLID.
Mobile phone applications
Google Voice applications for Google Android, BlackBerryBlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
and iPhone can automatically place outgoing calls and texts via the user's Google Voice service. They will also manage incoming texts and calls should the user desire. This allows Google Voice subscribers to send and receive free text messages on their mobile phones without paying for a texting plan or incurring service charges from their mobile provider so long as all texts are sent and received through one's Google Voice number and not the number provided by the cell phone company.
Google Voice does not officially support SMS
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
to phone numbers outside of the United States. Google had purposely blocked International texts, with the intention of reintroducing the service once billing systems are in place.
Integration into Gmail/Google Talk
When Google Voice was offered during beta testing, Gmail Labs offered an add-on so users could listen to their voicemails in their GmailGmail
Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
inbox. Since August 26, 2010, U.S. and Gmail users may place calls to the U.S., Canada, and international destinations from within Gmail. Calls to U.S. and Canadian phone numbers are free, while calls to international destinations cost as low as 2 cents per minute. This is possible with the help of a voice and video chat plugin that users download and install so their browsers can take advantage of cameras, microphones, and speakers installed in the computer. Additionally, all of these features are being made available to Google Apps customers as Google transition all of the apps accounts (gmail, etc. within your own domain name instead of google.com) to be regular Google accounts. The account transitions should be complete by the end of 2010 and domain administrators are able to initiate the transition from their dashboard immediately if they so desire. If the user has a Google Voice account, the account phone number is used as caller identification relayed to the destination.
Users can also opt to have their text messages, transcribed voicemails (including an audio attachment), and/or missed calls forwarded to their Gmail account. Forwarded text messages emails can be replied to as if they were regular emails. Contacts' SMS capable phones can also be added to the user's Gmail address book or Google Talk buddy list so that text conversations can be initiated and sustained through these interfaces.
Problems with service
As of November 2011 users were experiencing several issues with Google voicemail picking up a call before the call forwarding could be completed. Calls may take well over 4 rings to be connected and this causes Google voicemail to intercept the call.Many Sprint users have complained about not being able to restore their voicemail back to the factory default Sprint voicemail after having configured it for Google Voice. Additionally Google Voice does not allow commercially available virtual PBX systems, like RingCentral to receive the forwarded phone calls. This precludes many business users from using this service.
A myriad of other technical issues have bombarded the user forums prompting many business users to stop using the service based on very inconsistent service, including many calls going straight to voicemail.
No emergency calling
Google Voice refers to itself as an "enhanced call management application" and as such "is not capable of placing or receiving emergency services calls." Attempting to dial 9119-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
in the U.S. indicates that the number is not valid. Google previously recommended having "an alternative means of accessing 911 or similar emergency services."
VoIP services
Google Voice permits Voice Over IP (VoIP) connections through GmailGmail
Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
or Google Talk
Google Talk
Google Talk is a freeware voice over Internet protocol client application offered by Google Inc. The first beta version of the program was released on August 24, 2005...
, but offers no simple way to communicate with users of other VoIP services, e.g. by direct connection between IP addresses or SIP
Session Initiation Protocol
The Session Initiation Protocol is an IETF-defined signaling protocol widely used for controlling communication sessions such as voice and video calls over Internet Protocol . The protocol can be used for creating, modifying and terminating two-party or multiparty sessions...
gateway
Gateway (telecommunications)
In telecommunications, the term gateway has the following meaning:*In a communications network, a network node equipped for interfacing with another network that uses different protocols....
.
3rd party devices
Hardware manufacturers such as Obihai Technology have created devices that enable the home user to use conventional wired telephone(s) to place and receive calls over their broadband connection through Google Voice.Voicemail
The number of rings before a call is transferred to voicemail is preset to 4 and cannot be changed by the user.Call recording
There is no option to automatically record calls. Additionally, when recording is manually initiated during an incoming call, Google inserts a recording notification that is heard by all parties. This occurs whether the subscriber is in a U.S. state requiring such notification or not (most do not). Call recording is also available for outgoing calls as long as the call is initiated from www.google.com/voice. Alternatively, recordings can be made using utilities such as gnome-sound-recorder in LinuxLinux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
.
Partners and infrastructure
Google Voice's partners that provide phone numbers, call-termination, call-routing, and other infrastructure include:- Level 3 CommunicationsLevel 3 CommunicationsLevel 3 Communications is a telecommunications and Internet service provider headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado.It operates a Tier 1 network. The company provides core transport, IP, voice, video and content delivery for most of the medium to large Internet carriers in North America and Europe...
- Global CrossingGlobal CrossingGlobal Crossing Limited was a telecommunications company that provides computer networking services worldwide. It maintained a large backbone and offered transit and peering links, VPN, leased lines, audio and video conferencing, long distance telephone, managed services, dialup, colocation and...
- Broadvox CommunicationsBroadvox CommunicationsBroadvox is a SIP Trunking provider that launched in 2001 as a wholesale carrier for services over a domestic VoIP network. In 2003, Broadvox began offering SIP origination and termination, which increased the companies quality of the voice transmission and expanded service offerings...
- Bandwidth.comBandwidth.comBandwidth.com is an Internet-based company that provides Internet and telephone service primarily to business and government users. Currently providing automated real-time pricing and procurement of business-class Internet connectivity through various carriers, it also offers hosted VoIP, SIP...
