According to CNET, Google is unveiling a service called Google Voice today which is a new version GrandCentral acquired in July 2007. As a GrandCentral user this looks like it will be a great tool.
With Google Voice people can pick a new phone number. When others call, Google can ring all the actual phones a person uses and handle voice mail allowing them to screen their calls, and listen to voice mail over the web. Google Voice will add speech-to-text technology to transcribe voice mail, making it possible to search for particular words. Gmail's contacts will be used to instruct Google Voice how to treat various callers. And Google Voice will be able to send and receive SMS text messages and set up conference calls. This services is expected to remain free.
Existing GrandCentral users should get the option to upgrade Thursday, and Google plans to offer it to the public after "a number of weeks," said Craig Walker, product manager of real-time communications and head of Google Voice.
New features include:
- You can use your GrandCentral number to send and receive SMS messages, and have them forwarded to your current wireless phone. You can send messages from the mobile or from the phone.
- Make phone calls using the web or your mobile/landline phone.
- You can get transcripts for voicemails left on Google Voice. These transcripts, based on internal Google technology currently being used by GOOG-411 service, can be sent to you via SMS.
- Create conference calls by dragging phone numbers onto existing calls. This will be useful for small businesses and web workers.
- Free calls to all U.S. numbers. You can make international calls but that will cost you, depending on the country you are dialing.