REQUIREMENTS(FREE):

Sign up for Google Voice

• Provides a FREE local number and call management service (requires 1 working cell or land-line)
• Includes voicemail, voicemail to email, voicemail transcription, call screening, etc…..

Download Google Video Chat Plug-in

• Allows TOLL FREE outbound calls to be placed from Gmail from your Google voice number on your land- line or cell.
• Receives inbound calls from you Google Voice number to Google Chat.

Download Google Chrome

• Recommended for intense use of Google products.

Download Google Chrome Web Store (Voice App)

• Adds a little phone icon in your address tool bar of Chrome to place FREE long distance calls through the Google VoIP cloud from your cell or land-line.

FEATURES:

When browsing in Chrome, phone Numbers on web pages become links that you can dial for free from your associated cell, land-line or Gmail (google chat).

Embedded widget for web pages allows people to enter their phone number and Google connects the call free to your Google number which can then point to any phone. Including the Google Chat soft-phone.

If configured as such, your Google number will ring your phones simultaneously such as you cell, your land-line, your google Chat.

Thorough Call Detail Records (CDR's). Including inbound or outbound initiation, time/date stamp, length, location or mobile

Unified Communications. Voicemails are transcribed and emailed along with the mp3 audio. Transcription can be configured to be sent to your cell phone as SMS. In the case of transcriptions being longer then 160 characters (the limit for SMS). The transcription will come in separate text messages until you've received the entire message.

Google Voicemail can be programmed to intercept voice-mail messages received to your cell's actual number. In my case my Verizon number. When enabled calls not picked up on your cell go to the Google voice-mail which in turn can be configured to send an SMS transcription to your cell. No need to check your voice-mail. Additionally if the transcription is larger then the 160 characters allowed for SMS, Google Voice automatically spans the transcribed voice-mail across as many SMS as needed.

In the control panel under Sound --> Change System sound --> Communications (tab), Windows 7 can be configured to mute other audio such as movies and music when placing or receiving a call on the Google softphone