Just few mins back, I’ve seen the demo video of Google voice service (Search for Google Voice in Youtube).To summarize the concept of Google v oice “They will have the face of the telephony” just like they did to Internet!When you register with Google voice, you will get your unique “Google Voice number”. You can connect all your phone connections (Office/home/mobile) to this Google number. You can divert the callers to the phone based on your convenience. For instance, if you are at a party you can divert them to your mobile, or when you are in office, you can divert the callers to your office number.
Now, callers don’t know where you are. But they will call your Google Voice number. Based on your settings, the call will be diverted to you! If you don’t want to wish to talk to some one, you can divert them to Google voice mail, and even you can receive the voicemail message in text format delivered to your mobile!
The best part is even when you change your mobile number; you just need to assign your new number to the Google Voice number which will be unchanged (like your gmail id).
It will help consumers for sure. But, for the mobile operators?
Mobile numbers are being the face of telecom companies. Imagine when more people go with Google number it will affect the brand equity of the carrier! Imagine if Google comes up with a mobile search (Already launched in Hyderabad, India) and it diverts users to their voice search engine! Revenue lost to carriers.
What’s amazing in Google’ strategy is that when they have Interface to the callers they can get enormous database of customers mobile nunber! They can even use the numbers to send text alerts by tracking them through GPS and enable a location based advertising using Google maps, Google latitude etc!
Google might change the face of telecom carriers beginning today.
It’s too scary to imagine one company to be the face of Both Internet and telecom!