Google buys Gizmo5

I just found this http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/200 ... izmo5.html

Google welcomes Gizmo5
Thursday, November 12, 2009 | 2:30 PM
Today we're pleased to announce we've acquired Gizmo5, a company that provides Internet-based calling software for mobile phones and computers. While we don't have any specific features to announce right now, Gizmo5's engineers will be joining the Google Voice team to continue improving the Google Voice and Gizmo5 experience. Current Gizmo5 users will still be able to use the service, though we will be suspending new signups for the time being, and existing users will no longer be able to sign up for a call-in number.

We've acquired a number of small companies over the past five years, and the people and technology that have come to Google from other places have contributed in many ways, large and small, to all kinds of Google products. Since the GrandCentral team joined Google in 2007, they've done incredible things with Google's technology and resources to launch and improve Google Voice.

We welcome the Gizmo5 team to Google and look forward to working together to bringing more useful features to Google Voice.

Hmmm Google are at it again..

Quote:

Current Gizmo5 users will still be able to use the service, though we will be suspending new signups for the time being, and existing users will no longer be able to sign up for a call-in number.

So I used a service that I paid for, Google buy the company and now I cant add to it and also I cant sign up to googlevoice as its US only.

Thankyou google.

To me this is starting to smell very MS like, IE buy up and wind down any competition.

Ian

Brilliant

I've been on the point of getting round to joining for a while, and now can't

There was already some integration between this and GV, which was one way it would be useful, but closing it for a while might seem to imply as much of a slow down as an increase of the process

How long was the interval between Google acquiring Grand Central and reopening it, launching it to new entrants?

Did Gooegle actually want Gizmo, or was it a preemptive strike after rumours of Skype interest?

Or did that die away with the rapprochement between Skype and Joltid?

andyk :

Did Gooegle actually want Gizmo, or was it a preemptive strike after rumours of Skype interest?

I believe Google is interested in G5 softphone with messenger to build a complete VoIP/Messenger for its Facebook social service to compete with Skype.

Quote:

I believe Google is interested in G5 softphone with messenger to build a complete VoIP/Messenger for its Facebook social service to compete with Skype.

Maybe, but that might go along the same path as Skype in having a large proportion of one's customers earning the firm not much revenue. Or would they charge a few dollars a month?


I must say it isn't promising that the Google/Gizmo webpage asks people to enter email addresses to receive info about re-launch, then refuses to accept some addresses as valid. Perhaps they intend to restrict this too to US users.

all over the web is this discussion of the G5 softphone messenger and eventual integration with GV being the reason for the takeover. but the fact that G5 has always supported BYOD SIP hardware seems to me to be a much more significant thing.

watching VOIP usage over the years i really do not see soft phones having taken off to near the extent that SIP hardware has. GV/G5 combined could be a solid landline replacement via SIP hardware but of little appeal as a softphone.

Quote:

Since the GrandCentral team joined Google in 2007, they've done incredible things with Google's technology and resources to launch and improve Google Voice.

Yeah, it has made many innovations and improved technology...
Well done by GrandCentral team!

They're improving it all the time

recent "progress": barring Voxalot users

there must be still plenty of other SIP services with scope for them to cancel peering and destroy compatibility


p.s. what happened to OpenSky?