Checking Out Google Voice

Google Voice is coming out of beta as more Google Voice invites trickle out to users which is good news to web workers because Google Voice includes some nifty features for better managing voice and SMS communications.

The power of Google Voice is that it enables you to forward your Google Voice phone number to multiple phone numbers like your office phone, mobile phone, and client site phone. This makes web workers always accessible via phone and also gives them a client facing number that isn't one of their live working numbers so they can maintain privacy.

Ringing up Google Voice
You can make calls and send SMS messages directly from the Google Voice interface. All of the calls and messages originate from your Google Voice telephone number and not Google Voice includes the following:

• Google Contacts Integration. You can call or SMS your Google Contacts from within Google Voice.
• Voicemail. You can manage your voicemail from within Google Voice.

• SMS. You can manage your Google Voice SMS messages from within Google Voice.

However, there is a dark side to Google Voice including spam and telemarketers hiding behind Google Voice's features. It remains to see how this class of people can compromise this powerful service offering.

Managing Google Voice
Google Voice includes a mature set of management tools to control your settings. I recommend taking some time to learn the settings because Google Voice's toolset is far more extensive than most VoIP phones you may have experience with in the past.

The Google Voice settings follow the Google user interface standards for their Web services and include:

• General settings governing language, time zone, voice mail controls, call screening, and caller ID.
• Phones settings designating where you forward your Google Voice phone number.
• Groups settings defining calling groups for Google Voice.
• Call Widgets enabling you to place a widget on any Web site enabling site visitors to dial your Google Voice number directly.

If you are a frequent user of Google services like Gmail and Google Docs, you'll certainly enjoy being able to access Google Voice from the toolbar. This was active in my instance of Google Voice but wasn't available for me from Gmail, Google Docs, or Google Reader.

Local Number Portability (LNP) is also due to come to Google Voice meaning you'll be able to port an existing phone number you own to the service. This should open up some intriguing possibilities for remote workers and freelancers considering Google Voice to manage their voice calling and SMS.

Implementing Google Voice
Snagging a Google Voice invite is your gateway into a new voice and SMS communications model that can offer you better tools to manage your voice and SMS communications with clients, business partners, and coworkers.

Even me as a person who doesn't like the phone found a lot to like in Google Voice and I am looking forward to seeing the service gain some broad market acceptance.