GMail to get baked-in ability to ring telephones soon

Over the last couple of years, search giant Google has been slowly but inexorably inching its way towards challenging Skype’s domain. You can trace it back to the launch of Google Talk, a desktop VoIP client, and then to Google Voice, their fantastic service that transcribes voice mails and consolidates multiple numbers into one main exchange that either rings all a user’s handsets at once, or according to a schedule.

But it looks like Google’s next step in the VoIP arena might be the biggest challenge to Skype yet. According to CNet, Google is planning to turn GMail into a “communications hub” by baking VoIP and the ability to make cheap, affordable phone calls straight from the Google Chat interface.

The new service is linked to Google Voice

CNet’s not sure if the new service is linked to Google Voice. They note that in the screenshots they’ve received, the user interface and icons are the same, but Google Voice isn’t a VoIP service. It’s possible that Voice is going to expand in scope - it would certainly make sense - but it’s also possible that Google’s just being efficient with their assets.