Saving Telephone Costs with Gmail

I have been an avid user of Google Voice for several months. I have encouraged my family, friends,  and many of my key clients to use my Google Voice number as the best way to reach me anytime, anywhere. My experiences with the Google Voice system have been excellent. Yesterday, Google added a new feature in Gmail which greatly expands the utility of Google Voice and provides even more opportunities for anyone to save money on phone usage.

Gmail users can now place calls from their computer directly from Gmail. All you need is the Google Video and Voice plug-in for your browser, a microphone and speakers (or a headset). You can dial with an on-screen keypad or use your Gmail contacts. (Very handy) I placed several calls yesterday and it worked flawlessly. This is now a major competitor for Skype and similar VoIP phone services. Google promises that calls to U.S. and Canada will be free through 2010 and thereafter, if they make enough money on international calls (which are dirt cheap).

The cost savings gets even better if you are a Google Voice user. You can now select your computer as a destination for incoming calls. This means that if you are in an area where cell coverage is poor or if you just don’t want to use a cell phone, you can send and receive calls using an Internet connected computer. When a call arrives, your computer will ring and a screen pop-up will appear. Everything is free. Ditch that land line once and for all.

I encourage you to read this list from Lifehacker of eight clever ways you can use free calling from Gmail.

Have you tried this new feature? Are you Google Voice users?

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