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Jay Reeder

VoiceNation Appoints Jason Gazaway as Marketing Communications Specialist

Jason Gazaway
Jason Gazaway

VoiceNation, the industry leader in live answering and virtual receptionist services trusted by more than 50,000 businesses worldwide, has recently appointed Jason Gazaway, a native and resident of Flowery Branch, as Marketing Communications Specialist.

Mr. Gazaway will oversee marketing communications around the offerings and features of VoiceNation, which includes the company’s revolutionary opensource answering service software known as OpenAnswer, as well as VoiceNation’s outreach program known as Georgia CALLS. Mr. Gazaway will be responsible for internal and external branding, project management, article and content development, social media, and raising awareness.

For five years previous to VoiceNation, Mr. Gazaway was Marketing and Brand Manager for CablesAndKits ecommerce company in Buford, overseeing brand strategy and development, social design, email marketing and content creation. Previous to that, he served as Director of Marketing Execution for 13 years at Crown Financial Ministries, a non-profit organization formally based in Gainesville, now located in Knoxville, TN. He attended Gainesville Sate College for Business Management and Communications.

A recognized speaker, Mr. Gazaway has led national webinars and sessions on customer segmentation and retention. He is a member of eMarketing Association and a former member of the Technology Association of Georgia.

He is very much involved in VoiceNation’s volunteer outreach activities as well as those at 12Stone Church in Hamilton Mill. In his free time, Mr. Gazaway plays drums, enjoys sports, and for more than 15 years has been an avid runner of half marathons and 10Ks.

About OpenAnswer 

OpenAnswer is VoiceNation’s revolutionary open source answering service software that provides a way for businesses and entrepreneurs who would not have been able to start a call center, to have the opportunity to do so at very little cost. For more information, visit www.voicenation.com/openanswer.

About Georgia CALLS

Georgia CALLS, is a re-entry program in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Transition, Support & Reentry, the Georgia Department of Corrections and Phillips Transitional Center. Georgia CALLS works to make a lasting community impact by cultivating entrepreneurs and mentoring participants to be the CEOs of their lives. For more information, visit www.gacalls.org

About VoiceNation

VoiceNation is a leading provider of 24-hour live answering services and call center solutions. Named “Top Provider in Industry” by PC World, VoiceNation is positioned as a knowledge leader with innovations in pricing, service, and proprietary open source technology.

Over 50,000 businesses worldwide, including Comedy Central, Delta, Dunkin’ Donuts, Rolls Royce, and StateFarm trust VoiceNation as their professional telephone answering service. Founded in 2002, VoiceNation is a privately-held company that invests heavy emphasis in staff development and community outreach opportunities. To learn more about VoiceNation, visit http://www.qualityansweringservice.com

 

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VoiceNation Captures “Best of Show” Award at ITEXPO Florida 2016

VN award-eric-adam-grahamVoiceNation, the industry leader in live answering and virtual receptionist services trusted by more than 50,000 businesses worldwide, captured the “Best of Show” award at the annual ITEXPO, held in January in Florida.

VoiceNation’s award-winning exhibit showcased their revolutionary open source answering service software, OpenAnswer.

“We are thrilled to receive the Best of Show award for our OpenAnswer exhibit. Our service offering is one of the most unique, with features that truly stand out and we believe that is what really captured the judges’ attention.  OpenAnswer can literally save a small Telephone Answering Service (TAS) owner thousands upon thousands of dollars. You can’t argue the value or innovative nature of something like that,”said Eric Schurke, Director of Operations at VoiceNation.

VoiceNation developed OpenAnswer to help evolve the industry away from the proprietary existing solutions that charge per seat and require binding contracts. OpenAnswer is intuitive, intelligent open source live answering software that provides the call center industry with a collaborative solution that is freely available to download, install, and modify. OpenAnswer is built on familiar open source technology like Asterisk, FreePBX, Apache, Linux, PF Sense, SIP and more. The system is designed to increase operator efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. There are no licensing fees and call center owners get unlimited seats and scalability with OpenAnswer.

