Google acquired Internet phone software company Gizmo5 today. This purchase seems to be a bid on Google’s part to allow people to use Google Voice directly from their computers. This will most definitely pit Google Voice against Skype for Internet telephony domination.

Here’s what Google said of the acquisition:

Today we’re pleased to announce we’ve acquired Gizmo5, a company that provides Internet-based calling software for mobile phones and computers. While we don’t have any specific features to announce right now, Gizmo5’s engineers will be joining the Google Voice team to continue improving the Google Voice and Gizmo5 experience. Current Gizmo5 users will still be able to use the service, though we will be suspending new signups for the time being, and existing users will no longer be able to sign up for a call-in number.

This is going to be a story to watch over the next couple of months. I wonder if it will take them as long to release a direct calling and receiving feature as it did for the Google Voice system as a whole.

What do you think about this acquisition by Google? Post your thoughts in the comments.