Ring! It's Gmail's new voice feature calling

Google announced Wednesday it is offering the ability to make phone calls over the Internet via its popular Gmail service.

Unlike Google's nearly two-year-old Gmail voice and video chat, which gives users an audio and visual experience online, the new calling feature allows users to dial phone numbers. With this move, Google is competing with Skype , which has long dominated this area.

"Starting today, you can call any phone right from Gmail ," wrote Robin Schriebman, a Google software engineer in a blog post . "We've been testing this feature internally and have found it to be useful in a lot of situations, ranging from making a quick call to a restaurant, to placing a call when you're in an area with bad reception."

Schriebman explained that making a phone call through Gmail works just like a normal phone. Users can click "Call phone" at the top of their chat list and enter a number or a contact name. She added that calls to anyone in the U.S. and Canada will be free "at least for the rest of the year." She said "very low rates" have been set up for calls to other countries .

So, does Google have the muscle to make Gmail a Skype killer?

Skype, a 7-year-old company, is used by individuals and companies to make video and voice calls over the Internet. According to Skype, its users made 6.4 billion minutes of calls in the first half of 2010.

While Google may be starting out behind in this competition, it has the benefit of its large Gmail user base.

"Skype could get hurt by this," said Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group. "Skype has been offering the ability to call land lines and cell phones for years now. But having it integrated into Google's Gmail and, assumedly, their other offerings down the road, is quite an extension for Google."

via Ring! It's Gmail's new voice feature calling | Reuters.