Google buys Gizmo5 for Google Voice

Google has a new VOIP client to help improve Google Voice.

(Credit: Gizmo5)

Google confirmed its intention to acquire Gizmo5, an Internet telephony company, with plans to merge the group into the Google Voice team.

The pending acquisition had been reported earlier in the week by Techcrunch but was overshadowed by the announcement of Google's third-largest acquisition to date--the $750 million AdMob deal--on the same day. Late Thursday Google confirmed that it had acquired the company, although financial terms of this deal were not disclosed.

Gizmo5 is a Web-based VoIP client that lets you make phone calls over the Internet, similar to programs like Skype. It's based, however, on an open standard called SIP that fits a little better into Google's worldview, rather than Skype's internally-developed system.

Gizmo5 works on both PCs and mobile phones, and the technology will likely be used in some way to enhance Google Voice. Google Voice isn't a VoIP client; it lets you use a single number to ring multiple phones and get voice mails transcribed into e-mail, but it does that over existing phone networks.

As Google figures out exactly what it wants to do with Gizmo5, it is suspending new sign-ups for the service, but current users will still be able use it.

[rtripathi]

The new uncommon carrier!

[cjayasuriya]

cool. When are they going to come up with a google voice app for WM phones?

[macman87asdf]

who uses WM?

[eltoro2827]

Tons of people do.

[faceless128]

they don't have to. WM5 isn't a closed platform, and there are SEVERAL third party GV Apps. iDialer, GVDialer and OneDialer to name a few.

[Police_States_of_America]

YES YES YES! goes nicely with my new droid :D

[nycnikato]

CNR did not die, It was sold to Xandros and is still in use as part of Presto, the OS fron Xandros, Mp3.com is not dead, and digital lockers are not uncommon ore illegal , mp3tunes.com is working just fine.

[belal12]

I hope they IMPROVE Gizmo5. Their lag/echo is terrible and almost unusable at times. If these issues went away and the client was more stable, then I wouldn't mind shelling some money for good premium services that I pay to skype now (skypeIN and skypeOUT).

[SteveW928]

I'd do some testing with your ISP. I also used to have problems (to the point I almost gave up) until I moved. On a different ISP, it has worked great most of the time. The problems were on Comcast in the S.F. Bay area. I submitted trace-routes to their techs which showed obvious problems, but they never would admit or correct them.
Why your Skype seems to be working is harder to say. If the ISP is messing with SIP packets, that might explain it. Also, different codecs are being used and the routing works differently with Skype. But, just wanted to let you know that I'm currently using Gizmo5 (have been for like 3+ years) and it usually works just fine (once in a while calls don't connect, or voice-mail doesn't pick a call up.... and VERY seldom, lag/echo type issues).

[sharmajunior]

I had it coming. I was using google voice with Gizmo and x dialer and now they own it...LOL

[subslug]

So Michael Robertson finally found something to make some cash off of. MR always used the trot line method, bait several hooks and just wait until something bites. He just never used the right bait I guess. Linspire was failed, CNR was failed, MP3Tunes....failed, getting sued by Microsoft ...well there was that.
I'd love to know the details of this deal.

[sci062999]

Fabulous! Me and my family are using SIP devices for free calls using Gizmo5 precedent -- sipphone.com. We are still using their SIP server for registration. Now Google will take over. Sweet!

[khoivu4477]

Cool... I have used Gizmo for the last 5 years. The voice quality is excellent. I also configured a hardware ATA to connect to its gateway so I do not need to use PC to make call. The quality is equal to Vonage or Lingo. Now, google is taking it over, I expects that is huge impact to commercial VOIP provider like Lingo. Way to go Gizmo. Good job..

Now, Google voice number can be configured to forward to Gizmo5 ATA.. that is very cool.

[cvaldes1831]

"Gizmo5 is a Web-based VoIP client"

This is incorrect. While the service can be accessed via the Web, there are standalone Gizmo clients for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Also, many SIP clients can work with the Gizmo service. I have Acrobits Softphone on my iPod touch and it works fine with Gizmo; it even features push notifications so you can pick up incoming calls.

[stealdude]

If anyone is interested on how to integrate google voice+gizmo5+ATA. Then try the tutorial on www.exoticpages.info. I am sure it will be useful.

[mil_vet]

If anyone has any google voice invites, I would like to try it out. Thanks [e-mail]

[stealdude]

You can get your own google voice invite. you just have to wait a few days.

http://www.exoticpages.info/google_voice_free_phone_service_tutorial_part_1.html