Google has opened up GrandCentral, offering invites to U.S. users through Blogger. If you'd like to set up a GrandCentral account, head over to Blogger Buzz for more details.
GrandCentral is a web-based phone platform that offers you a new, centralized phone number. Once you've handed out your new number to all your contacts, you can then tell GrandCentral to forward those incoming calls to any phone you want — your land line, your mobile device, the hotel room you're staying in, etc.
You can receive voicemail notifications by e-mail and SMS and you can check your messages from any phone or directly on the web. There's also a great call recording feature and (the killer feature for many) the ability to permanently ban an incoming number.
We looked a GrandCentral in depth before it was acquired by Google and I've been using it as my primary work number ever since. There are some issues with reception — GrandCentral occasionally drops a call — but call quality is surprisingly good. Of course, as an AT&T user, dropped calls are par for the course so perhaps my already low expectations have colored my view of GrandCentral.
The call-recording works well and banning numbers is a great way to filter out marketing and sale pitches — you can even create a custom message for blocked callers explaining why you've blocked them (or telling them off, if that's more your style).
[Here's a handy tip for using GrandCentral: if your mobile provider offers unlimited minutes for select contacts, just add your GrandCentral number to that list and have everyone call you on that number and stop worrying about using your mobile minutes.]
That GrandCentral is taking new signups via Blogger is a good sign and it probably won't be too long before GrandCentral starts to find its way into Gmail.
[via Digg]
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