The invitation for GrandCentral phone numbers

Since GrandCentral is not opened for the public, and you will have to need an invitation to get a virtual phone number. I needed a one badly for my previously installed MagicJack which only had a non-local phone number. I asked for the invitation on a couple of website including DSLReports forum, but nobody replied. I was glad that I registered on GC website, since today I got an email from GC which invited me to experience its wonderful feature. Happily I went to its website by clicking the URL in the email, and spent a couple minutes on selecting a very good local phone number. Then I ported this lovely phone number to my MagicJack phone number and my cellular phone. Tested, and both of them ring when I dial this GC phone number. Great!

What is a GrandCentral phone number, anyway?

What is GrandCentral? GC is an advanced VOIP technology which can give a virtual phone number to port incoming calls to your regular phones. The following is the excerpt from its website.

GrandCentral doesn’t replace your phones; we just link them together and help them do more. How do we do that? We give people One Number…for LifeTM – a number that’s not tied to a phone or a location – but tied to you.

With GrandCentral, you can be reached with a single number, answer a call at any phone you want, seamlessly switch phones in the middle of a call, and even know whether a call is important before you take it.

What are advantages for users like me

First of all, it is very good for some non-local phones used in the city. Like me, I have installed MagicJack as a cheap telecommunication method. But unfortunately MagicJack does not provide local area codes for my city at this moment. Since I do not want my local friends and clients to reach me with long distance phone number, the GC phone number is very helpful.

Secondly, a GC phone number is very good for a guy with multiple-tasks like me. I used to carry on two cell phones to separate personal and business affairs. Now I can use GC to forward all business calls to the same phone but with different phone number. And the cellular phone can show me which number the callers are using before I accept calls, sweet!

Third, you can use the GC phone number as a portable phone number for your life, no matter how many times you will move.

Last but not least, this wonderful service is FREE (at least at this moment)!

Interested too? well, to help you, I have set up a way for people to help each other: as long as you indicate your interests and leave your email/name in the comment section, I or somebody else will send you an invitation. Just like I did on my Chinese blog which has generated tens responses already. When you get an invitation, then go ahead to enjoy this service from Google.

GrandCentral Site Screen shot

and you can post the link on your website for people to call you like the below (do not expect I will talk to you long on the phone if you just want to test this button )

[Updated on 2008-02-09] Since there will be more visitors who read this post ask an invitation, I think I need make something more clear to keep this invitation offer rolling.

1. Please DO NOT EVEN BOTHER TO ASK AN INVITATION here if you are not willing, or do not plan to help next person who needs an invitation as well. What you will need to do is just to spare one of ten invitations you have after you signed up with GC.
2. If you are so less sensitive about your email privacy, I strong suggest you leave your email address along with your name in the comment content below. Since the email address field box you fill out will not display to everybody even some of them might want to send an invitation to you. Of course, I care about your privacy very much, that is why I mask out some one’s email addresses after they indicate they have received the invitations.
3. Even you forget to leave your email in your comment, I still have a good way for you guys to communicate. Please use the Reply link under each comment. With the Reply function, your comments will NOT ONLY show here under this post, but also will a system generated email be sent to the author of that comment you replied to. Is not that great?(And, if you worry about any spams, please let me know and I will take your email from the system then no more reply email will be sent to you. Just please let me know.)

[Updated on 4/9/2009:] GrandCentral is being transferred to Google Voice and I do not know whether the invitation method still works. I will close this invitation request comments feature for now till future notices. Thanks and enjoy your day without commenting

Tags: Beta Invitation, Google Voice, GrandCentral, VOIP

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