EVoice

EVoice

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	United States
Headquarters	United States
Parent	j2 Global Communications, Inc.
Website	www.evoice.com

Current

eVoice is a telecommunications service owned by j2 Global Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:JCOM).

eVoice provides a virtual phone number to individuals and/or businesses who want calls answered, routed, and managed professionally. eVoice offers toll-free and local phone numbers, multiple extensions, voicemail to e-mail, voicemail to text, custom greetings, voicemail transcription, conference calling, and call forwarding.

J2 Global Communications first launched ”eVoice Free” in 2004 as a simple voicemail to email service. The eVoice service has gone through a series of updates and enhancements over the years, and in 2010, j2 Global Communications introduced the newest generation of eVoice, offering simplified sign up, usability and lower price points.

eVoice features include:

• Choice of toll-free or local number; auto attendant; call routing (forwarding, transfer, screening); enhanced voicemail; voicemail to email; voicemail-to-text; customized professional greeting; conference calling; online account administration and call history; custom hold music; and more.

• The ability to set up multiple extensions for transfer to specific people or departments. These extensions can be set up to ring at any desired number: home phone, cell phone, home office, etc.

• A “virtual receptionist” offering the option to choose an automated greeting; record and upload a personalized greeting; or create a signature greeting using professional voice talent provided by eVoice.

• “Find me/Follow me” features that route calls to multiple phones, including home, cell, home phone, etc. The routed calls can ring in sequence or simultaneously at all designated phones, at the user’s discretion.

• Voicemails delivered as audio files and text transcriptions, delivered via email or text messages. Voice to text transcriptions, as well as audio file recordings, can be forwarded as email attachments.

• Transfer of existing numbers to eVoice, enabling a business to keep an existing number while adding all the benefits of eVoice.

eVoice History Under j2 Global Communications

• 2004 – j2 Global Communications acquired the eVoice trademark and introduced eVoice Free, a free voicemail-to-email service.

• 2005 – eVoice Plus was created, offering local number support; telephone access to messages, as well as text message notification of a new voice mail.

• 2006 – Introduction of eVoice Receptionist, a full-featured virtual PBX offering voice mail to email, text message, auto attendant, Find Me/Follow Me functionality, multi user support, online message center, and professional greeting support. Additionally, a Click to Call feature was added.

• 2010 – The latest generation of eVoice, “A Radically Better Phone Number” was launched.

eVoice History Prior to j2 Global Communications

eVoice was founded in 1998 by Wendell Brown. Based at that time in Menlo Park, CA., eVoice was the world's first large-scale, Internet-enabled voicemail system.

From its inception, eVoice provided a universally accessible gateway to convenient voice communications, content and commerce for consumers. eVoice Free Home Voicemail was the first free nationwide voicemail that answered consumers' home phone lines and small business phone lines. The eVoice service included access via any phone, email, and the internet.

eVoice was a free replacement to phone company voicemail services or to a traditional answering machine. When a phone line was busy, if call waiting was ignored or when the subscriber was online, eVoice would take the message and send an alert to the subscriber. eVoice notified subscribers either via email or as a message to their pager or mobile phones. Messages could be accessed via the phone or internet and automatically forwarded to any email account as an audio attachment. eVoice offered free multiple mailbox extensions so that each person in a household could receive their own private messages.

eVoice created partnerships with telecom companies including MCI and AT&T, and web portals and VoIP providers including Qwest, Snowball, and Dialpad.

eVoice was acquired by AOL in July 2001 and merged into AOLbyPhone. Prior to the acquisition, eVoice had raised more than $50 million in funding from idealab!, Nokia and other top-tier investors.

In 2004, the eVoice brand and domain were acquired by j2 Global Communications (Nasdaq: JCOM).

eVoice Features Overview

• U.S. & Canada Local Numbers
• Toll Free Numbers
• Auto Attendant
• Multiple Extensions
• Voicemail
• Voicemail-to-Text
• Conference Calling
• Professional Greetings
• Call Routing
• Call Transfer
• Call Screening & Announce
• Simultaneous/Sequential Ringing
• Music On Hold
• Dial-By-Name Directory
• Speed Dial
• Online Administration
• Call Usage & History
• 24/7 Customer Support

External Links

eVoice website

Inc. Magazine, "The Best Voicemail Management Services," March, 2010