Google Voice in GMail

One step closer to SIP integration, or at least Asterisk integration using the chan_gtalk module: yesterday, Google added PSTN calling to their GMail-embedded Talk/Chat product.

Making a call from the GMail-embedded talk client uses a linked Google Voice account, thus call history appears in the Voice dashboard and the caller ID is the Google Voice number. Interesting.

This functionality doesn't seem to appear in the standalone Google Talk client, nor does the web module appear directly in Google Voice. The only way to make a non-telephone-integrated call (that is, it doesn't utilize your Gizmo5 account, land line, or cell phone) is to do so through GMail chat. I have to wonder why it didn't appear in the Google Voice web interface first, or the standalone Talk client, but suspect that these will be coming. SIP integration still seems to be at least two or three steps away.