(Print version of "GrandCentral's Nice, but I want SMS too.".
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GrandCentral's Nice, but I want SMS too.

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GrandCentral is a "Single Number" service that's been making a pretty big splash on the web today due to David' Pogue's recent review. I like the idea of Grand Central (which is currently free and in Beta, but they claim the basic features will remain free after the beta) and their feature list is impressive. But I have two qualms about signing up for a service like this:

The company damn well better not go belly up in the next, oh, five years.
Text Messaging. Come on, world, it's 2007. I communicate much more often over SMS than I do with voice. A centralized number to call me is all well and good, but if it can't redirect texts to whatever gadget I'm currently using, then count me out.

For #2, the geek in my almost wants to just buy a 2nd WM phone, plug it in at home, install PhoneAlarm, and then use that as my very own personal GrandCentral.

Actually, what I really want is something like OpenID - no phone numbers, IM nicks, email addresses, etc etc. Just one unique identifier (that's basically under my control and therefore completely portable) for all vectors of communication.