Google are allowing Google Talk users to make free PC to phone calls effectively closing the gap between Google Talk and Skype’s features

Google have introduced the facility to make phone calls to landlines and mobiles directly from Gmail. Users need to be sign into their Gmail account (in a Web browser) download and install the voice and video browser plug-in.

As a business we have been using Skype for the majority of our phone calls for several years now so I was very interested to see Google upping the ante in a move that makes their product more competitive with Skype.

How to use the service (and get free calls) from the UK

Unfortunately this service only appears to be available in the US/Canda and various news outlets (including the BBC) have been reporting that the facility is not available to international users.

However I managed to make a free call to GoDaddy in the US from a UK registered GMail account. (more…)