ATLANTA AND BUFORD, GA… VoiceNation, the industry leader in live answering and virtual receptionist services, is setting a new standard for the telecommunications industry with their recent release of revolutionary answering service software, OpenAnswer. One early adopter of the software is Georgia Center For Abundant Living Life Skills (Georgia CALLS) of Buford.

VoiceNation has created an open source software component that will make a global impact on the telecommunications industry and businesses worldwide. 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.

There are no licensing fees and call center owners get unlimited seats and scalability with this freely-available open source answering service platform. The online documentation at openanswer.org 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. It 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.

“Thousands of dollars may be saved using the OpenAnswer suite. Call center owners get the flexibility they need without the one size fits all proprietary software constraints. Essentially, those who would not have been able to start a call center, now have the opportunity to do so at very little cost,” explained Jay Reeder, VoiceNation CEO, who was named one of “The 20 Highest Rated Telecom CEOs To Work For in 2014” by GetVoIP.com.

He continued, “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.”

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, is an early adopter of VoiceNation’s OpenAnswer live answering software. They utilize OpenAnswer in their on-site call center, which is staffed by Georgia CALLS program participants.

According to Mark Mobley, Executive Director of Georgia CALLS, “With OpenAnswer, the learning curve is quite low, and we were able to train and place our customer service reps on the phones in minimal time when compared to some of the more complex systems we had been utilizing. Our calls-answered per-hour rates are much higher than before. We’re convinced that OpenAnswer has helped get us there.”

OpenAnswer enables Georgia CALLS entry-level customer service representatives with no previous experience to capably use the software within a week. Some exceed that time frame and begin using the software effectively within one day.

“OpenAnswer has made every part of the job easier. The live answering software has streamlined the entire process of taking calls, dispatching, scripting, running reports, and gathering account information, as well as investigating operator usage without putting stress on the server,” explained Chris Suarez, Georgia CALLS Call Center Manager. “OpenAnswer has raised the bar so high that at this point, I couldn’t imagine using any other software on the call center floor.”

The Technology

OpenAnswer is built on familiar open source technology like Asterisk, FreePBX, Apache, Linux, PF Sense, SIP and more. Operator screens run directly in the browser, so setup is simple and requires very little overhead. Administrators should be familiar with the command line interface and should be comfortable configuring ports, SIP trunking and network traffic routing.

The system is designed to increase operator efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. Operator screens are highly configurable and setting up even complex accounts with very specific call instructions is straightforward with the OpenAnswer call types admin screen. Operators can see as little or as much as needed and reporting is built right in. Additional features such as “minders” and messages to each agent can be configured as needed.

The OpenAnswer Hub, built around the software suite, includes a community tools feature for enhancement requests, feedback, technical questions, customization, and more.

“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 openanswer.org.

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 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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