Shurke was also a special guest speaker during Asterisk World, a part of ITEXPO, and sharedVoiceNation’s story of their use of Asterisk software to build OpenAnswer. In his presentation entitled “OpenAnswer: A Case Study on the Power of Open Source,” Schurke addressed TAS owners, non-profits, developers and others interested in an Open Source solution. He also shared the OpenAnswer early adopter success story of Georgia CALLS, a unique 501(c)3 non-profit helping high-risk, returning citizens make a successful transition from incarceration back into society as business entrepreneurs. Georgia CALLS has had overwhelming success utilizing OpenAnswer in their on-site call center, which is staffed by Georgia CALLS program participants.

Shurke added, “We were able to connect with many professionals from a wide variety of industries that could benefit from Live Answering Services or OpenAnswer – from small business owners needing live answering, to open source developers interested in OpenAnswer, and even other TAS owners who currently use other TAS software that costs six figures. This was an incredibly successful show for us.”

The OpenAnswer Solution

VoiceNation’s OpenAnswer is set to make a global impact on the telecommunications industry and businesses worldwide. Through OpenAnswer, VoiceNation has developed a way for entrepreneurs who would not have been able to start a call center, to have the opportunity to do so at very little cost. The online documentation at www.voicenation.com/openanswer outlines the step-by-step process to get started installing the software, and features need-to-know information and tips on how to configure OpenAnswer to fit your needs.

About VoiceNation

VoiceNation is a leading virtual PBX, voicemail, and innovative live answering service provider. Named “Top Provider in Industry” by PC World, the company’s cloud-based virtual phone services offer all the features of a physical PBX at a fraction of the cost or complexity of traditional technology. VoiceNation enables businesses of all sizes to compete in the marketplace as a Fortune 500 company on a small business budget with 24-hour presence management.

Founded in 2002, VoiceNation is a privately-held company that serves more than 50,000 customers including Comedy Central, Delta, Dunkin’ Donuts, Rolls Royce, and StateFarm. The company also provides qualified non-profit, tax-exempt charities with access to voicemail, faxmail and other specialized communication services at reduced cost through their Care2Call outreach program. To learn more about VoiceNation, visit www.voicenation.com.

 

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Dozens of families benefit from VoiceNation’s “Operation Give Back”

Caitlin Redd and Alea Pizzaro of the VoiceNation team wrap gifts for 65 children.
Caitlin Redd and Alea Pizzaro of the VoiceNation team wrap gifts for 65 children.

VoiceNation, the industry leader in live answering and virtual receptionist services, made the holidays brighter for 27 local families through their “Operation Give Back” outreach program.

Now in its fourth year, Operation Give Back is the name given to VoiceNation’s outreach effort to help ensure local children living in shelters and those in need of assistance receive gifts during the holiday season.

VoiceNation worked with Jackson County Family Connection in Jefferson and Georgia CALLS in Buford to provide holiday gifts for 65 children, ranging in age from three months to 17 years old. The gifts included BMX bicycles, arts and crafts, clothes, shoes and many different toys.

How it Works

VoiceNation receives referrals from agencies that are working with families in need. VoiceNation provided their employees with funds to purchase gifts along with Operation Give Back profile folders of the children in need, which include the child’s age, gender, holiday wish list and preferences, such as their favorite color, clothing size, favorite activities, and hobbies.

“Many participants in Georgia CALLS’ re-entry program are working hard to become CEOs of their own lives and to do better by their families, but are still in need of assistance. They are amazed at the outpouring of support from anonymous donors,” explained Mark Mobley, Executive Director of Georgia CALLS.

“Our Operation Give Back program has become a highly sought after volunteer initiative here at VoiceNation. As our staff learns about the children in need, they feel a connection to them and are incredibly enthusiastic about the gifts they purchase for them,” explained Jay Reeder, the company’s president. “Operation Give Back is a tremendous opportunity to support children and families in need within our community while spreading holiday cheer.”

