Google Acquires Visual Voicemail firm
Posted on | July 4, 2007 |
Google Inc. purchased Web-based phone service GrandCentral Communications, the Internet search company confirmed Tuesday.
The company, which originally reported the acquisition Monday on its official blog, did not disclose a purchase price.
Fremont, Calif.-based GrandCentral’s services let users personalize phone usage with Web-based features like the ability to assign a single phone number that rings various phones at once, records calls and accesses visual voicemail.
The company began beta testing in September 2006. It was founded by Craig Walker and Vincent Paquet, formerly the chief executive and vice president of business development and marketing, respectively, for VoIP company Dialpad Communications Inc. Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) competitor Yahoo Inc. (nasdaq: YHOO - news - people ) bought Dialpad in June 2005 for an undisclosed amount.
“We think GrandCentral’s technology fits well into Google’s efforts to provide services that enhance the collaborative exchange of information between our users,” Google product manager Wesley Chan wrote in a post on the company’s blog, announcing the purchase Monday.
Google Inc. purchased Web-based phone service GrandCentral Communications, the Internet search company confirmed Tuesday.
The company, which originally reported the acquisition Monday on its official blog, did not disclose a purchase price.
Fremont, Calif.-based GrandCentral’s services let users personalize phone usage with Web-based features like the ability to assign a single phone number that rings various phones at once, records calls and accesses visual voicemail.
The company began beta testing in September 2006. It was founded by Craig Walker and Vincent Paquet, formerly the chief executive and vice president of business development and marketing, respectively, for VoIP company Dialpad Communications Inc. Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) competitor Yahoo Inc. (nasdaq: YHOO - news - people ) bought Dialpad in June 2005 for an undisclosed amount.
“We think GrandCentral’s technology fits well into Google’s efforts to provide services that enhance the collaborative exchange of information between our users,” Google product manager Wesley Chan wrote in a post on the company’s blog, announcing the purchase Monday.
In an e-mail Tuesday, Google spokesman Jon Murchinson wrote that the company’s name will remain GrandCentral for the time being, and that GrandCentral’s team, including Walker and Paquet, have joined Google.
Over on GrandCentral’s Web site, the company affirmed Google’s acquisition and wrote that the search company will keep beta testing GrandCentral’s service.
“GrandCentral will remain operational, as will the site, while we integrate with Google. Google will continue to support uninterrupted service for all current GrandCentral customers,” the company wrote.
GrandCentral could not be reached for comment.
Murchinson confirmed that Google will support current beta users, who are accessing GrandCentral for free, and wrote that Google hasn’t yet determined a post-beta pricing plan for GrandCentral’s services.
“We will send out a limited number of invitations during the beta period but will open the service to the public in the near future,” he wrote.
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