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Google has launched a new a voice calling feature that brings instant VoIP calls to the Gmail interface. At a media event at its San Francisco office, Gmail product manager Todd Jackson, Google Voice product manager Vincent Paquet, and Google communications product manager Craig Walker recounted how Gmail has grown from an e-mail client into a communications hub that supports Google Talk instant messaging, video and voice chat, and now phone calls. The service essentially works like a regular phone call. Users can click the "call phone" button at the top of their chat list and enter a contact number. Users choose their own numbers, which can be applied to 6 different devices that can be set up to all ring at the same time or not at all. Calls are free to anyone in the U.S. or Canada, and 2-cent-per- minute calls to 30 select countries. Voice mails are transcribed into text, which are then forwarded as an e-mail to users' g-mail accounts.

At present only users of the Gmail system inside the US are being offered the service. Google hopes to make money from the service by charging for international calls - though  those will vary widely, even within the same country. It has a chart of rates. People also  will be able to receive calls on their PC if they obtain a free phone number from Google,  or already have one through its Google Voice service."We’ve been testing this feature internally and have found it to be useful in a lot of situations, ranging from making a quick call to a restaurant, to placing a call when you’re in an area with bad reception," the company said on the company blog.

The service will thrust Google into direct competition with Skype, the Internet telephone  
company, and with telecommunications providers. Google is also going to promote the service by setting up red phone booths in US universities and airports, letting them make free calls inside North America, and cheaper ones outside it.

This Time Google Offers Phone Calls via Gmail