Google Tests Dial Tone Search king to connect advertisers and searchers gratis via phone.
Red Herring Magazine November 28, 2005 http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=14634&hed=Google%20Tests%20Dial%20Tone Google is testing a service it calls Click-to-Call through which searchers using Google's search engine are given the option of making a telephone connection with companies that turn up in a search, or advertisers found on the search results page. The searcher clicks on a green phone icon that appears alongside some companies. The searcher then enters his or her phone number. Once the searcher clicks the "Connect-For-Free" command, Google dials the searcher's number. When the searcher picks up, he or she hears ringing on the line as Google connects the searcher to the company that turned up in the search. Google said the connection process is completely under its control and the business being contacted has no access to the searcher's telephone number. The searcher's phone number is blocked on the company's end. The company's number appears on the searcher's caller ID when Google makes the connection. The idea is for the searcher to keep the advertiser's number for the future. Google also promises that the searcher's number will be deleted from its servers after "a short period of time." The searcher's phone number is stored as a cookie on his or her computer for reuse by Google's Click-to-Call or other similar phone services the company plans to offer. No Phone Bill The searcher does not incur a bill for the call, whether it's local or long-distance. The cost of a mobile phone call is not covered by Google, however. "While the call is free to the customer, Google is charging a premium to the advertiser," said Sameer Mithal, vice president of Adventis, a Boston-based consulting company. "When someone gets to the point where they are making a call, this indicates a much more qualified lead. The advertiser is also more willing to pay. That one lead could pay their Google bill for a year." In its information online Google said its Click-to-Call is provided by a third-party vendor, and the vendor will not share the searcher's information with anyone except under specific circumstances detailed in the Google privacy notice. Google launched a voice service, Google Talk, back in August (see Google Launches IM Service). But based on details offered by Google, Click-to-Call does not seem to be based on Google Talk and the third-party vendor was not named. The addition of voice services to online portals has taken off in the last few months. Perhaps the most remarkable example occurred in September when eBay announced its planned acquisition of Skype, one of the world's largest providers of peer-based voice systems, for up to $4.1 billion. America Online, Yahoo, and Microsoft's MSN portal are all in various stages of testing or rollout of voice applications similar to Google Talk. ================================ George Antunes, Political Science Dept University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204 Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927 antunes at uh dot edu Reply with a "Thank you" if you liked this post. _____________________________ MEDIANEWS mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
