Saw this a few places, this morning. Just before posting based on news services, I discovered that Om Malik was already a GrandCentral customer. So, he’s already in on the beta:
GrandCentral, a “one number for life” service provider acquired by Google in July 2007 is being reborn as Google Voice, a comprehensive service that is essentially a Microsoft Office-type suite of communications-related services. I say that because the new service is a collection of VoIP-related features that one can typically get from different startups. New features include:
1. 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.
2. Make phone calls using the web or your mobile/landline phone.
3. 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.
4. Create conference calls by dragging phone numbers onto existing calls. This will be useful for small businesses and web workers.
5. Free calls to all U.S. numbers. You can make international calls but that will cost you, depending on the country you are dialing.
The original GrandCentral features, such as voicemail screening and personalized greetings, are still available. Your voicemails can be emailed to you as attachments. Just as a warning, the upgrade to Google Voice won’t allow you to take your GrandCentral address book with you, since the new system uses Google Contacts. In addition, the service doesn’t work with those of you who have Google Apps accounts and need Gmail accounts. Lastly, they make you use Google Checkout to pay for international minutes. No thanks — I am happy paying with PayPal and/or credit cards.
Bottom line: The Google folks upgraded my account, and after some heartburn, I got it working. As part of its new life as Google Voice, the GrandCentral website has been redesigned to resemble Gmail, which I like mostly because, like many of you, I have become used to the sparse user interface. The SMS, voicemail and transcription services worked as advertised. The upgrades are truly worth the wait, and I have no hesitation in recommending this service to one and all.
You can sign up for the waiting list for the beta and follow-on.
Finally! Man am I glad I signed up my whole family when GrandCentral was open 🙂
I just hope they finally get some real tech support and a way to verify numbers. I signed up with GC quite some time ago, but it wouldn’t accept my cell number, claiming that another GC account already had my cell number listed, and therefore I must have entered my number by mistake.
GC’s tech support email was an autoresponder that said “try our google group”, and the google group had a couple other people in a similar situation who said that there was nothing that could be done because GC’s tech support team consisted of zero people.
It looks like my entire contact list was left behind in the switch-over… That could be a pretty big problem. Entering all of those numbers again does not sound like a fun proposition.
so google gives our free phone numbers, forwards them to whatever number you have, and types your voice mails? Honestly I am asking because google’s explanations are confusing
Voice mail screening. Just the thing everyone needs.
sounds good to me. suppose it´s only in the USA applicable for the time being?