GOOG-411

GOOG-411 was a free telephone directory assistance service offered by Google. The service, officially known as Google Voice Local Search, allowed users to call a toll-free number and speak their search query for local businesses or services. Google's speech recognition technology would then attempt to understand the query and provide relevant search results, offering to connect the caller to the desired business.

GOOG-411's primary purpose was data collection. Google used the service to improve its speech recognition capabilities and gather data on how people search for local businesses using spoken language. This data was used to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of other Google services, such as Google Maps and Google Assistant.

The service was launched in 2007 and was discontinued in November 2010. Despite its relatively short lifespan, GOOG-411 proved valuable in advancing Google's speech recognition technology and shaping the future of voice search. While the service itself no longer exists, its impact on Google's broader strategy remains significant.