Click-to-Call: Skype 1, Google {Many}

In a game where the lowest number wins! Google announced a Click-to-Call feature for Google Maps yesterday. So I go to Google Maps, select Businesses, enter “restaurants” into the Type of Business box and “Mississauga {Home Postal Code}” into the “Where” box. And I get:

Click on B for Golden View Restaurants (where we obtain our annual New Year’s Eve party food) and I get the pop-up below on the right. Click on Send to Phone and I get the pop-up asking for my phone number and my carrier — except there are only U.S. carriers listed (and all Telco 1.0)! 3 clicks plus 10 characters (to enter your phone number). Except I live in Canada ….hmmm ….

Or, since I have installed the Skype 3.0 Beta with its Click-to-Call feature, I can simply pick up my UConnect-enabled Nortel phone, dial **, (or pick up a USB-connected VoIPvoice Cyberphone) and click on the Skypified link under the restaurant’s listing on the left:. I then click OK on the “Start SkypeOut” confirmation window. Call initiated; no Telco 1.0 carrier designation required! (And note that Skype 3.0’s Click-to-Call recognizes that it is a Canadian phone number.) One click to place the call; one to acknowledge that there could be a charge involved.

A simple example of what Martin is talking about in his Telco 2.0 “Death of the Phone Company” post.

About Jim Courtney

Bringing over thirty years' experience in the sales, marketing and management of cutting edge technology businesses.

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