November 12, 2009

Google Acquires Gizmo5

Google confirms the acquisition of Gizmo5, a proprietary SIP soft phone. "The Gizmo5 network uses open standards for call management, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP). However, the Gizmo5 client application is proprietary software and uses several proprietary codecs, including GIPS, iSAC, the wideband adaptive codec made popular by Skype," explains Wikipedia. Gizmo5 is "the only SIP service without PSTN-based US phone numbers that may be used with Google Voice."

"While we don't have any specific features to announce right now, Gizmo5's engineers will be joining the Google Voice team to continue improving the Google Voice and Gizmo5 experience. Current Gizmo5 users will still be able to use the service, though we will be suspending new signups for the time being, and existing users will no longer be able to sign up for a call-in number," mentions Google.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Gizmo5 morphing into a new version of Google Talk, with built-in support for Google Voice.

17 comments:

  1. I think they should have made this purchase at the same time as Grandcentral... Hope to see some great things in the near future!

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  2. If it does morph into a new version of gTalk, then it's about time - that application needs some serious love (Or at least, standardisation across all the interfaces). What have we got - a web version that has video, but no file transfer; a desktop version that has file transfer (If you get the US one), but no video; smileys that may or may not animate or display differently depending on where you are; contacts that are just frankly screwed up...

    Please, let's hope this does become the new Google Talk 2.0 (Or whatever version it is).

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  3. It is very similar to modernisation Skype. Google so all buys...

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  4. Been using Gizmo and GrandCentral since early betas. Sad to hear Google became the owner of the only SIP provider supported in Google Voice

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  5. How can a company with so much money and resources keep coming up with crap. Without all that money this company would be the laughing stock of the internet right next to Yahoo. Someone is coming along soon that's why google is scrambling to reach further into the making money for nothing fields.
    Wake UP google your game is weak :)
    Bloggers don't even care about page rank anymore
    don't be the next AOL :) and don't be cocky and think it can't happen.

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  6. Sad?? why? you can still make free calls, and they made this purchase to make it better why do you think it was the only one supported by Google voice?

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  7. Before morphing Gizmo5 into the new Google Talk they need to facelift the interface a lot. It looks awful!

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  8. Agreed with Tomas, Gizmo 5 does require redesign, and about Gtalk 2.0, Well they just acquired the company lets see what happens without making speculations about it.

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  9. Good idea.There does need to be a redesign, but if it is effective, I think Google is banking on more moves like this.

    Now, here's the question. When is Google going to develop the ultimate operating system, the combination of MAC OS, Linux and Windows? And, can this be done by a company as huge as Google, and if so, when can they have it available?

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  10. @josxbc

    Whatever VoIP provider you are currently using I am more than sure you have free US calls.

    Sad because Google Voice could have become the all-in-one switchboard of all internet calls, but apparently not gonna happen

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  11. Google and its updates are itself a very new and long lasting operations happened in the Google for almost everyday.. If Google acquires Gizmo, its one more again for the implementation for the best of it and to make it strong again in the competition of search engines which will again makes the Google stronger than ever ..

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  12. That's wonderful news, hope Google will improve their Voice & Video Chat quality. Thanks for the post.

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  13. I think they are going in two directions with this:

    1. I think they got gizmo for he VOIP tech, not the interface

    2. They will probably unite voice and talk, thus making a good, free to use VOIP (and will probably try to put a good VOIP in android 3.0 or something AT LAST)

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  14. Great fit! Gizmo seems to have good video technology but lousy infrastructure (my experience - bad latency). Google is the scaling expert, and hopefully has the vision to mix gmail, wave, voice and video into a great user experience!

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  15. Hurry google i want to use my computer instead of my phone, oh and then i could use it like a car phone with wimax sweet!

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  16. "When is Google going to develop the ultimate operating system, the combination of MAC OS, Linux and Windows? And, can this be done by a company as huge as Google, and if so, when can they have it available?"

    Would be interesting to see what an alliance between Google and Apple could create!

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  17. What's next?

    Is there any hope that Google voice will work in Canada and other countries?

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