Posted by The Blogging Desk on Mon, Mar 21, 2011
A Googler:
First, Sprint customers will be able to use their existing Sprint mobile number as their Google Voice number and have it ring multiple other phones simultaneously. So now, calls to your Sprint mobile number can easily be answered from your office or your home phone, or even your computer through Gmail. Calls from Gmail and text messages sent from google.com/voice will also display your Sprint number. This basically gives Sprint customers all the benefits of Google Voice without the need to change or port their number.
Alternatively, Google Voice users can choose to replace their Sprint number with their Google Voice number when placing calls or sending text messages from their Sprint handset. This feature works on all Sprint phones and gives Sprint users all the benefits of Google Voice without the need for an app.
The future is here, crawling slowly through the door. Do you use Google Voice? Before this news, you could sign up for a number, attach your cell phone to it, give it out, and when people called that number it can ring to your home phone, cell phone, or office phone whenever you wanted it to. Very cool stuff. I forwarded my cell phone to my Google Voice number so that when calls went to Voicemail, I would get a text message of the transcribed message. You could even get an email of the message as well, or read it inside of Gmail.
This makes that whole convoluted process a little easier now that they've partnered with Sprint. If I were a Sprint subscriber, I would probably integrate fully so that I could read my Voicemails online or get the texts in a more fluid manner. Plus, it would be very slick to be able to make calls from your laptop if you felt like it. Right? Isn't this what the future is supposed to be like?
I think I read that on Wikipedia once.
Don't forget to speak with our friends over at Mosaic about Google Apps, but in the meantime, here is a handy video for your troubles:
Posted by Chad Weaver on Mon, Feb 01, 2010
Working for an
IT Support Company, I have been a convert to the Google Voice service for a while now. I love all the features it brings to my phone, and the number I picked is so easy to remember. The voice mail transcription feature is just amazing, although it's not always spot on, but sometimes it's easier and lot faster just to read a voice mail. Did I mention this is all free? I know you're asking yourself what's the catch? Well, for me and all the other iPhone users out there, the chance that Apple was going to approve an app for the iPhone that truly integrates the features of Google Voice seemed to be approaching nill. Something about altering the phones basic interface and replacing a base feature, bla bla bla.
The other day, Google announced a web app that you can launch from your phones Safari browser. This is truly as close as we get, given the aforementioned chance that Apple would see the light. Also, it's rumored that Apple is trying to shake off Google, and that they are trying to work out a deal with Microsoft to replace Google with Bing as the default web browser, but that's a blog for another time.
Now what can the web app do for you? Well, actually a lot! It provides a keypad for calling using your Google Voice number. The call function is a little strange, as it starts the call to Google first - the outgoing call doesn't seem to be going to the right place at first, and takes a little getting used to. You have access to your voice mail, and it launches the messages in the QuickTime player. You also have access to all of your online contacts, but not your local phone based contacts, although there is Google Sync that should help you get everything synced up. The web app truly provides a much more polished experience using the service from your iPhone, and I am betting it's as close as we are going to come to an app for our phones. It may not be flawless, but it makes using the service a lot less of a hassle. If you haven't tried out Google Voice, I would truly recommend you find a friend that is using it or request an invite to the service, it's free and you can start really slow.
For help implementing this and other Mobile IT Solutions, be sure to find out what Trigon can do for you! Also, feel free to check out our other IT Services!
Posted by Matt Kolowski on Thu, Nov 05, 2009
Oh hello.
I didn't see you there, I was too busy ignoring several calls coming into my phone. I know what you're thinking; you're thinking how amazing my hair has been looking recently. And not only that, you're thinking, ‘Matt, why bother ignoring them, you're still going to have to listen to them when you fire up your voicemail!' Oh how wrong you are, sir.
I'm one of the lucky cats who has a Google Voice account. I wrote an amazing article back in the day about it. If for some reason the sheer power of said article escapes you, let's have a quick recap. Once given an invite into Google Voice, you were able to select a new phone number for you to give out to your friends, co-workers, family, etc. You then had the ability to forward that number to any number of your choosing. For instance, I gave my mom my new Google Voice number, and when she calls it, it will ring to my work cell phone, and my personal cell, simultaneously. But when my boss calls, it will only ring to my personal cell and my office line. I can customize it any way I want to. When someone calls me, they give their name, so that when I pick up the phone, I hear who's calling me, and I also have the option of sending it to my voicemail or accepting the call. I can even listen to them leave me a voicemail message. Ha!
It's a great service, but I honestly never used it. I only have one phone, and barely make calls as it is. Let alone enough to give out a new number for. I prefer texting, which is why I now LOVE Google Voice. A few weeks back, Google announced a lighter version of the service, which kept several of the same great features. Now, you can sign up and just use your existing phone number with Google Voice. Afraid? Jazzed? Indifferent? Let me explain.
Let's say that my ex-girlfriend calls me to elaborate on a lawsuit she's been teasing for weeks. I ignore the call, and dread listening to her awful voice in the message. BUT NOW, since I've added my cell phone number to Google Voice, I'll get a text message of the transcribed voicemail she just left, right to my phone. Not only that, I can get an email of the transcribed message, with a link to a playable audio file of the voicemail. Apple iPhones have that fancy Visual VoiceMail where you can see who called you and whether or not you want to listen to it. Now, you don't even have to listen to it, and just get what they said texted and/or emailed to you from Google.
Ah modern technology, I can't wait until I never have to interact with another human being again.