Google voice remains relevant. I don't even want to bother reading the actual post. As a user from grand central days before google voice was google voice, the service remains just as viable and vital in my day to day life. So much so I don't even want a voice plan with my cell phone but carriers won't capitulate to that request on a cell phone purchase.
1. one number rings my cell, my work desk, gmail browser windows
a. any given time, I'm 99.9 % likely to be near one of those.
2. caller filters
a. unknown numbers are sent to vmail immediately
b. friends get their own vmail greeting
c. family always rings
d. work gets routed to voice mail when I'm not on call and its not 9-5 during the week.
3. emailed notice of voicemail and texts
4. transcribed voicemail along with mp3 of voicemail
5. jobs and thus work phones come and go, cell phones come and go - the google voice # remains an ever constant
6. normal cell, outside cell reception, no call history of calls while outside reception area, gvoice shows missed calls etc once back in reception area.
The only gripe is attachments to txts/sms messages are not sent to the gvoice client on android and no notice that there was an attachment either. 80% of the time the attachment can be found in my email copy of the txt. annoying esp when mass txts about birthday parties are sent and I don't even receive notice it was dropped. Or that google would reply back and say Recipient does not receive sms, please use alternate protocol.