Google Does Phones?

As you may have heard, Google announced “Google Voice”. Way back in early 2007, I stumbled upon a great serviced called “Grand Central” The idea behind Grand Central was a really clever one. Grand Central would give you a phone number. That number was a virtual phone number that you could use to collect voice mails, or forward to one OR MORE ‘real’ telephones. So you give out this number and when someone calls, you can have it ring your home and cell.

It actually can do a lot more than just forward your calls, you can have groups that are treated differently. For example, if you are a family member calling the virtual number it can ring your home, and cell and have a customer message. If it’s a business call and it’s between the hours of 8-5, it goes to your desk and cell and has a professional greeting.

Anyway, it’s cool stuff. In July of 2007, Google acquired Grand Central...and to be honest we haven’t seem much since. Well, until now. Right now Google is re-branding Grand Central as Google Voice. In addition to the re-branding they are rolling out some great new features. Of the new features, the one I am most excited about is voice message transcription. Yes, you leave a voice mail and Google converts that voice message to an SMS and/or email message and send it to you (there is no better way to know what is going on when you can’t take a call).

With features like: 

• Call screening
• Listening in
• Block calls
• SMS
• Place Calls
• Taking Calls
• Phone routing
• Forwarding phones
• Voicemail transcriptions
• Listen to voicemail
• Notification
• Personalized greeting
• Share voicemail
• Conference calling
• Call record
• Call switch
• Mobile site
• GOOG-411
• Groups

It’s great stuff. The ONLY bad news...right now it’s a closed Beta. So if you don’t have a Grand Central number already, you will need to wait...but from what I can see in my Beta account - it’s worth the wait!

Click here for more details!