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1-800-Google Launches
The Webguy wrote to mention a C|Net article talking about Google's newest toy - Local Voice Search. The service is dirt simple: you call a 1-800 number and, via voice recognition software, say the category of business you're trying to reach. You can also try for a specific name, though the C|Net blogger had some problems with that. The Google Blog has been updated with details as well: "Google Voice Local Search lets you search for local businesses from any phone and for free. If you're in the US, call 1-800-GOOG-411 and say what you want to find. Here are some of the features -You can find a business listing by category. Just say "pizza," for example. You can send the listing details to your mobile phone via SMS. The service is fully automated, so it doesn't rely on human operators. It connects you directly to the business, free of charge."
"Nookie."
I am not left-handed, either!
Finally there is an easy way of calling 911!
It's impressive to think the resources it would take to run this service. I wonder what software they use to do the voice recognition.
x86, oh yes, I'm pro.
I wonder if it recognizes "Escort Services".
*sigh* who am I kidding?
Why? Doesn't Google do enough? Is anybody but me reminded of the dot-com boom? Big companies doing too much at once, gaining money/people at an alarming rate, and then inevitably crashing and burning. With every "BETA" they release I get more and more afraid one day I'll go to open my GMail and get a "Google has gone into Chapter 11" message or some such.
Sex. Drugs, and Unix.
.... just how does Google plan to make money from this? Sure it takes away business from traditional directory based searches, but I still fail to see how the cash that those services would get end up in Google's pocket. I'm sure that if I'm missing something that /.'ers will point out what that something is.
This is my opinion. To make sure you don't steal it, it's covered by the DMCA.
It's their answer to Microsoft's acquisition of TellMe. (1-800-555-TELL). Presumably, like TellMe, after a while they will add ads.
Well, one idea is that they could sell what company shows up first in your area when you ask for "Pizza." That ought to be worth a lot.
sure. you pay to have your business listed preferentially.
If no business is preferential or there is a "tie" then the user gets a short voice advert "while we find your numbers" and gets connected.
On a related note I got bored/frustrated with Delta airlines automated attendant some time ago and had lots of fun. Got into a sorta dialogue with the blasted thing then managed to end up in some sort of maintenance mode. Couldn't change any settings (required password, lord knows I tried) but I could monitor status.
-nB
whois gawk date unzip strip find touch finger mount join nice man top fsck grep eject more yes exit umount sleep dump
I see it as a way for them to know what people are searching for, just like their google search engine. You'd be surprised to know how much that sort of information can be worth to companies.
Does this sign you up for phone spam?
Results: Tom Nook, The Nookie
To me, it sounds like they are planning a slow takeover of VoIP by offering tidbits of functionality here and there, to regroup them all in the future as a mega-package...
I think it's been pretty clearly established by now that Google is not very concerned about the short term money-making prospects of most of the products that it launches. In the long term, ads can be added to anything, and there is probably even some less-tangible value to running a free service that people like and use. Besides, this was probably a 20% project that a handful of people got together and created in their free time--there's little to lose even if it turns out to be a catastrophic failure.
There are so many threads lately where everybody whines about software companies that can't see anything other than the bottom line, even if it means getting sub-par workers to do a sub-par job. This is the other end of the spectrum, which is presumably what we'd all like to see more of. Why should you insist on questioning or worrying about what the short-term bottom line is? Given their earnings history, I'm plenty confident that Google is worrying about the money in the places it actually matters.
Not releasing products & changing the world.
I'm feeling lucky
I'm god, but it's a bit of a drag really...
Google also recognized the term "brewpub", and located my favorite one, too! :-)
Sadly, they didn't understand my search for, "beer and hookers." But my search for "prostitites" in Scottsdale resulted in a response of, "We didn't find any exact matches, but here are a couple that come close ..." I got a kick out of the fourth listing they provided, which was for the Alliance Defense Fund,. . . (no joke ;-)
An an unrelated note, if all of use call this number tonight, do you think it might be a first to "slashdot" a telephone? ;-) If we can slashdot Google's number, we should have CowboyNeal post a Telemarketer of the Week's number on slashdot ... try to bring down some truly useless and evil people,... :-)
I noticed the service automatically connects you to the business. Does this mean that Google pays if you are transferred to a long-distance number (i.e. since your call is actually connected to 800-goog411)?
When i asked for it to find porn in Oklahoma, it gave me the first three results:
1. First Christian Church
2. The local police department
3. Animal Control
Maybe it's just not the same as the real google.
Seems very much like 800-FREE-411 but hopefully without the ads?
Possible motivations for Google:
1. Further promote Google's value and brand in the minds of consumers and business owners alike. This is following in the same vein as the Google Local Business Center's completely free coupons that you can create for your business to appear on Google Maps. Call it good PR.
2. Statistics. Useful not only to them, but to local business owners. Again, develops brand loyalty and is good PR.
3. As part and parcel of 1 and 2, they hope that some of these local business owners will later purchase normal ads on Google.
In short, even if the added revenue from 3 doesn't completely offset the cost of running this service, 1 and 2 add value in ways that are hard to directly quantify in monetary terms. Though I suspect they will indeed make more (regular Adwords/Adsense) revenue as a direct result of this service's availability than it costs to run it. The usual exorbitant $1.25 per 411 call is not even close to what it costs to run such a service (especially without human operators).
4. Don't be evil. And while you're at it, if you can take out a few of the other evildoers out there, all the better! Google has taken the lessons of "disruptive technology" to heart, and it's worked for them time and again.
As usual, Google wins by not being overly (or at least overtly) greedy. It's for this reason that I doubt we'll ever hear paid ads or purchased placement when calling the service.
Google uses Nuance Communications' speech recognition engine. Even though Google has hired a few folks from Nuance a while ago, it is NOT using homebrew technology, at least not as far as the engine is concerned. And even if Google had planned to build their own engine (they have no good reason to, really), it would have taken longer than a couple of years and much more than a handful of ex-Nuance engineers to be able to come up with a competitive speech reco engine -- the entry bar is high, even for Google. But like I said: Google has no good reason to re-invente the well -- it would have been just ridiculous; heck, if they seriously wanted to own the engine, they could have bought Nuance (the pre-merger Nuance, not the merged-with-Scansoft Nuance) with their pocket change.
...
*Bing!* "White House Operator. How may I direct your call?"
Man, I *wish* that still worked.
Anyone else think the voice is creepy? It's more realistic than other automated voice systems, but still doesn't sound human. Maybe they hit the uncanny valley.
The voice was a guy though; perhaps that's what I think is wrong. All the other automated voices I've heard (local transit system, 1-800-free-411, etc; have all used female voices. Perhaps the softness of a female voice helps gloss over the realism flaws in the voice?
Google should add a 'I'm feeling lucky' option to the service, which would automatically dial the top-rated business for that category. That would be really exciting, especially if you're searching for something like 'escorts' and it dials the PD.