Google Voice

[Rustic23]

Google has a new service. Google Voice. I got an email from Google, last week saying they were rolling it out to the public.

Google gives you a phone number. You can link to that phone number all your phones, cell, home, and work. It has call screening, spam screening, voice mail, voice mail to email, and other stuff. When someone calls the number all your phones ring at the same time. First to answer gets the call. Another use is to give this number out and keep home and cell private.

I had to sign up and wait a couple of weeks before I got an 'invitation' to join. For the privacy concerned, I guess you are giving Google your phone numbers, but if they are unlisted they most likely have them already. I don't remember, but I think they only ask for a google id to log on.

 

[RonBoyd]

See also:

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/temporary-phone-numbers-free-craigslist-app-46632.html

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I've been watching this (and the google phone) for a while.

Is call forwarding involved, or do they somehow handle all this centrally?

 

[RonBoyd]

Yikes!

Random users Google Voice mail is searchable by anyone? : Boy Genius Report

 

[Rustic23]

Rich,
I think it is handled centrally. I went to there website and put in the phones I wanted to attach to the number. That was all there was to it.

 

[Rustic23]

Ron,
Not sure what it is searching. I copied and pasted the url in the article and got about 30 voice mails, however, I got no info as to phone number and such. Also, only 30 out of the millions that must be out there.

 

[RonBoyd]

Is call forwarding involved, or do they somehow handle all this centrally?

It would have to be handled centrally; there is no number to "forward" from. You are given a new number which, when used, "calls" the phone numbers that you listed. The called numbers act as usual if you called them directly.

 

[RonBoyd]

Now you can use your existing telephone number:

Official Google Blog: Use Google Voice with your existing number

 

[Bimmerbill]

My IT buddies just told me about this at our latest "boys night out." I put my name in today to request an invitation to beta testing. They thought it was pretty cool.

 

[Coach]

I've been watching this (and the google phone) for a while.

Is call forwarding involved, or do they somehow handle all this centrally?

Rich, Google Voice is all handled centrally.

Coach

 

[thefed]

just got my invite and signed up...very cool....could prove to be useful

 

[Bimmerbill]

Me too, but no numbers available in my states area code!

 

[free4now]

I requested an invite a month or so on their site. Haven't gotten one yet. Is this wait normal?

 

[Bimmerbill]

My wait was 1 week or so. They said they are a bit behind, but if I were you I'd check your junk mail or spam filter if it was 1 month.

 

[Coach]

I requested an invite a month or so on their site. Haven't gotten one yet, although I've heard of people gettin. Is this wait normal?

I requested one a few months ago, and haven't received it yet, although I have heard of people getting theirs within days. I ended up buying one on ebay 99 cents.

Coach

 

[moreorless]

We signed up 10 months ago and received an invite 4 months later but the wait was worth it! Works like a dream, call forwarding, followme to any phone you list, unlist any phone anytime, convert voicemails to emails, personalized messages, standard messages, etc etc...It works great for us.

 

[e86s54]

Been in the Telecom biz for decades in Network Ops (Switching & Signaling).

So here's how it works. Google applies and gets NXXs (exchange numbers in your area code) blocks of 10,000 (Like they get 617-255-0001 to 9999, except for reserved numbers) and assigns these numbers to us users. In most cases getting the numbers require a somewhat local interconnect and so that's why its taking a while to get numbers from everywhere.

When the number is called via your carrier, they do a database lookup to determine where to route the number now that we have number portability. It is then routed to the interconnect and to Google Voice's switching center. Then they handle the routing depending on how your number is configured. So to the "forward to #" you provide, or voice mail, etc.

Hope this helps...E86S54

 

[JustNtime]

I had an account through Grand Central and got local phone numbers where my son and inlaws could call locally and it would transfer to our home/cell phones saving long distance charges. As of 31 Dec 09, the accounts will be closed and must transfer to google voice. Wish I remembered my passwords.