Gmail is already many user's centralized communications portal - an always-open browser window. It offers access to our email, chat, contacts, calendar, documents, and soon it might add browser-based VoIP.According to CNET, Google has started testing Gmail-integrated VoIP, which would enable users to make phone calls directly from your browser.
Google already offers several voice offerings, including Google Voice, Google Talk, and the recently acquired SIP-based Gizmo5 softphone client. To be honest, Google Talk and Gizmo5 are sort of redundant. Google should consolidate the two clients. It'll be interesting to see if users embrace browser-based telephony or if they'll stick with tried-and-true softphone clients like Skype.
