Google Inc. has todaly introduced Google Voice service, which threads traditional phone features with Gmail. Google Voice allows users to store transcripts of voicemail phone messages in their email inboxes.

Google Voice service runs on the technology of on Grand Central Communications, which Google purched for an undisclosed amount in July 2007.

According to Google, Google Voice will be presently available for several hundred thousand people who have GrandCentral accounts and who still depend on GrandCentral to manage incoming calls on their office, home and mobile phone lines.

Craig Walker, product manager of real-time communications and head of Google Voice, has stated that the current GrandCentral users get the option to upgrade today, and the service will be available to the public after "a number of weeks".

In an interview at Google's office, Walker said, "Our goal is to be able to offer it to people for free." When asked about the the revenue model of Google Voice, Walker said, "Let's get a bunch of happy users engaged in Google properties and getting their voice mail through this. Google gets value out of having happy Google users."