Photo: Google

Oh snap! The millions of us who use Gmail everyday logged in and saw a very peculiar and unexpected notification – you can now make VoIP calls right out of the mail client. That’s Google’s way of saying ‘What’s good, Skype? What’s really good?’

How it works

Basically, when logged into Gmail with the classic view, where your Gtalk icons are, you will see a green phone icon. Pressing that button brings up a keypad on the bottom right of your screen – where your Gtalk conversation would default to if that. Now dial the number you’re trying to contact right out of the window. It can be a landline or mobile number – Google is non-descriminatory – and it will connect through its Google Voice protocol to the person you’re trying to contact, wherever in the world they may be.

Super cheap

Calls to the US and Canada within Google Voice for Gmail are free. Calls to regions like the UK, China, Europe and Japan will be as low as 2 cents for each minute of talktime, according to the folks at Google. Google was smart enough to give every user $0.10 of credit to test the service out, and like all responsible users the first person I called was, well, myself. Verdict? It works pretty well.

Google Voice a big deal

Photo: Stock.Xchng

This move to integrate Google Voice into Gmail is just one piece in a puzzle Google is slowly beginning to flesh out with its phoning system. TechCrunch had a report on how Google Voice payphones would begin sprouting up in US universities and airports, while others noted the push for Google Voice on the iPhone continues, regardless of Apple’s obvious resistance.

And though Google VoIP seemed a mere hobby for the company, it’s clear with this move that Gmail has Skype squarely in its sights.

A sign of the future

Google VoIP, Skype, and VoIP handset manufacturers all point to a future that can no longer be ignored – the day when Internet protocol-based calls circumventing the traditional networks are our default way of calling one another. Google Voice and Google VoIP are here to stay and Gmail is the gateway drug to get us all hooked on the service.