VoiceNation’s Employee Volunteer Program provides ample opportunity for every staff member to volunteer and work towards a cause they feel passionate about on a local, national, or global scale.

About Jackson County Family Connection

The mission of Jackson County Family Connection is to improve the well-being and health conditions of families through a collaborative system of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual supports. For more information, visit www.jcfamilyconnection.com or call 706-367-3021.

About Georgia CALLS

Georgia CALLS, a program in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Transition, Support & Reentry, the Georgia Department of Corrections and Phillips Transitional Center, is transforming mindsets, growing leaders and building entrepreneurs, one life at a time. Utilizing a powerful combination of exclusive job/life skills training, paid work experience in the call center, intensive case management services, and optional discipleship classes, participants in the Georgia CALLS program develop their character, explore their own entrepreneurial dreams, and in turn give back to their own communities. Georgia CALLS works to make a lasting community impact by cultivating entrepreneurs and mentoring participants to be the CEOs of their lives. For more information about Georgia CALLS, visit www.gacalls.org

About VoiceNation

VoiceNation is a leading provider of 24-hour live answering services and call center solutions. Named “Top Provider in Industry” by PC World, VoiceNation is positioned as a knowledge leader with innovations in pricing, service, and proprietary open source technology.

Over 50,000 businesses worldwide, including Comedy Central, Delta, Dunkin’ Donuts, Rolls Royce, and StateFarm trust VoiceNation as their professional telephone answering service. Founded in 2002, VoiceNation is a privately-held company that invests heavy emphasis in staff development and community outreach opportunities. To learn more about VoiceNation, visit www.qualityansweringservice.com.

Dozens of families benefit from VoiceNation’s “Operation Give Back”Read More

VoiceNation’s CEO to Share Story of Revolutionary Open Source Live Answering Software During Webinar on September 29th

Jay Reeder
Jay Reeder

Jay Reeder, CEO of VoiceNation, the industry leader in live answering and virtual receptionist services, will be a special guest speaker for the Digium Webinar Series – Innovating with Asterisk “What Can Asterisk Do For Me?” on September 29, 2015 at 12PM CDT/1PM EDT.

The free webinar provides real business examples of innovative Asterisk implementations. Reeder will share VoiceNation’s Asterisk story and use of the software to build their revolutionary open source answering service software, OpenAnswer.

Set to make a global impact on the telecommunications industry and businesses worldwide, VoiceNation’s OpenAnswer is intuitive, intelligent open source live answering software that provides the call center industry with a collaborative solution that is freely available to download, install, and modify.

OpenAnswer is built on familiar open source technology like Asterisk, FreePBX, Apache, Linux, PF Sense, SIP and more. The system is designed to increase operator efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. There are no licensing fees and call center owners get unlimited seats and scalability with OpenAnswer. The online documentation at www.voicenation.com/openanswer outlines the step-by-step process to get started installing the software, and features need-to-know information and tips on how to configure OpenAnswer to fit your needs.

“OpenAnswer is a true go-to resource for call center entrepreneurs, as well as IT gurus seeking technical support, up-to-date software downloads, and implementation instructions. Through the use of Asterisk, we’ve developed a way for entrepreneurs who would not have been able to start a call center, to have the opportunity to do so at very little cost,” explained Reeder, who was named one of “The 20 Highest Rated Telecom CEOs To Work For in 2014” by GetVoIP.com.

To register for the Innovating with Asterisk webinar featuring Reeder, visit

http://go.digium.com/innovating-with-asterisk.

About VoiceNation

VoiceNation is a leading virtual PBX, voicemail, and innovative live answering service provider. Named “Top Provider in Industry” by PC World, the company’s cloud-based virtual phone services offer all the features of a physical PBX at a fraction of the cost or complexity of traditional technology. VoiceNation enables businesses of all sizes to compete in the marketplace as a Fortune 500 company on a small business budget with 24-hour presence management.

Founded in 2002, VoiceNation is a privately-held company that serves more than 50,000 customers including Comedy Central, Delta, Dunkin’ Donuts, Rolls Royce, and StateFarm. The company also provides qualified non-profit, tax-exempt charities with access to voicemail, faxmail and other specialized communication services at reduced cost through their Care2Call outreach program.

To learn more about VoiceNation, visit www.voicenation.com.

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It’s Elementary. Voice4Nations’ School Supply Drive Benefits Families in Need

IMG_4701Voice4Nations, the non-profit outreach of virtual phone and live answering service company, VoiceNation, recently held its 3rd Annual School Supply Drive to help local children in need obtain the necessary, and often expensive, supplies for the new school year.

The new school year can be challenging for families who don’t have the resources to purchase necessary school supplies. Voice4Nations collected an estimated $400 worth of school supplies, ranging from binders, notebooks and markers to calculators, flash drives and backpacks and more, during their School Supply Drive held in July.

In addition to significant supply donations made by Voice4Nations staff, Snap Fitness in Ellenwood and the Mall of Georgia Wal-Mart made donations.

Voice4Nations delivered the donations on August 4, 2015 to Good News at Noon in Gainesville and Ivy Creek Elementary School in Buford to help families in need of assistance.

“We wish to extend our appreciation to everyone who contributed to the Voice4Nations School Supply Drive which helped dozens of families obtain the essential tools needed for school,” explained Jay Reeder, founder of Voice4Nations.

About Voice4Nations

Voice4Nations, the non-profit outreach of VoiceNation, acts as a voice for the nations – a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves, like the 50 percent of all children who live in poverty.  Voice4Nations’ goal is to create awareness, encourage people to make a difference, and connect them with successful organizations where they can make a contribution directly funding the need.

Voice4Nations addresses three key initiatives: bullying prevention, the global water crisis, and homelessness. To learn more visit http://voice4nations.org

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Luau Party Boosts Spirits at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

VoiceNation CHOA IMG_3038 crop
VoiceNation Team

VoiceNation, the industry leader in live answering and virtual receptionist services, has made the hospital stays of dozens of youngsters at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Children’s), a little bit brighter.

May 19, VoiceNation hosted a Luau-themed party in “The Zone” (the dedicated play area) at  Children’s Scottish Rite hospital for 25 pediatric patients (of all ages) and their families. Everyone was adorned with leis and enjoyed games, prizes, crafts, gift bags and plenty of food.

“We wanted to show our support by providing a fun diversion for these brave, young patients. Most of the children in attendance were between six and 12 years old, and despite what they were going through, brought a lot of positive energy. There was a lot of excitement in the room,” said LeeAnna Channell of VoiceNation.

Through the Employee Volunteer Program at VoiceNation, Outreach Coordinator Amber Mooney coordinated the party with VoiceNation team members LeeAnna Channell, Emily Everett, Brian Martin, Caitlin Redd, Caitlin Blanton, Marie Owen, Dominique Newton and Caprece Scott.

The festive children’s activities included pineapple bowling, octopus ring toss, and shark attack corn hole. The children were also able to craft jellyfish to hang in their rooms and create their own lei necklaces.

“Despite everything they are going through, the kids still like to play, laugh and do crafts,” said VoiceNation’s Dominique Newton. “I feel that they really enjoyed the activities, and one little girl even mentioned that it felt good that people wanted to help them.”

“The VoiceNation team made a tremendous impact on more than 25 of our patients and their family members at Children’s. Because they hosted such a great patient event, kids who are going through what might be the most challenging time in their life had smiles on their faces,” said Michelle Bennett, Program Coordinator at Children’s.  “At Children’s, we know there is more to getting better than just seeing a doctor, which is why the generosity of companies like VoiceNation is so important to us. Thanks to VoiceNation for partnering with us in our mission to make kids better today and healthier tomorrow!”

About Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Children’s is a leading pediatric hospital recognized for excellence in cancer, cardiac, neonatal, orthopaedic and transplant care as well as many other pediatric specialties. For more information, visit www.choa.org.

About VoiceNation

VoiceNation is a leading provider of 24-hour live answering services and call center solutions. Named “Top Provider in Industry” by PC World, VoiceNation is positioned as a knowledge leader with innovations in pricing, service, and proprietary open source technology.  Over 50,000 businesses worldwide, including Comedy Central, Delta, Dunkin’ Donuts, Rolls Royce, and StateFarm trust VoiceNation as their professional telephone answering service.

Founded in 2002, VoiceNation is a privately-held company that invests heavy emphasis in staff development and community outreach opportunities. VoiceNation cultivates a positive workplace where staff is empowered and leadership and personal growth are promoted. A large part of the company’s culture revolves around the Employee Volunteer Program, which encourages staff to give back and get involved by helping others. Through the program, every VoiceNation staff member has an opportunity to volunteer on a monthly basis and work towards a cause they feel passionate about, on a local, national, and global scale.

To learn more about VoiceNation, visit http://www.qualityansweringservice.com.

 

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VoiceNation’s Revolutionary Open Source Answering Service Software Set to Launch June 22nd

Jay Reeder, CEO
Jay Reeder, CEO

VoiceNation, the industry leader in live answering and virtual receptionist services, is set to launch their revolutionary OpenAnswer answering service software on June 22, 2015.

For the past 15 years, VoiceNation has been spearheading innovations in live answering and virtual phone solutions, helping call centers navigate the waters of “going open source”. With the upcoming release of OpenAnswer, the most intuitive, intelligent open source answering service software available, the call center industry will have a collaborative solution made freely available to the public.

OpenAnswer is based on cutting edge technology and open standards without the restrictions of binding contracts, so call center owners will now have complete control over their operation. This is the same state of the art software in use currently at VoiceNation’s live answering call center.

“Agent stations will no longer cost thousands of dollars to deploy. Nor will call center owners get tied into lengthy vendor contracts. With OpenAnswer, call center owners get the flexibility they need without the one size fits all proprietary software constraints. Nothing this groundbreaking has been done in the industry to date,” explained Jay Reeder, CEO, who was named one of “The 20 Highest Rated Telecom CEOs To Work For in 2014” by GetVoIP.com.

OpenAnswer is freely available to download, install, and modify. There are no licensing fees and call center owners get unlimited seats and scalability in their call center. Since it is open source, call center owners can share their code changes with the budding OpenAnswer community at VoiceNation.com/OpenAnswer.

Key Features

The OpenAnswer operator screen is completely browser based, using modern web technology. OpenAnswer is operating system independent and simply requires a properly configured Asterisk server and a modern browser for the agent station. Built-in reporting features in OpenQView, packaged with OpenAnswer, analyze call flow and allows for real-time call and queue monitoring. Highly customizable user interface allows for complex account setup with ease and minimal training time for agents. OpenAnswer integrates with Asterisk and FreePBX, code is well documented and there is a free support community.

“OpenAnswer software has exponentially increased operator efficiency, accuracy, and productivity more than we could have ever imagined,” said Eric Schurke, Director of Operations at VoiceNation.

“We evaluated every solution out there and couldn’t find one that met our needs, so we created it… and then decided to give it away to the world,” said Reeder.

For more information, visit http://www.voicenation.com/openanswer.shtml.

About VoiceNation

VoiceNation is a leading virtual PBX, voicemail, and innovative live answering service provider. Named “Top Provider in Industry” by PC World, the company’s cloud-based virtual phone services offer all the features of a physical PBX at a fraction of the cost or complexity of traditional technology. VoiceNation enables businesses of all sizes to compete in the marketplace as a Fortune 500 company on a small business budget with 24-hour presence management.

