TechCrunch is reporting that Google has just acquired VoIP provider Gizmo5, a move that would give it a voice-over-IP infrastructure to add to its Google Talk, Google Voice and Android telecom-oriented technologies.
Essentially, Gizmo5 would give Google a way to more directly integrate those IP-centric services with the PSTN, greatly upping their value.
We haven’t been able to confirm the deal yet, but the potential combo is very interesting and moves Google ever-deeper into the telecom world.
Last week, we looked at “the eight telecom companies behind Google Voice.” Gizmo5 wasn’t in the mix (wholesalers Bandwidth.com, Level 3 and Global Crossing were, among others). But the company — which counts Michael Robertson, former CEO of MP3.com, as its CEO — already has strong links to Google Voice: By putting a Gizmo5 number in as one of their Google Voice forwarding options, users are basically able to place free phone calls using the pair of services.
Gizmo5 (formerly known as Gizmo Project and SIPphone), recently gathered some buzz with the launch of OpenSky, which links other VoIP services with Skype.
More when/if the deal is confirmed.
