Now, make phone calls from your Gmail account
New York: Google will now facilitate Gmail users to call telephones directly from their email. It will be in direct competition with Skype and traditional operators like AT&T and Verizon Communications.
After offering computer-to-computer voice and video chat services, Google will now allow calls to home phones and mobile phones directly from Gmail. Calls to the U.S. and Canadian phones from Gmail would be free of cost this year and for calls to other countries, there would be certain charges fixed at a lower rate. Google said calls to Britain, France, Germany, China and Japan would be as low as 2 cents per minute.
According to analysts, this service would likely be a bigger competitive threat to services like Skype's than to traditional phone companies, which have already been cutting their call prices in recent years in response to stiff competition.
"This is a risk to Skype. It's a competitor with a pretty good brand name," said Hudson Square analyst Todd Rethemeier. Like Skype, Rethemeier said the Google service will likely be much more popular among U.S. consumers making international calls, than among people calling friends inside the country.
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Comments (22)
Karen L.10
Personal Development
I've been using this service all week and must say that I like it a lot. I had one complaint that there was a loud buzzing noise on one call, and it dropped another call once. Other than that, it's been very easy, and convenient to use.
Fred Mugone15
Affiliate marketing
This is an amazing addition. I am off to try and use it right now - just to get a feel of it.
Eric Youle7
Smart Media Representative
Seems to work from Oz - just wonder how and when is the charge collected?
SUMIT RUDRA6
Search Engine Optimizer,Media buyer
I think that is only for Canadian and US people.
Kong Yang5
I tried making calls but it never goes through. IDK why?
Sue Larson7
Platinum Leader
think I'll stick with Skype for now... no real reason to change!
Vps Malhotra16
Free Lancer
competition hotting up but the service is only available to US numbers I am in Toronto and yesterday I tried to use it from canada but I was told to operate from a US number though I have downloaded their software for audio and video chat Even the rates
for India are $0.06/sec as compared to$0.02 by skype and $0. 01
by Yahoo IM GOOD service if it is kept free for all times like skype
Walter Pearson14
REI; Internet and Social Media Enthusiast; Stock a
It's not Google Voice. Voice allows access online for messages directed to a phoneline you already have (home, cell, office) that you designate, and choose a 'number' for (provided through Google): this number is the one you give out for contact.
It is an interesting development, in that I think competition is always good. We'll see about the service - seems at least Monika is happy!
Steven Letsinger5
Internet Marketing
I wander just how long Google will take till they start charging for this service.
Captain Cook8
Internet Marketer
I hope they will make it worldwide soon...
Ronizam Zakaria6
Internet Marketer & Videographer
Free just for American, not to the whole world. I'm Malaysian must pay 0.02/minute to use it.
Warren Day7
Is this Google Voice? I have been waiting for Voice to hit Canada
Tanim Shahriar Abedi...7
Web Developer, Web Application Developer, Blogger,
Can anyone from any country call to US/Canada through gmail?
Dedi Sudiawan8
Teacher
This is truly an amazing addition although you have been able to do this with windows live messenger for a long time already. But it is nice to be able to do this now with google and righ
Ranil Gunasekara6
Fabric & garment suppliers
competition is getting on,we can have good rates & good service on phone calls
Matthew Roberts7
1.Set Goal 2.Achieve Goal 3.Repeat
This is truly an amazing addition although you have been able to do this with windows live messenger for a long time already. But it is nice to be able to do this now with google and right from your email.
Monika Piecko6
I think this is an amazing new feature and I have actually used it several times already :).
Selene P.4
aaa
I think that is only for Canadian and US people.
gloria3
just hope this can be used by the whole world, not only by the Americans
George K.2
consultant
Hey, if they don't do better than Skype, google can always do when they can't beat the competition - buy them out, like they did with youtube and admob.