Google expands availability of its free voice mail
October 27, 2009 By MICHAEL LIEDTKE , AP Technology Writer
(AP) -- Google Inc. wants to answer your mobile phone calls when you can't or just don't want to talk.
In its latest bid to become a bigger player in telecommunications, the Internet search leader is giving people a chance to send calls to their cell phones into a free voice mail service unveiled earlier this year. The new choice is being introduced Tuesday.
The voice mail feature is part of Google Voice, a fledging service striving to become a hub for phone calls to people's mobile, home and office numbers.
Taking advantage of all of its tools requires getting a new number from Google Voice, a leap that many people aren't ready to make.
So Google has come up with a way to tie existing mobile phone numbers to its voice mail service. The process requires a few steps outlined at http://www.google.com/voice .
"We see this as a perfect step for getting familiar with Google Voice without a lot of change," said Vincent Paquet, a senior product manager.
The caveat: People choosing to stick with their existing phone numbers won't be able to take advantage of all Google Voice features, such as directing calls to a home or office number.
But the voice mail option will provide more bells and whistles than what most major mobile phone carriers offer in their standard packages.
Among other things, Google's voice mail service automatically transcribes messages and lets users customize greetings for frequent callers.
As part of its expansion efforts, Google developed a voice application for the iPhone that didn't get approved by Apple Inc. The snub triggered a Federal Communications Commission inquiry into whether Apple and the iPhone's U.S. carrier, AT&T Inc., might have been trying to stifle a potential competitor.
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Mar 12, 2009 |
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Of course Apple was trying to stifle competition. Their whole company is built on that. Their users can sugar coat it any way they want. But the bottom line is Apple integrates by itself. They control all aspects of their hardware and software and ask for a premium well above what's it worth.
Apple, and the companies die hard fans, are really starting to annoy me. These people know nothing about computers but wax intellectual and recite lines from Apples lame marketing campaign thinking that they're anywhere near reality.
Don't get me wrong here, I'm not pro-Microsoft or pro-Google only. I like things about MANY computer companies. I am anti-Apple. Not because they have bad products, it's the way they run their company and their constant need for control of everything they can
The tying the numbers with your google voice number was out when the program was called GrandCentral, WAY before it moved over to Google.