Have more than one phone number? If you’re 25 or older, you probably do. One phone number at home, one at work, your cell phone, hotel room, etc. It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with all the calls, messages and voicemail. Luckily GrandCentral is here to help…
The idea behind GrandCentral’s “One Number…for Life” service is to give users one number for all their phone numbers. Or, on the other hand, to allow users to answer a call at any phone they want.
Sounds complicated? Actually it isn’t.
Let’s first define what GrandCentral is and what it is not. GrandCentral is NOT a carrier – it is a third-party service that uses your existing phone numbers. In that sense, GrandCentral is NOT a replacement for your phone numbers – their service only links all of them.
With GrandCentral you can:
- Check your messages by phone, email, or online
- Keep all your messages online
- Record and store your phone calls (just like voicemail)
- Quickly (and secretly) block an annoying caller
- Click-to-dial from your address book
- Set the custom voicemail greetings
- Manage your messages better – you can forward, download, and add notes to them
The downsides:
- At the moment, GrandCentral offers a choice of about 20 uninumbers, but it doesn’t yet offer phone numbers in every area code. This means that your next-door neighbor may have to call your new, out-of-town number to reach you.
- While you’re in the transition period, some people will call you on your old, non-GrandCentral number. This will result in you checking both old voice mail and your new GrandCentral one.
The basic service that includes only two phone numbers is free. A premium plan, which supports up to six phone numbers, voice messages preserved forever (instead of 30 days) and an ads-free web site, costs only $15. That’s a money well invested in your personal freedom! 🙂
DISCLAIMER: GrandCentral HAVEN’T paid us to praise them. We’re just delighted that such service finally appeared.
(via: New York Times)