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Gizmo5 shutting down on April 3rd, credits can be transferred to Google Voice
Google may not have offered too many details when it acquired VoIP outfit Gizmo5 back in November of 2009, but it's not like any of that matters now. Gizmo5 customers around the globe are receiving an email today notifying them of the service's impending closure, with April 3rd pegged as the final day that calls can be made. After March 11th, you'll no longer be able to add credit to your account, but you can request a refund or have your remaining credits transferred to Google Voice (if you're in the US). Head on past the break for the full message, and feel free to pour one out. Or, you know, just wipe that FOF off of your face by watching this. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Google makes Gizmo5 acquisition official, offers few details
This one wasn't exactly the best kept secret of the week, but Google has now come out and officially announced that it has acquired VoIP company Gizmo5, and that Gizmo5's engineers will expectedly be joining the Google Voice team. This being Google, however, it isn't saying much more than that it's looking forward to "working together to bringing more useful features to Google Voice," although that's no doubt more than enough to make the folks at Skype have a slightly less relaxing weekend. Current Gizmo5 users can also expect their service to continue as normal, but Google has suspended new signups "for the time being," and existing users can no longer sign up for a call in number.
Google to acquire Gizmo5, swing at Skype with VoIP-enabled Google Voice?
There's no official word on this yet, but the inimitable Michael Arrington says that Google's up and purchased VoIP company Gizmo5 for "around $30 million in cash." You know, pocket change for the crew in Mountain View. The deal would presumably bring Gizmo's SIP-based VoIP talents to Google Voice, taking it from quirky phone-management service to complete end-to-end calling solution, and instantly catapulting it into direct competition with Skype. Heavy stuff -- we'll see if Google or Gizmo5 confirms Mssr. Arrington's report sometime soon.
