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Google (News - Alert) appears to be testing a new VoIP Service which will be built into Gmail once finished.

According to the Google System Blog A new phone icon opens a Gmail chat window with a dialpad, an option to find contacts, a credit balance and a call button.

Currently to call someone using Google Voice, you need a phone - and either visit Google Phone's (News - Alert) site on your computer or use Google Phone app on a mobile phone.

Rumors are that the new feature will allow users to make voice calls over the Internet and it may go beyond Gmail. In April, TechCrunch reported that Google 'built a Google Voice desktop application to make and receive calls.' That application is being tested internally and it was built using technology from Gizmo5 (News - Alert), a VoIP service acquired by Google last year.

In May Google announced on the Google Voice Blog that it was giving priority Google Voice invites to students.

"We've found that Google Voice can be useful in many different ways to many different people. But one group of people that it's especially well-suited for is students," wrote Jason Toff. "We've heard college students in particular really appreciate getting their voicemail sent to their email, sending free text messages and reading voicemail transcriptions rather than listening to messages (especially handy while in class)."