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.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
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).
I'd love to know the details of this deal.
Gizmo sucks - SPAM, Echo, Lag TIme, SPAM, Phone numbers only from BumFu@k middle America, oh and did I say they constantly SPAM YOU!!??
I've never tried to acquire a Gizmo dial-in number; my current Google Voice number is one issued by GrandCentral. It's a local prefix and it has always rung my Gizmo number.
As far as I can tell, there is zero spam with my Google Voice/Gizmo setup.
While I won't say my experience with Gizmo5 has been trouble free.... It also has been nothing like what you are stating. Once in a while connections fail or a call fails to get picked up by voice-mail (maybe once per week to once per month). Outside of that, I've been pretty happy with the service. If you're having lag problems, it is probably your ISP, not Gizmo5. When I lived in the S.F. Bay area, I had Comcast, and was constantly fighting with them to try and get it working correctly (I submitted several trace-routes to Comcast techs, which had obvious issues, which they, of course, denied.). After having moved to the Vancouver B.C. area, my suspicions were confirmed as my problems magically went away.
Now, Google voice number can be configured to forward to Gizmo5 ATA.. that is very cool.
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.
- by mil_vet November 19, 2009 10:55 AM PST
- If anyone has any google voice invites, I would like to try it out. Thanks mi.vet05@gmail.com
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