12 March 2009 | Author: Katie Todd

Google Voice: multi-phone integration with complete user control

Google already made its first venture into the phone sphere last year with the introduction of its much-anticipated mobile operating system, Android. The platform took the mobile world by storm and is likely to go ahead as the biggest challenge to industry darling, the Apple iPhone - but that's just a blip in Google's grand plan.

The digital goliath is beginning to unveil its latest service, a system that it has been working on under wraps since acquiescing a promising company called GrandCentral in 2007. Up until now, many believed that the purchase was a waste of potential as it seemed that Google hadn't done anything with its new toy, but it turns out that the Californian colossus had been sneakily busy all along.

The service, now dubbed Google Voice, allows users to consolidate all of their phones - work, mobile, office, etc - into one programme that governs the devices under the same account. They are provided with a new number that acts as their master phone number which they distribute to friends, family and associates. When this number is phoned, Google Voice redirects the call to the user's various devices, causing all of them to ring and the user can pick up whichever is nearest.

What's more, Google Voice will ask first-time callers to identify themselves and stores the number for future communications from that person so the programme can tell the user who is phoning them, giving them options on whether they'd like to take or divert the call.

Users can even change the settings so the answering machine will play different messages for specific numbers, playing a more personal message for family and friends as opposed to a professional one for business contacts, for example. You can also programme the service to allow you to pick up right away if your partner calls and divert if your mother calls - not that you'd ever do such a thing, of course.

And, naturally, it wouldn't be Google if search wasn't incorporated somehow. One of the most innovative prospects about Google Voice is that the programme can use voice-to-text technology to transcribe voicemail messages into searchable emails so users can read messages and retrieve important phone numbers at a glance, rather than sitting through messages twice listening frantically with a paper and pen.

Perhaps best of all is that, according to CNET News, Google's Craig Walker said: "Our goal is to be able to offer [Google Voice] to people for free" - putting the service as a direct challenger to eBay's Skype and landline and mobile telephone companies.

It's a pretty big move on Google's part, and a mighty step towards further Googification of the media sphere - we'll just have to see how Skype and co step up their services should the venture prove a success.

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