Gordon Matthews
Encyclopedia
Gordon Matthews was an American
inventor and businessman and started one of the first companies which pioneered the commercialization of voicemail
.
in 1959, Matthews joined the U.S. Marine Corps as an aviator.
Matthews' involvement in trying to mesh human voices to technology was many years in the making. A fellow friend and pilot perished in a mid-air collision, which Matthews believed was caused when he momentarily took his eyes off of his plane's controls to adjust his radio frequency. After he was discharged from the military, Matthews went to work for IBM
to help develop voice-activated cockpit controls which would help lessen similar types of catastrophic errors in the future. After IBM, Matthews went to work for Texas Instruments
in 1966.
In 1979, five years after IBM’s SFS (ADS) system and three years after Delphi’s Delta 1 system were first operational, a company was founded in Texas by Gordon Matthews called ECS Communications (the name was later changed to VMX). According to Jay Stoffer, founder of Delphi Communications, Gordon Matthews learned about Delphi’s voicemail prior to his founding VMX. Regardless of how he was inspired, Matthews eventually founded VMX which developed a 3,000-user voice messaging system called the VMX/64. VMX was arguably the first company to offer voicemail for sale commercially for corporate use. Matthews was able to sell his system to several notable large corporations, such as 3M, Kodak, American Express, Intel, Hoffman La Roche, Corning Glass, Arco, Shell Canada and Westinghouse. This impressive list of early adopters started the ball rolling on corporate voicemail. While some claim that VMX and Gordon Matthews invented voicemail or that he was the "father of voicemail", this claim is not true. The first inventor of record was Stephen Boies of IBM five years before VMX was founded. In 1979, Matthews filed a method patent for voicemail, which was granted on 1 February 1983. Matthews patented what was called "Voice Message Exchange," U.S. Patent No. 4,371,752, and was a significant patent for voicemail. While there was prior art for voicemail, Matthews' patent was never adjudicated and held up until its expiration. Matthews eventually held over thirty-five patents, many of which related to voicemail.
When VMX was on the verge of bankruptcy, it was acquired by Opcom. Opcom was acquired in 1994 by Octel Communications, the largest provider of voice mail equipment and services in the world. In 1997, Octel was acquired by Lucent Technologies and spun off several years later as part of Avaya.
At the time of his death from complications relating to a stroke on 23 February 2002, Matthews was 65, and was survived by his wife, Monika, son Gordon, and only daughter, Christina.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
inventor and businessman and started one of the first companies which pioneered the commercialization of voicemail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
.
History
After graduating from the University of TulsaUniversity of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
in 1959, Matthews joined the U.S. Marine Corps as an aviator.
Matthews' involvement in trying to mesh human voices to technology was many years in the making. A fellow friend and pilot perished in a mid-air collision, which Matthews believed was caused when he momentarily took his eyes off of his plane's controls to adjust his radio frequency. After he was discharged from the military, Matthews went to work for IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
to help develop voice-activated cockpit controls which would help lessen similar types of catastrophic errors in the future. After IBM, Matthews went to work for Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
in 1966.
In 1979, five years after IBM’s SFS (ADS) system and three years after Delphi’s Delta 1 system were first operational, a company was founded in Texas by Gordon Matthews called ECS Communications (the name was later changed to VMX). According to Jay Stoffer, founder of Delphi Communications, Gordon Matthews learned about Delphi’s voicemail prior to his founding VMX. Regardless of how he was inspired, Matthews eventually founded VMX which developed a 3,000-user voice messaging system called the VMX/64. VMX was arguably the first company to offer voicemail for sale commercially for corporate use. Matthews was able to sell his system to several notable large corporations, such as 3M, Kodak, American Express, Intel, Hoffman La Roche, Corning Glass, Arco, Shell Canada and Westinghouse. This impressive list of early adopters started the ball rolling on corporate voicemail. While some claim that VMX and Gordon Matthews invented voicemail or that he was the "father of voicemail", this claim is not true. The first inventor of record was Stephen Boies of IBM five years before VMX was founded. In 1979, Matthews filed a method patent for voicemail, which was granted on 1 February 1983. Matthews patented what was called "Voice Message Exchange," U.S. Patent No. 4,371,752, and was a significant patent for voicemail. While there was prior art for voicemail, Matthews' patent was never adjudicated and held up until its expiration. Matthews eventually held over thirty-five patents, many of which related to voicemail.
When VMX was on the verge of bankruptcy, it was acquired by Opcom. Opcom was acquired in 1994 by Octel Communications, the largest provider of voice mail equipment and services in the world. In 1997, Octel was acquired by Lucent Technologies and spun off several years later as part of Avaya.
At the time of his death from complications relating to a stroke on 23 February 2002, Matthews was 65, and was survived by his wife, Monika, son Gordon, and only daughter, Christina.