Google Voice = Unified Messaging

In the last few days Google has released Google Voice for Hosted Domain email accounts. You know, the Gmail but with your business name.

My Setup: I have a Google Voice Number that is on my business card and public. I have my cell phone, with it’s own number, and it’s voice mail being intercepted by Google Voice. I also have all my contacts in my iPhone syncing to my contacts for my hosted email, which is the same contacts for Google Voice. I treat the Public Google Voice number as a tech support line for GTD. Here is where the cool part comes in; because I have my contacts integrated, I can set up custom outgoing messages for each person in my iPhone/Google Contacts. If you are not in my contacts you get the standard tech support greeting, but let’s say if my mom calls my cell phone and gets voice mail, she gets the “hi mom, I will call you right back, love you” message.

If the call come from my cell phone or direct from the Google Voice number, I will be able to listen in on the caller leaving a message, and pick up. In effect pulling the call back or let it go and finish in voicemail.

Unified messaging has long been the desire for most of us. Having all my calls listed in an inbox like structure makes managing everything a snap.

Thanks Google