After Google acquired Skype competitor Gizmo5 in November 2009, the company developed a soft phone application called “Google Voice Desktop”, which is fully integrated with the Google Voice service, address book, etc. However, the program may never be released because Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin prefer that Google avoid creating software used independently from the browser.
TechCrunch originally tried to track down screenshots of the Google Voice Desktop, but were instead able to land actual application, which they demonstrate in the video above. The test shows both outbound and inbound calls, and were carried out without the use of a headset, relying instead on the internal microphone and speakers.
Apparently, the demonstration was a success, as displayed by the following text:
We continue to urge Google to release this software. It gives people an extra way to use Google Voice and is particularly useful when traveling overseas, where Google Voice doesn’t yet work. You can use Skype and buy a Skype-In number for €50/year to duplicate much of this functionality, but that’s just a ridiculous price to pay for a soft phone in our opinion.
Will Google listen?
(via TechCrunch)
