





Google is bringing Gmail and Google Voice together with the launch of phone call integration within Google Chat and Gmail.

We're here at Google's San Francisco offices for a small press conference where the company is discussing the new integration. We're getting live demos of just how voice calling in Gmail works.

Here are my live notes and photos from the event:

Google Voice/Gmail: Live Notes

Press Conference 082510 Google

All times are in pacific standard time

9:34 AM: Google Product Manager Todd Jackson is recapping some of Gmail's features, specifically the history of Google Chat and GOogle Voice and Video Chat. AIM integration, invisible mode, group chat, emoticons and the mobile app have ben some of the new features the Gmail team has added to Google Chat.

9:36: Vincent Paquet, Product Manager for Google Voice, is discussing the history of the product. It looks like this announcement

9:40: Phone Calls in Gmail announced. The option to "Call phone" now appears within Google Chat. When you click the link, a Gchat pop-up appears where you can dial numbers and make phone calls.

9:44: Voice cancellation technology minimizes echo.

9:45: Google's demonstrating voice calls to international destinations. It follows Google Voice's rates.

9:46: You can receive phone calls in your Gmail with your Google Voice number. You can switch between your cell phone and Gmail, which is useful if you have bad cell coverage or a bad Internet connections.

9:50: Phone calls in U.S. and Canada are free, and calls to most countries cost $0.02

9:52: Google has a cute little video for Googll Voice in Gmail. And here it is:









9:50 Q&A. Google Voice isn't coming to Google Talk, at least for now, because the focus was on the web integration. SMS is available in Gmail as a Labs feature, but isn't part of this integration. It's not rolling out in Google Apps today, but it will in the near future.