Gotta Have It - Your Free Personal Switchboard Operator

Real Estate Technology Series - Ever wanted your very own personal switchboard operator to screen your calls and direct them to where you want them to go? Well, you can now have exactly that with your very own Google Voice number.

Here are the features that you will appreciate in your personal switchboard operator, Google Style:

1. One Phone Number for Life: The first step in using Google Voice, is to reserve a phone number (available in all area codes) that can be linked to any of your current phone numbers (home, work or cell or all)...

2. Call Forwarding: Not only can you forward calls to as many numbers as you like, you can choose what numbers to forward them to based on who's calling. You can also group types of callers and direct them to specific number(s) or send them directly to voice mail.

3. Screen your Calls: When anyone calls your google voice number, they are presented with three options: answer the call, send it to voicemail, or listen in on the voicemail. Doing the latter lets you break into the message the caller is leaving to speak with them. When someone calls who is in your address book, a computerized voice announces his or her name when you pick up the phone. You can also install the Google Voice application on your cell phone and use it to make your calls for free to anywhere in the US. This application hasn't worked well on my blackberry but other users have reported good results with it.

4. Call logs and transcribed voicemails: When someone leaves a voicemail, it’s automatically transcribed as text, available to listen to online and sent to you as an e-mail. The transcription of words leaves a lot to be desired which will get better over time, but it does a good job getting phone numbers right. This gives you a permanent written record that is easily stored for future reference.

5. Other Cool Tools: Worried about using up all your cell phone minutes? Google Voice let's you transfer your calls to another phone while you are on the call. Simply press the "*" button, and it will ring all your other phones on the account (home/work etc.) and simply answer and the call will automatically transfer and you can continue talking! Also, if you send a call to voicemail, you can listen in as the caller is leaving a message and based on the message you can choose to instantly connect with the caller by simply pressing the "*1" button. It gives you all the call screening tools you need.

Last but not the least, over time your personal contact number will be limited to your Google Voice Number everywhere you have your contact information and you don't need to inform anyone if there is a change in your home/cell/work numbers. An additional way of protecting your privacy. You can also embed a Google Voice call me widget on your website/blog.

I would like to see the following enhancements to an already good product:

1. If I can use my Google Voice number also as my fax # that will give everyone a personal fax!
2. The voicemail to text conversion is probably the weakest feature and needs to be enhanced

Here are some explanatory videos on how Google Voice works with your phones

Like what you hear, here is how you get started. If you don't already have a gmail email address, get one (at Gmail.com) and go to Google Voice Invite. Google Voice is available by invitation only. Once I submitted my request, I got my invite in under 3 weeks.

If you want to dial my personal switchboard operator, give it a try at 267-702-5005