Porting your mobile voicemail to Google Voice

Google released a new feature for Google Voice wherein you can now forward your mobile phone voicemail to Google Voice. Google Voice is a service that allows you to have a phone number "in the cloud" ( to use an over-hyped buzzword ) that you can then control all of your inbound and outbound call activities through one interface.

This new feature allows you to have your mobile voicemail be stored at / with Google Voice instead of with your mobile provider. The advantages ( if it works well ) are that you have central voice mail for all of your phone numbers, and get all of the voicemail features of Google Voice ( transcription, email alerts, etc. )

The process took all of about three minutes to complete, and is supported for most of the major carriers in the US. You just go into the 'Settings' section for your Google Voice account and choose to 'Activate Google Voice voicemail for this number'. Once you select it, you will be prompted to enter the number sequence to forward your voicemail. You get immediate confirmation.

I intend to test it for the next few days and see how it works.

Update:

GV users...calls to your cell can either ring other phones or go straight to VM. Go to "Edit" a phone, hit "Advanced Settings", and choose 'Go Straight to Voice Mail'