• VentureBeat, Monday, March 21, 2011 12:21 PM

Signaling a new age in voice communication, Google Voice is being integrated with Sprint and its roughly 50 million customers. "Today, Google and Sprint have started offering an option to let you use your Sprint mobile phone number as your Google Voice number," VentureBeat explains. "In other words, Google Voice no longer requires you to sign up for an extra number in order to use it."

"This is the biggest news about Google Voice since the company behind it, previously called Grand Central, was acquired by Google in 2007," writes TechCrunch. Likewise, "While it isn't quite the AT&T-T-Mobile blockbuster, the move has broad implications on the mobile communications industry," Fortune writes.

A huge boon for Google, "Sprint likely gains in this deal as well," according to GigaOm. "Until another carrier decides to follow, Sprint has another service differentiator to tout." Google partnering with another phone carrier might come sooner that Sprint thinks, however, as the search says its currently in discussions with several carriers.

"Now that T-Mobile is preparing for a possible life as part of AT&T, it will be interesting to see if Google moves to deepen ties with other carriers," writes mocoNews.net. "Verizon and T-Mobile have been reliable Android partners over the life of the software, with T-Mobile providing a lot of early support for new Android versions and Verizon putting its substantial might behind the platform."

Either way, "this is a meaningful partnership," TechCrunch adds. "The fact that Sprint is willing to give up control of the phone number for those who want to use Google Voice shows that there is actual competition breaking out in the U.S. mobile world."

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