Any other Google Voice-like services?

[Matt Meiser]

Looking for something I can port my landline number to. Unfortunately Google Voice doesn't support porting my number. Cannot do any VOIP service. Adding a cell phone as an additional line on our plan is an inexpensive option as is getting Verizon Home Phone Connect as an additional line. I've already confirmed Verizon can port the number. There's drawbacks to those like new message notification.

[Jay Runde]

There is a round about way that I've read about to transfer a landline to google voice. I don't know if this would work for you or not:

I wanted to retain my landline phone number by porting it over to Google Voice. However, GV will not port a landline phone number currently, so I had to first port the number to a prepaid cell phone. A quick trip to Walmart netted me a $10 tracphone and I picked up a minutes card as well (although it might be possible to port the number without having to buy any extra minutes. I simply didn't research this enough and didn't want to risk screwing something up).

Once I got the phone ported over the the tracphone, I created a new Google Voice account (https://www.google.com/voic). Very early in the new account process, you will be asked if you want to port an existing phone number to use with GV or to be issued a new phone number. I selected the porting option, paid my $20 porting fee to Google, and waited another day or two for the number to be ported from the tracphone to the new GV account.

[Ron Natalie]

I have been using RINGCENTRAL for a few years now.

[Matt Meiser]

Ron, that could be an interesting option. But I also realized an answering-type service isn't really going to be an option as we need a phone for my daughter to use. She could use our cell phones when we are home, but we are rapidly approaching the age where she might be home alone at times. And it could be that I'm out of town and my wife is at work so its not like we could leave her one of our phones.

Jay, I wonder how long it takes for records to update? My cell phone number is a former Sprint number ported to Verizon 9 months ago. Google Voice still thinks its a Sprint number (which matters because Google and Sprint have some kind of partnership where you can replace your Sprint mail box with with your GV mail box.)

[Ron Natalie]

Ringcentral has voip services as well. I don't use them at this point but they keep offering them to me (and trying to sell me IP phones).

[Matt Meiser]

Yeah, but I can't do VOIP.

[Ron Natalie]

Then I am at a loss as to what you want to use google voice for. Ringcentral provides the voice mail and redirection services that GV plus a bunch of other stuff.