Google Voice is moving forward.  Whereas the application was just available to users of GrandCentral (a service Google acquired in mid-2007), all of the people who have requested access should now (or at some point in the near future) be receiving invitation emails.

A post on the Official Google Blog instructs would-be users on what to do next.  "Once you receive your invitation, just click on the link and follow the instructions to setup your new Voice account.  To help you find a Google number that is personalized to you, we’ve added a number picker that lets you search by area code and text.  See if you can find a number that contains your name, a specific word or a number combination."

Then here are two important notes.  First, if you haven’t filed a request, it’s not too late.  A page is ready to accept names and email addresses, and you’ll be added to whatever sort of waitlist Google’s working through.

Second, there was actually a segment about Google Voice on the "Today" show this morning, and since there would be little point in teasing everyone with a years-away piece of technology, it’s possible that Google will do away with the waitlist and make Google Voice universally available in the near future.

The video below does a quick job of explaining how Google Voice works if you by some chance haven’t heard of it or are interested in a refresher.