Google today announced it has acquire Internet telephony company Gizmo5, with plans to merge the group into the Google Voice team.
Gizmo5 is a Web-based VoIP client that lets you make phone calls over the Internet, similar to programs like Skype.
It’s based on an open standard called Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) that fits a little better into Google’s worldview, rather than Skype’s internally-developed system, according to C/Net.
Gizmo5 works on both PCs and mobile phones, and the technology may be used 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.
Gizmo5 lets you make calls over the internet.
Google did not say what features or technology it may incorporate from Gizmo5, but adding VoIP calling to Google Voice, and porting it to Android phones seems like a good guess.
