Comments on: Google Voice opens the doors, finally http://dougonipcomm.com/2009/06/26/google-voice-opens-the-doors-finally/ An independent voice on VoIP, telecom, and IP Communications Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:09:26 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: mjgraves http://dougonipcomm.com/2009/06/26/google-voice-opens-the-doors-finally/comment-page-1/#comment-72 mjgraves Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:02:52 +0000 http://dougonipcomm.wordpress.com/?p=244#comment-72 I signed up for a GC account back when it first hit. It was neat, but it didn't change my life much. Ditto Google Voice. In fact, I take issue with their infrastructure choices. The only external service that they allow you to forward to via SIP is Gizmo5. What's up with that? Sure, it's SIP-based, but reliant upon a proprietary codec stack from GIPS. And no wideband at all. No, GV needs to more fully include things beyond the ages-old-PSTN before they will be nearly as revolutionary as everyone seems to think. I signed up for a GC account back when it first hit. It was neat, but it didn’t change my life much. Ditto Google Voice.

In fact, I take issue with their infrastructure choices. The only external service that they allow you to forward to via SIP is Gizmo5. What’s up with that?

Sure, it’s SIP-based, but reliant upon a proprietary codec stack from GIPS. And no wideband at all.

No, GV needs to more fully include things beyond the ages-old-PSTN before they will be nearly as revolutionary as everyone seems to think.

]]> By: bstringy http://dougonipcomm.com/2009/06/26/google-voice-opens-the-doors-finally/comment-page-1/#comment-71 bstringy Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:09:56 +0000 http://dougonipcomm.wordpress.com/?p=244#comment-71 Doug, Yes, the technology has existed for some time, but it has never been brought to the general public with nearly the same feature set for an up front cost of $0 and $0/mo... and no contract. Having control of the phone number offers numerous advantages. The carriers I choose no longer matter. I can move from one to the next and back again without porting. I can use a prepaid phone. I can have no phone and rely on voicemail if it came to that. If none of it works out, I can port my number out. I'm grateful that Google is driving the technology and getting it out. I look forward to seeing carriers tighten their belts most of all. Hopefully, we'll see a response in the way of data-only plans - handsets with voip applications - offering similar features for $40-50/mo. Doug,

Yes, the technology has existed for some time, but it has never been brought to the general public with nearly the same feature set for an up front cost of $0 and $0/mo… and no contract.

Having control of the phone number offers numerous advantages. The carriers I choose no longer matter. I can move from one to the next and back again without porting. I can use a prepaid phone. I can have no phone and rely on voicemail if it came to that. If none of it works out, I can port my number out.

I’m grateful that Google is driving the technology and getting it out. I look forward to seeing carriers tighten their belts most of all.

Hopefully, we’ll see a response in the way of data-only plans – handsets with voip applications – offering similar features for $40-50/mo.

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