[NEWS] Hands on Google Voice versus 3jam

[CYBER WEESJE]

At the end of July, a small start up called 3jam introduced a virtual phone service that takes on Google Voice. While each is a beta-phase call-forwarding service, it became clear after dozens of calls, text messages, and voice mails, that there are important differences between the two, both on paper and in real-world testing.

First, 3jam's public beta is broadly available to all takers. Google's, on the other hand, is in invitation-only closed beta. 3jam's costs an extra $5 a month to use (for a 12 month contract), and that's not including a premium SMS plan for those wishing to surpass the monthly 40 U.S. domestic text message limit. However, it can port your cell phone number and has an emphasis on group communications, which we'll talk about later on. Google Voice, on the other hand, won't yet let you hang onto your cell phone number, which means friends will need to call some new digits, but it is currently free for domestic calls (international call and texting rates will still apply).

It's spelled out here in this inexhaustive features comparison chart.



Does 3jam's group advantage justify the cost? Should users hold out for Google Voice?

For its part, Google Voice, which grew out of the acquisition of Grand Central, offers casual users the stronger feature set of the two, with more sophisticated calling tricks--call screening, call blocking, and listening in on a voice mail as it's being recorded. Like the visual voice mail service YouMail, it will also let you record personalized voice mail messages, but it's geared toward groups rather than individuals.

3jam lacks most of these extras and charges for the basics. However, it's more directly engaged with texting and offers access to multiple virtual numbers under the same account, including some you can assign to a fixed group of people. The group line can disseminate messages in SMS and e-mail form, giving the line owner the choice of broadcasting information out or allowing everyone to message each other. Any group member who calls the 3jam number will be routed to the listed phone numbers. For a social organization, this could ring the president and vice president, for instance. In addition to this texting focus, 3jam also scores points for its more user-friendly Web interface, compared with Google Voice's minimalist, if orderly, dashboard.

In terms of usability, both services suffered inconsistencies and, at times, imperfect call quality during our tests. Sometimes, 3jam phones that rang the work line kicked the call over to corporate voicemail, instead of to 3jam's. Instructions for recording a new customized message were also vague , and getting your one allotted VoIP client to ring will take some configuring. Using Google Voice also produced its own frustrations. It wasn't always successful at screening calls (like asking for the callers to identify themselves) or following the dial pad prompts that tell Google Voice how to route an incoming call.

Big, ugly stumbling block

The most disappointing aspect by far is that both competitors are way off the mark in the visual voice mail department. Most transcriptions for messages beyond the basic request of "call me when you get a chance" were unusable to the point of being comically erroneous. At least they would be, if not for the fact that visual voice mail is a core feature of the call-forwarding service and one you might be motivated to rely on during a meeting or other time when answering a call or replaying a voicemail would be impractical.

SOURCE ORIGINAL POST

http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-10309503-251.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=AndroidAtlas

GRTZ CYBER WEESJE
ADMINISTRATOR@Wckediden

[jdep1]

i personally enjoy google voice & especially because every thing that i use is free i dont use the international feature . one thing that is great about google voice is the spam feature but have never tested 3jam but for know i will stick to google voice simply because its free

[CYBER WEESJE]

Originally Posted by jdep1

i personally enjoy google voice & especially because every thing that i use is free i dont use the international feature . one thing that is great about google voice is the spam feature but have never tested 3jam but for know i will stick to google voice simply because its free

hi yeah google is great plus its free this new jam not and its for android os first dont now if will come to wm also



GRTZ CYBER WEESJE
ADMINISTRATOR@Wckediden