Google has released a service in the US which allows users to make phone calls directly from Gmail.
A ‘call phone’ link has been added to the Gmail chat interface and, on clicking that, a user can type whatever phone number they wish to contact in order to call them.
The service was rumoured yesterday after CNET found a screenshot of Google testing it.
While Google offers voice chat on Gmail, it has required both users to be on a computer. It also differs from Google Talk, as it is a web based client as opposed to a desktop client.
Google has said that US clients can expect to make calls with the states and to Canada for free for at least the rest of 2010. They also state that rates for the UK, France, Germany, China and Japan start from $0.02 per minute.
The company have also stated that they are working on bringing the service to other countries soon.
