High marks for Google’s new VoIP Service

Call and voice quality equivalent to those of other services – out of simple use of Gmail.

Google’s newly released VoIP feature for Gmail by Cnet, has gained good grades after a short test period. Users in the United States can use the Google Talk plug-in directly working on the Web-mail service calls. For other Gmail users, the service is not available yet.

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Easy to use

The interface is kept typically simple, as with all Google products. Phone calls aew very simple, by just the phone number or typing in the name of a previously stored Gmail contacts on the dial pad. The call and voice quality was consistently good, whether it’s landline or mobile numbers, and could compete with other VoIP services. Within the U.S. and Canada calls are free for the time being. The payment for international calls via the Google Voice account.

Skype Killer?

The ease of use Gmail from Google’s new service are appealing to Skype users, and users of other competing services. Google’s payment model is currently more appealing than Skype, as calls from your computer to landlines for free, while calls only between Skype users (PC to PC) or via Skype phone to Skype phone are currently free with Skype. Google does not want to raise the cost of calls at least until at least 2011. Whether the feature has the potential to replace the long running Skype, it’s yet to be seen. It’s certainly promising though.