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Google Hangouts Gets Google Voice Integration And Free VoIP Calls

Posted by samzenpus on from the dial-g-for-google dept.

sfcrazy writes Google will integrate Voice and Hangouts with the launch of its redesigned Hangouts apps for Android and iOS, as well as on the web. Amit Fulay, Product Manager at Google says, "Starting today you can make voice calls from Hangouts on Android, iOS and the web. It's free to call other Hangouts users, it's free to call numbers in the U.S. and Canada, and the international rates are really low. So keeping in touch is easier and more affordable than ever."

3 of 162 comments (clear)

  1. Deprecating the telephone system by MobyDisk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Many Slashdotters have been saying for years that voice is just another protocol that can run on top of IP. The schism between "phone service" and "data service" is artificial at this point. The only feature it brings right now is that it is standardized. I wonder how long before nobody uses it anymore? I fear a world where I have to install 10 different apps to talk to people. But at the same time, if we can choose some standard protocol then we can get rid of the telephone system entirely.

    1. Re:Deprecating the telephone system by ArcadeMan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What's funny is that Apple is pushing for it so gradually that the carriers still haven't realized what's happening. The sooner they wake up and realize we only need data (and a lot more of it), the better.

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    2. Re:Deprecating the telephone system by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Haven't realized? Are you kidding?

      They fully realized it. But they'd be first admitting to eating babies alive before they'd willingly talk about that. And they'll fight tooth and nail against anything that could come close to merging "phone" and "data". The reason is very simple: Phone IS already data to them. But data they can sell very, very, VERY expensively.

      Ponder for a moment how much data a voice call is. Realize just how well it can be compressed.
      Ponder for a moment how much you pay per minute for cell plans.
      Now take a wild guess how expensive a kb of that data is for you.

      Multiply by a few thousand and you come close to the real value of "voice data" to your carrier.

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