- Pac-West Telecom
- IBasisIbasisBased in Burlington, Massachusetts, iBasis is a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal KPN, N.V., the Dutch incumbent telecommunications carrier. iBasis is a wholesale carrier of international long distance telephone calls, with enhanced services for mobile operators, and a provider of retail prepaid...
for international outbound call routing - NeustarNeuStarNeustar, Inc. is a provider of clearinghouse and directory services to the global communications and Internet industries.-History:Neustar was incorporated in Delaware in 1998. It started as a business unit within Lockheed Martin Corporation...
In 2009, Google reserved 1 million telephone numbers with Level 3 Communications
Level 3 Communications
Level 3 Communications is a telecommunications and Internet service provider headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado.It operates a Tier 1 network. The company provides core transport, IP, voice, video and content delivery for most of the medium to large Internet carriers in North America and Europe...
which were presumed to be for Google Voice.
Dispute between AT&T and Google about call blocking
AT&T petitioned the U.S. Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) that Google should be required to allow calls to high-cost destinations. Google responded that it is not obligated to allow these calls.
Rejection from iPhone App Store
On July 27, 2009, Apple Inc. rejected a Google Voice app that had been submitted by Google six weeks earlier. Other apps created for use with Google Voice, such as GVdialer, GV Mobile and VoiceCentral, were removed from the App Store. Apple states that the reason for the rejection and removals is that these apps replaced certain iPhoneIPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
functions and features.
A Google spokesman released this statement on the matter:
We work hard to bring Google applications to a number of mobile platforms, including the iPhone. Apple Inc. did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store. We will continue to work to bring our services to iPhone users – for example, by taking advantage of advances in mobile browsers.
The Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) has opened an inquiry regarding the rejection of Google Voice for the iPhone. "The FCC asked why Apple rejected the Google Voice application for the iPhone and removed related 'third-party applications' from its store." The FCC has also requested Google to submit a letter describing the application of Google Voice. "The request is part of a broader-ranging inquiry by the commission on exclusive deals between cell phone carriers and handset manufacturers for hot phones."
In their response to the FCC, Google stated that the Google Voice application uses the carrier's voice network to place phone calls, dispelling misconceptions that it is a Voice over Internet Protocol application. AT&T stated that they had no role in approval or rejection of the Google Voice application. Apple stated that they have not rejected the application but are continuing to examine it. One argument against allowing the Google Voice app on the iPhone is that they are concerned that it replaces the iPhone user interface with its own; however many dialers and messaging apps are available from the app store.
As a result of rejection from the Apple Store, Google released its Google Voice iPhone application as a web app in January 2010, and certain apps like GV Mobile are available through Cydia
Cydia
Cydia is a large genus of tortrix moths, belonging to the tribe Grapholitini of subfamily Olethreutinae. Its distinctness from and delimitation versus the tribe's type genus Grapholita requires further study....
on jailbroken iPhones.
In September 2010, Sean Kovacs, creator of the app GV Mobile +, announced on his Twitter that Apple had re-accepted the application, and it has since been available for purchase on the Apple App Store. This is the second Google Voice service app available in the Apple's official application store for a year and a half, released just a day after "GV Connect" had been available.
In November 2010, the official iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
application became available in the App Store in the US. Google Voice is still not available in the App Stores outside USA. Several other Google Voice clients exist for users outside the USA. For example Talkatone's iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
client is available in Canada as well as the US.
See also
- Comparison of VoIP softwareComparison of VoIP softwareVoIP software is used to conduct telephone-like voice conversations across Internet Protocol based networks. VoIP stands for "Voice over IP". For residential markets, VoIP phone service is often cheaper than traditional public switched telephone network service and can remove geographic...
- Public switched telephone networkPublic switched telephone networkThe public switched telephone network is the network of the world's public circuit-switched telephone networks. It consists of telephone lines, fiber optic cables, microwave transmission links, cellular networks, communications satellites, and undersea telephone cables, all inter-connected by...
- PrivatePhonePrivatePhonePrivatePhone was a free voicemail service developed by Netzero in early 2006 as a way for users to get their own voicemail for free. Originally the service only allowed you to have 10 voicemail messages in your main inbox at a time and it gave the notice "Please leave a message for this...
- Bandwidth.comBandwidth.comBandwidth.com is an Internet-based company that provides Internet and telephone service primarily to business and government users. Currently providing automated real-time pricing and procurement of business-class Internet connectivity through various carriers, it also offers hosted VoIP, SIP...
- Level 3 CommunicationsLevel 3 CommunicationsLevel 3 Communications is a telecommunications and Internet service provider headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado.It operates a Tier 1 network. The company provides core transport, IP, voice, video and content delivery for most of the medium to large Internet carriers in North America and Europe...
- Traffic pumpingTraffic pumpingTraffic pumping, also known as access stimulation, is a controversial practice by which some local exchange telephone carriers in rural areas of the United States inflate the volume of incoming calls to their networks, and profit from the greatly increased intercarrier compensation fees to which...
- Caller ID spoofingCaller ID spoofingCaller ID spoofing is the practice of causing the telephone network to display a number on the recipient's Caller ID display that is not that of the actual originating station. The term is commonly used to describe situations in which the motivation is considered malicious by the speaker or writer...
External links
- Google Voice
- Google/AT&T/FCC conflict:
- Technical and Business Aspects:
- Other smartphone clients: