Imagine going on an extended business trip out of the country and having to keep in touch with all your interests back home. I am sure that one big concern of yours right now is just how much it would cost you to make all those overseas telephone calls. True enough, you can write them off as business expenses yet hundreds or dollars – or even thousands – is something that you just wouldn’t want to spend...

Google has bought GrandCentral Communications, a fledgling Internet firm that gives people telephone numbers that essentially follow them where ever they go. Google did not disclose how much it paid for the Silicon Valley start-up but said the technology will give users of the popular Internet firm’s services another way to communicate. “We think GrandCentral’s technology fits well into Google’s efforts...