Google Voice Works with Existing Mobile Voicemail

The new Google Voice service gives you a single number that can ring all your numbers and saves your voicemails online.  The web interface is similar in look-and-feel to Google Mail and provides a chronological listing of your voicemails and SMS messages – and the voicemails are transcribed.  As of now, Google Voice is by invitation only and after using it for a short time, I have been impressed with these features:

• Although the transcription can be a little off at times (usually about 75% accurate based on my messages), you can not only view your voicemails textually via the Google web interface, but you can have them SMS’d to you as well.
• Since it’s a Google product, the searching is terrific.
• It works on my Windows Mobile and my iPhone.

My favorite new feature is the ability to move your voicemail from your existing carrier (I’ve tested AT&T).  Meaning you can keep your existing number and plan and still enjoy the benefits of Google Voice.  Although it’s not a Google issue, it would be nice if you could keep a copy of your voicemails with your local carrier, while forwarding to Google Voice – that way you could keep using visual voicemail.