| Telephony has become big business. With everyone | | | | in popularity. Estimates are that by 2015 VoIP could be |
| connected via mobile phones, Skype, VoIP and a host | | | | worth in the region of £21billion in revenue to |
| of other alternatives to traditional landline | | | | suppliers. Internet calls are particularly good for making |
| communication systems, suppliers have to fight harder | | | | long distance calls to international numbers, allowing |
| than ever to maintain their share of the market. But | | | | friends and family to stay in touch no matter where in |
| now they could have another rival in the marketplace - | | | | the world they are. |
| search engine giant Google. | | | | By combining the features available on Google Voice |
| Google acquired a system known as GrandCentral | | | | with a VoIP set-up, customers can gain the best of |
| technology in 2007 and, in their own inimitable style, | | | | both worlds. Google Voice offers a host of features |
| repackaged and relaunched it onto the marketplace in | | | | including conference calling facilities, caller ID and |
| 2009 under the name Google Voice. It basically offers | | | | screening. But the biggest advantage of this |
| customers a Google 'phone number'. When people call | | | | combination is that ability to get cheap or free calls |
| that number, Google reroutes the call to a person's | | | | whenever and wherever you are. |
| normal handset, rather than having to go through the | | | | A 21st Century approach to telephony |
| Skype system of taking the call on the PC. | | | | Meshing technologies like VoIP and Google Voice to |
| Although Google Voice seems to be a viable | | | | make Internet phone calls is still in its infancy. Both VoIP |
| alternative to VoIP and Skype, it does have its | | | | and Google Voice as independent entities are still both |
| drawbacks. Calls are not free if you still have to pay | | | | growth industries, and for many, the thought of |
| landline charges and connection fees. But by merging | | | | connecting the two seems like an added complication |
| the two latest technologies together and using Google | | | | to an already complicated lifestyle. But with the growth |
| Voice alongside a VoIP package, it is possible to put | | | | of smart phones, mobile communications via the |
| together a package that (apart from the very low | | | | Internet is set to become the future of telephony. So |
| cost monthly charges for a VoIP user package) will | | | | why not utilise two powerful products to take |
| give you cheap or even free national and international | | | | advantage of cheaper calls? Sound quality on PCs, |
| calls. | | | | laptops and even the latest iPad mean that, as long as |
| A merging of technology | | | | you can connect up to a broadband network, you can |
| VoIP (or Voice over Internet Protocol) has been | | | | make calls wherever and whenever you want to. By |
| around for 15 years, and in that time the technology | | | | going through a free service like Gizmo, that merging |
| has leapt ahead. Using the Internet to make phone calls | | | | of VoIP and Google Voice is even easier. It may be |
| seemed to be somewhat slow to take off initially, but | | | | that, in the not too distant future, international calls on a |
| as customers realised that it gave them the | | | | landline become a thing of the past as people realise |
| opportunity to make Internet phone calls for a fraction | | | | just how much money they could save by adopting a |
| of the cost of normal landline calls, it has rapidly gained | | | | 21st Century approach to telephony. |