Quite true. Google Voice is of course US-only for now and it will be very interesting to see the globalization strategy, as the charging structure is friendlier for a service like this in the US than elsewhere. I’m not sure but I think GrandCentral was actually a bit friendlier to Canadians and Hawaiians than Google Voice is as well.

Apple doesn’t do badly internationally either. Premium products have some advantages when it comes to global products, free and very cheap ones have some disadvantages. (ie amortizing the cost of translations, for instance, is tougher.)

Cheers,

Bud

Google and the industry has a right to protect their business interests and must respond collectively in a way to keep watering the seeds of innovations in the new age of global applications.

Thanks a million for the information! That’s great to know.

On receiving phone calls on a US number while overseas, I’ll have to experiment to see if this is working. The thing that worries me is whether it’s meant to work like this and always will – or whether it’s something that might work all or some of the time now, but could be shut down at a later date. Your good experience might be considered by Google to be a bug! Also great to know about the WiFi experience.

Your analysis of the current and future situation for iPhone apps sounds about right to me. For instance, I use the mobile Web page solution for Gmail, but am unhappy with not having notification in it. So that’s now coming out, in an app. I agree we would all, including the principals, benefit hugely from a negotiated solution, but I’d hate to see it restricted to WiFi. (Though that does seem a highly likely outcome.)

As for being able to check voicemail on one’s computer or even iPod while travelling is a huge deal, great to hear it worked as advertised for you. Given all the hassles that can happen with timezones, this is even preferred in many situations. (Get a VM, call back on Skype when convenient…) The one time it would be a hassle is if you’re trying to meet with someone, which often leads to a quick flurry of calls as you both get to the meeting place.

Anyway, thanks very much for new information and for the kind words on the blog! Please keep us updated on other experience of traveling with GV.

Cheers,

Bud

http://www.telestial.com/view_product.php?PRODUCT_ID=MSIM-PPP2

to put in an unlocked quad band phone. It provided both a US and UK cell number, with not so great rates, but good if someone needed to urgently reach you. I set up the US number in my GV list, and tried to do the same with the UK number when overseas in London recently, but GV didn’t permit it. Nonetheless, the SIM was set-up to forward calls to the US number to the cell phone overseas (for a $0.29/minute surcharge), and people got through to me (not that I lingered in conversation at that rate).

With a non-jailbroken iPod Touch, I could also place calls fine via GV Mobile when in WiFi zone (free to US numbers and nominal charge elsewhere – such as family traveling in E Asia), and if I had Fring or TruPhone apps running, could receive calls to my GV number (GV>Gizmo>TruPhone or GV>IPkall>VoipStunt>Fring). Being able to check voicemail to the GV number via computer or iPod while traveling internationally was hugely convenient.

Pity that some of these apps (e.g. GV Mobile) have been pulled from the iTunes App store, and was looking forward to Google’s own GV app. Perhaps they’ll come back after a negotiated agreement to restrict use when on WiFi networks (obviously the only option for iPod Touch users) … as I doubt the Google’s mobile web page solution (when released) will match what they’ve developed for users of Android phones. Do wonder if Apple was negotiating with future US or international partners (not just AT&T) that were leery of an agreement with the prospect of a GV powered iPhone on their networks. The writing is on the wall though – this sort of movement is inevitable though and air access (whether cellular technology or wifi) is just a commodity to be purchased as needed when in transit.

Keep up the good work on the blog …