This is really cool.

Google's latest product/service is Google Voice. This is one (free) phone number for all your calls and text messages (SMS). You can provide all your contacts with this one number and it will forward the call to your other phones (work, cell, home, etc.) You can route to specific phones based on the caller. In theory, if you have a cell phone plan with a "My Faves" or phone numbers that do not count against your minutes, you could make your Google Voice number a fave. Then only give out that number. All the calls would be free.

Really cool.

The other neat features abound, as you might have guessed. Google number creates transcripts of all your voicemail messages. You can listen to voicemail online, on your phone, or read the transcript. Also, if a call comes in and you aren't sure if you want to listen to it, you can "listen in" on the voicemail being left. If it sounds important you can opt in and begin a conversation with the caller. You can record all your calls and store them online - think of the implications for businesses with this! You can read more about other features at https://www.google.com/voice/about.

I'm sure there are plenty of "cons" to this innovation, but I thought it was worth sharing. We at Mother like to stay on top of what's happening in the I.T. world. You never know where it will go or how it will affect small and mid sized business technology.