Thursday, April 9, 2009
Google Envelopes Grand Central
Google sent me an email that they have changed the name of Grand Central to Google Voice. If you are a Grand Central member you will be prompted on your login to tie Google Voice into your Google account. Google Voice is still a closed test, so you will need to wait to sign up unless your were a previous Grand Central customer.
The service looks much more like a Google application, and they have already added some features.
The service looks much more like a Google application, and they have already added some features.
- Transcription of voice mail. You can optionally allow Google Voice to transcribe your voice mail and send it to you as a text or email.
- Access to Gmail contacts. You can optionally allow Google Voice to access your contact list in Gmail. It uses this to create group or individual customized outgoing messages.
- Outbound calls. You can choose a contact to call. Google will first call your phone, and then they will call your party. The system was surprisingly robust. A call was usually initiated in just a few seconds. United States calls are free while overseas calls are charged a small minute rate.
- Conference calling. I did not try the conference calling, but I would assume that it works as well as outbound calls.
Some of the old feature came over as well.
- Call Presentation. This features allows you to listen in as someone leaves a voice mail. It is like the old days of screening a phone call with an old mechanical answering machine.
- Individual outgoing messages. You can setup personalized outgoing messages for individuals or by contact groups.
I am excited about this development. I along with others feared that this product would not see the light of day. It appears to be coming out and growing. I believe that the possibilities for this product are incredible. Integration into Gmail and Apps would be great. Google Voice could one day grow into a full-blown PBX for small companies.
One change that I noticed was that the product now has more of a business-like feel to it. Grand Central's user interface was a bit more whimsical.
Labels: Google Voice, Grand Central, VOIP
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