Google announced the release of their new service “Google Voice” on Wednesday. The service appears to be an expanded version of GrandCental, which is a service acquired by Google in 2007. Although this release is a preview (beta) and currently available to existing GrandCentral users only, those who are interested will not have to wait long for the full release. Google expects to have the service ready for new users within weeks, but in the meantime you can submit your email address to Google and they will notify you as soon as Google Voice is available to new users.
What is Google Voice?
Google Voice is an application that improves the way you use your phone. The service provides a single phone number for all your phones and this phone number is actually tied to the user, not to a phone or location. Although Google Voice is not a phone service, it allows you to manage all your phones. The cool thing is that Google Voice works with mobile phones, home phones, work phones, and VoIP phone lines. What’s more? You can actually access and make calls from the phone as well as the Web. Those of you who have multiple phones will enjoy the luxury of having a single number to reach each phone individually.