Google: Free Phone Calls from Email

Google has announced that users of its Gmail will now be able to call telephones directly from their e-mail, putting it in direct competition with the web calling service Skype and more traditional operators such as AT&T and Verizon Communications.

While Google had already offered computer-to-computer voice and video chat services, it says it will now allow calls to home phones and cellphones directly from Gmail for the first time. The service started on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, analysts say the service will be a bigger competitive threat to services like Skype’s than to traditional phone companies, which have been cutting prices in recent years in response to stiff competition.

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