Founded in 2002, VoiceNation is a privately-held company that serves more than 50,000 customers including Comedy Central, Delta, Dunkin’ Donuts, Rolls Royce, and StateFarm. The company also provides qualified non-profit, tax-exempt charities with access to voicemail, faxmail and other specialized communication services at reduced cost through their Care2Call outreach program.

To learn more about VoiceNation, visit www.voicenation.com.

 

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VoiceNation’s “Operation Give Back” Makes Children’s Holiday Brighter

L to R - LeeAnna Channell, VoiceNation's Marketing and Video Assistant with Ashley Anderson, Executive Director of SAFFT and Amber Mooney, VoiceNation's Outreach Coordinator.
L to R – LeeAnna Channell, VoiceNation’s Marketing and Video Assistant with Ashley Anderson, Executive Director of SAFFT and Amber Mooney, VoiceNation’s Outreach Coordinator.

VoiceNation, the industry leader in live answering and virtual receptionist services, has made the holidays a bit brighter for dozens of local children.

“Operation Give Back” is the name given to VoiceNation’s outreach effort to help ensure local children living in shelters and those in need of assistance receive gifts this holiday season. The program is in its third consecutive year and a highly sought after volunteer initiative among VoiceNation employees.

VoiceNation president Jay Reeder explains, “It is not only an enormous privilege, but a responsibility to care for those less fortunate. Through Operation Give Back, we have the opportunity to show love and kindness to children in our local community while spreading holiday cheer and good fortunes to the families we’re able to help.”

Like years before, VoiceNation equipped its staff with Operation Give Back profile folders complete with the child’s name; gender; age; holiday wish list; preferences, such as their favorite color, clothing size, favorite activities, and hobbies; as well as funds to purchase the gifts. Between the detailed profile and hype surrounding this initiative, employees are personally drawn and connected to their child in need and purchase gifts with incredible enthusiasm and heart.

“December is a time for giving and as a company, we see the generosity of this initiative reflecting through the actions of our staff. Many go above and beyond to personally provide gifts for these children, who they have never met, but have touched their hearts in a unique and special way,” added Reeder.

VoiceNation donated gifts to Supporting Adoption & Foster Families Together (SAFFT) and Good News At Noon to support a total of 46 children ranging in age from one to 16 years old from 15 families.

“It means a great deal to the parents. They’re so amazed that anonymous donors would provide an avenue for a parent to give their kid Christmas with nothing in return,” said Ashley Anderson, Executive Director of SAFFT.

According to Hannah Parker, Children and Youth Director for Good News At Noon, “The kids are going to feel so special. Operation Give Back is an answer to our prayer for them.”

The gifts, which ranged from bicycles, books and toys to clothing, games and more, were delivered to SAFFT and Good News At Noon on December 17th.

A large part of VoiceNation’s company culture revolves around their Employee Volunteer Program, which encourages staff to give back and get involved by helping others.  Through the program, every staff member has an opportunity to volunteer and work towards a cause they feel passionate about, on a local, national, or global scale.

To learn more about SAFFT, visit http://safft.org/. To learn more about Good News At Noon, visit http://www.goodnewsatnoon.org.

About VoiceNation

VoiceNation is a leading provider of 24-hour live answering services and call center solutions. Named “Top Provider in Industry” by PC World, VoiceNation is positioned as a knowledge leader with innovations in pricing, service, and proprietary open source technology.

Over 50,000 businesses worldwide, including Comedy Central, Delta, Dunkin’ Donuts, Rolls Royce, and StateFarm trust VoiceNation as their professional telephone answering service. Founded in 2002, VoiceNation is a privately-held company that invests heavy emphasis in staff development and community outreach opportunities.

To learn more about VoiceNation, visit http://www.qualityansweringservice.com.

VoiceNation’s “Operation Give Back” Makes Children’s Holiday BrighterRead More

Reeder Interviewed on Atlanta Business Radio

Reeder Interviewed on Atlanta Business RadioRead More