23 June 2010 | Author: J. Morton News Editor

Google Voice available for all - if you live in the US

Search giant Google - which has branched out into the mobile sector with its Android software and, more recently, the Nexus One handset - continues to stride into telephony territory as it rolls out Google Voice to the general public.

Punters - though, for now, only American punters - can sign up for the service, which counts the ability to use a single phone number to ring home, mobile and work phones amongst its features. Google Voice already has over one million users, according to a Google Blog post.

Writing for the blog, voice product managers Craig Walker and Vincent Paquet said: "We're proud of the progress we've made with Google Voice over the last few years, and we're still just scratching the surface of what's possible when you combine your regular phone service with the latest web technology."

In addition to its single-number, multiple line feature, Google Voice also provides "voicemail that works like email, free calls and text messages to the U.S. and Canada, low-priced international calls and more," according to the post.

Jeff Bertolucci outlined several perks of adopting the service to PC World magazine, including the prospect of a "phone number for life", advanced call screening for pesky callers, free texts and a handy mobile app for the programme.

Analyst for IDC, Al Hilwa, said the move will change the mobile industry as we currently know it.

"With the focus on monetisation in telephony shifting away from the actual voice services and minutes by carriers, it looks like that area may in time be ceded to IP-based voice services such as Google Voice," he told PC World.

"Availability of Google Voice on smartphones and other mobile platforms will put pressure on mobile carriers to further unbundle their services."

Google gave no indication of when the service would be available outside of the US.

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