Google Acquires GrandCentral

Google acquired voice communications management company GrandCentral on Monday, a move that it hopes will strengthen its service offerings.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, although some have pegged the purchase price at somewhere around $50 million. It is thought that GrandCentral's technology could eventually make its way into Google Talk.

The technology allows users to manage their existing phones and voice mailboxes as if it were a single phone number. GrandCentral, in that way, acts as a go-between among several phone numbers.

For example, a user gets a phone number which, through an online interface, could be set to ring for some, all, or none of the phones based on the caller. Thus, a user no longer needs to worry about missing important calls.

In addition, the user is given a central voice mailbox, which can be accessed from any phone. These messages can be forwarded and blocked as "spam," among other options.

"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 said.

Public tests of the service have been ongoing, and current users will see no interruption in service while the acquisition completes. Those who may be interested in trying out the service may sign up on the GrandCentral Web site.

While Google's reasons for purchasing the company may be completely benign, some Web pundits aren't so sure. "While GrandCentral is a good utility, there is something about Google having access to my phone records, and voice samples is one that gives me a twinge," Om Malik wrote for GigaOm.