Google Voice is about to change your life.
If you’re a busy person who’s always juggling several phones (your work number, your cell, your home number, etc.) you’ll never have to worry about which number to give people again.
Google Voice applies the principles of e-mail to telephones. All calls will go to one number, but you will get to set rules about where and how to route them.
It will work like your personal switchboard. If your cell phone is out of range, you will be able to forward calls to your other line without a caller being aware of any change. You will even be able to switch from one phone to another mid-call.
That may mean the end of interruptions like, “Are you still there?” and ” Can you hear me now?”
Google Voice (previously known as Grand Central) is being released to the general public soon. You can sign up now for it so you’ll be first on the list.
Other features that may make life easier for any road warrior include voice mail transcripts and the ability to access voice mail online or off.
Google Voice has been endorsed by TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington, king of online trendsetters, as Google Voice’s Secret Weapon: Number Portability.
“Once you’ve jumped in head first … it will straighten out your phone life forever. Give them one number …your Google voice number .. . and then use rules to determine where your calls go, based on who’s calling and what you are doing,” he wrote.
Another great benefit: Google’s planning to introduce number portability later this year, so you will be able to transfer existing phone numbers over.
Read more about Google Voice.
