Google Sending Invitations To Google Voice

Google has begun sending invitations to people who signed up to try its not-yet-launched Google Voice service.

The service, based on technology from GrandCentral, which Google acquired in 2007, gives users a single phone number that will ring his or her home, work and mobile phone numbers. Users can control the service to have specific callers ring a particular phone. Callers can also be sent to voice mail, with messages transcribed and e-mailed to the user.

"We are happy to share that Google Voice is beginning to open up beyond former GrandCentral users," product managers Craig Walker and Vincent Paquet wrote on The Official Google Blog. "If you requested an invitation on the Google Voice site or previously on GrandCentral, keep your eye out for an invite e-mail."

The blog post illustrates a planned number picker to search for numbers by area code and text. "See if you can find a number that contains your name, a specific word or a number combination," Walker and Paquet advised.

Google did not indicate how many new customers might be accepted.