If rumors are true, VoIP service Gizmo 5 is now part of Google. (Screenshot by HowStuffWorks.com)

Now that eBay has reached a settlement with Joltid over the Global Index Software peer-to-peer technology that powers Skype, Skype won’t need VoIP provider Gizmo5 to fall back on. And that’s lucky, since according to the rumor mill, Gizmo5 now belongs to Google, for the tidy sum of $30 million. Michael Arrington at TechCrunch broke the story yesterday.

There’s been no official announcement of the deal yet, but Arrington said several sources had confirmed it. This would, as he pointed out, be very complementary to the Google Voice product, allowing customers to place and receive calls through the service. And it already integrates with Google Voice.

Jeff Bertolucci over at PC World said this deal could really disrupt the status quo of communications right now. He suggests the idea of a free phone service supported by advertising. And when he puts it like that, I can see exactly where he’s coming from.

Jonathan and I were just talking about how strange the telecommunications world is now. Companies are crossing over into businesses that you might never have thought logical only a year ago. Seriously, 10 years ago, if I said Comcast or Google would be a phone carrier, would you have laughed at me? I’d have laughed at myself.

Here’s another question: Have you ever tried Gizmo5? If so, what did you think? And do you think Google will use the technology, or let it wither away, like it has with companies such as Jaiku?

For more on voice over Internet protocol and other related technologies, take a look at these articles on HowStuffWorks.com:

Skype vs. Vonage
How VoIP Works
How DNS Servers Work