Google Gives Free VoIP in 2012 As Well

by Andrew Wiggin⁽¹³⁾
http://www.onsip.com

Just two days ago, Google announced that it would extend its free Gmail calling to the US and Canada for the year 2012 as well. This now continues their plans for providing free VoIP service which started in 2010. There are only two possibilities. One, they wish to further push awareness of Gmail's calling capabilities and are therefore providing this free service at a loss to themselves. Two, they actually making a profit off international calls. But the latter explanation doesn't really fit in with Google's portfolio. They don't need the money - so why are they doing it?

A few months back, I had predicted that they would end its free Gmail calling service in 2012. The reason I said that, was that I thought Google will bring the ability to make calls over the Internet to smart phones as well. As of now, users can send and receive calls via Gmail on their desktop PC using only their Internet connection. Oddly however, this capability isn't available on Android natively. It doesn't make sense. I had postulated that Google is doing this to keep the carriers happy since it would then become trivial for everyone to use their wireless data plans for making calls. And once people started doing that en masse, it would be to become unprofitable for Google to offer it for free.

The latest developments however indicate that Google has no intentions of bringing free VoIP calling to its android product platform for now - at least not natively. Either my theories could be completely off the mark, or Google is continuing this gambit one more year - at least until Android obtains a stranglehold on the market. Who knows? Open support for Internet voice calls by Google might antagonize carriers to the extent that they may choose an alternative operating system for their mobile phones, such as Windows.

I'm not sure how this will play out. Google has all the infrastructure it requires to make VoIP calling on smart phones easily and freely available. Ice Cream Sandwich already carries over the tradition of Gingerbread and allows SIP addresses to be stored natively as part of a contact's details. In addition, they have an in built SIP client which already works well with Android. Why then, are they holding back on the last piece of the puzzle and not becoming an SIP provider in their own right? Google Voice is a very strong launchpad for such a service as the pre-installed user base would be extremely valuable for Google's VoIP platform to gain traction.

Well, at least look at the bright side. Free Gmail according to the US and Canada means that people like me can continue to leech of it for a year longer!

Andrew Wiggin is an expert consultant on Secure Business VoIP Servers. He also specializes in Quality HD Voice.

Article submitted Thursday, December 22, 2011 & read 2 times.

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