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I was around just after Craig Walker and Vincent Paquet created and launched GrandCentral, which became post acquistion by Google, GoogleVoice. We worked with the two and helped make it a known qualtity, and to this day, my GV number is the number that makes me so easily reachable. But in over four years since Google snagged the service, not much has really happened on the services side, while most of the work has been done to keep it scaling and integrating into the Google way of doing things.
Basically, I have no complaints, as the service works. Every once in a while mobile calls sound bad, as latency seems to occur, especially when both parties are using Google Voice, but a lot of that is the carriers capacity issues, not GVs.
But one area they have not moved very quickly is being "open" and working with other services that could make GoogleVoice even more a part of more people's lives. Over at ZDNet, Jason Perlow has brought up faxing as a service he'd like to see. I know a few more, and if Google Voice did add them, I'd be able to eliminate a few other services.
Andy - faxing works nearly perfectly already. Use the Obitalk 110 and a new gv number and it just works. Problem solved.
Posted by: James Torres | January 07, 2012 at 03:58 PM
Also remember that with GrandCentral your contacts could send an email to your phone number. Truly ONE address to remember. Google NEVER duplicated this feature in their product.
Posted by: Paul Messier | January 07, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Funny that you'd mention faxing. The new PBX in a Flash 2 with Incredible Fax 2 works flawlessly with the included Google Voice GUI using regular Google Voice DIDs. And, of course, it's free!
Just install PIAF2 and set up one or more free Google Voice DIDs. Then run install-incredfax2. Done!
Posted by: NerdUno | January 07, 2012 at 07:59 AM
Yes, they should open up. They acquired Grand Central for the basics and the concept. They acquired Gizmo to what everyone thought was for SIP capability.
However, this as of yet to happen. There are some loopholes such as TelTub, or using the GTalk feature with IAX servers - however, Google Voice should offer GTalk/SIP combination which will then give more flexibility with their users, and even reduce the load resources on Google Voice. To top it off with, they will even be able to offer +883 dialing which in my opinion will be the future of SIP carrier calling.
And while faxing was suggested as an option, it may not be realistic. Not only will the service (Google Voice) have to support it, but the ATA and maybe even the fax machine to support T.38 capabilities. And it will be harder to integrate faxing and voice as one number which will explain why many people and companies who have fax will have two separate lines.
Google Voice in my opinion should focus on offering SIP, iNUM support, and possibly even offering international DID (telephone numbers) options.
Just my 2 cents,
Frank
http://fsp.tel
Posted by: Frank Pilone | January 07, 2012 at 07:22 AM