Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) acquired VoIP company Gizmo5 in November 2009. Gizmo5 lets people dial and receive calls from computers and mobile apps. Google has informed Gizmo5 users that the service will be shut down on April 3, 2011. Gizmo5 technology has been integrated into Gmail and Google Talk. Below is an e-mail that Google sent to Gizmo5 users:

Google is testing out a new feature that would make GMail more useful for communication. Google is integrating a VoIP service into GMail.

Skype was very close to buying out a VoIP firm called Gizmo5. Since Skype ended up passing, Google moved on in according to a rumor. Gizmo5 was founded by Michael Robertson. The company uses the the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) for VoIP communication.

Google will be spending roughly $30 million in cash on the deal according to TechCrunch. It is likely that Gizmo5 would be rolled into Google Talk. Gizmo5 started in April 2003 and raised about $6 million in total funding. Before starting Gizmo5, Robertson founded MP3.com and MP3tunes.