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More (Google) Talk and VoIP

Fred Oliveira on August 25, 2005

Google Talk When yesterday Google Talk was officially announced and I posted about it, I didn’t give much thought to how much of the Google-factor this would have. It’s true it doesn’t have much, but will it? Fact is, some people seem to be disappointed with the application because it doesn’t do anything new yet, seems rushed out and has no “Google wow”. But there’s more to it.

SearchEngineWatch in particular runs a story about their view of Google Talk. And they are wrong, too. Even though I’m not taking sides here (my idea of Google’s do-no-evil vision is changing by the day), the planned features for Google Talk actually do compete with many of the current Instant Messaging applications, particularly if you think about their upcoming VoIP implementation using SIP.

SEW complains that the voice call method available to GTalk users is not a VoIP implementation (fact). Google has, though, in their developers FAQ announced the details on both upcoming features and their VoIP partnerships on the SIP platform - I suggest a good read of this page.

Ongoing discussion:

Om Malik has a couple of posts (one, two) of interest to those who care about the relationship between Google/GTalk and competition like Skype. Truth is he’s spot on when he says Google doesn’t need Skype at all, a point with which Andy Abramson seems to agree. In fact, It might just be skype that will have to play nice and open their protocol to match everybody elses VoIP approach - SIP.


Comments on this post

Shedletsky

But don’t you ever worry that the supercomputer in charge of Google will go evil and try to take over the world?

Mario Bali

I asked around again. You know people start to see Google more and more like a Toys R Us store with half empty batteries on delivery? It is like that actually as the whole Google Talk is nothing new nothing to look forward too either. If you see how development in this market went the last couple of years what could Google do better as MSN, Yahoo or AIM or Skype? Yes maybe by keeping it Simple and Stupid. Tough a little change it stay Simple and Stupid as last thing the girls and guys from Google want is a laugh in their face by the other big players on the market. The consumer is pritty much stocked with their MSN or Yahoo or within the USA the AIM thing. It will take something to get those consumers in their Toy Shop! Sure some internet junks screaming loud out here doing hip and trendy tough it has the same effect as with Firefox/Thunderbird. A market share of 10% maybe 20% in a short time and that’s it. I am used to Yahoo for example already from the day they introduced their messenger. Why should I start all over with someone trying to invent the wheel again?

misguidedjihadi

Mario, Perhaps because none of the IM programs can interconnect?

I have accounts with ICQ,AIM,MSN,Yahoo and now GTalk, Skype and Gizmo - Mostly integrated inside gaim.
To have an open jabber/sip protocol like google-talk might seal the deal and deliver the holy grail - a single IM platform for everyone built on open protocols.

Just waiting for a linux voice version…

Mario Bali

Yeah well it was scary to read this one:

http://www.gmail-is-too-creepy.com/

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