Phone.com Leverages State Resources to Expand Footprint in New Jersey

On Jun 9, 2016

Cloud-based phone services provider Phone.com has come a long way since its inception nearly a decade ago, and the company continues to attract the attention of customers and the telecommunications industry alike.

Phone.com offers its more than 25,000 customers a variety of innovative and economical business and home phone services. The company recently announced that its home city of Newark is now using its phone services at various departments and offices. In addition, Phone.com recently extended its agreement with LiftMaster, one of the leading suppliers of gated community access systems in the United States, to incorporate Phone.com’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services into LiftMaster’s “next generation” products.

Since 2008, Phone.com has grown from two to 17 employees in New Jersey. The company’s fast-paced growth has attracted recognition from INC Magazine, which named Phone.com to its list of 5000 Fastest Growing Companies last year for the fourth-straight year. The company also was previously named to Deloitte Technology’s Fast 500™ list.

In 2013, Phone.com relocated from Livingston to its current home at the Enterprise Development Center (EDC) at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark. The EDC is an incubator/accelerator that provides technology startups access to NJIT resources, mentors and other programming.

Phone.com Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Ari Rabban points to funding provided by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) as one of the ways his company was able to move to its location at the EDC. The EDA has supported Phone.com throughout its lifecycle, including providing a $1 million Edison Innovation VC Growth Fund loan, which the company used to support growth capital needs, including marketing and product development. Launched in 2011, the Edison Innovation VC Growth Fund supports venture capital-supported technology companies that have a minimum of $500,000 in revenues in the preceding 12 months.

Prior to starting Phone.com, Rabban worked for two New Jersey telecommunications companies, VocalTec Communications, a VoIP-industry pioneer that was co-founded by Phone.com Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer Alon Cohen, and Lucent Technologies. An active participant in New Jersey’s vibrant technology scene, Rabban is passionate about grooming the next generation of entrepreneurs. He serves on the board of directors for both the New Jersey Technology Council, based in New Brunswick, and the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership in Newark. Rabban is also a mentor for the accelerator TechLaunch, and he speaks to emerging entrepreneurs at various Meetup events throughout the state.

Exemplifying the startup’s commitment to the Garden State’s technology ecosystem, Phone.com was also a sponsor at last month’s first ever Propeller, a technology festival that brought together entrepreneurs and investors around New Jersey and its surrounding states.

“Having grown Phone.com into a successful business in the Garden State, Ari is ensuring that emerging entrepreneurs have access to the resources they need to thrive,” EDA Chief Executive Officer Melissa Orsen said. “That’s the type of collaborative effort that is a hallmark of New Jersey.”

@NJEDATech asked Rabban about his company’s experience in New Jersey and its plans for the future:

Why did you choose to grow your company in New Jersey?
I am from New Jersey.  Having previously worked at VocalTec Communications and Lucent Technologies, we know the history and the rich base of technology talent in general, and telecommunications in particular, in New Jersey. So naturally, we knew New Jersey was an ideal place to grow the company.

What is your company’s biggest success to date?
Our biggest success thus far is our ongoing growth. We’ve been able to innovate year after year and continually grow our customer base. Each satisfied customer that mentions our name brings exposure and potential for additional growth.

What’s on the horizon for Phone.com?
We have two simple goals: to grow and to innovate. We want to continue to offer an excellent product and outstanding service to our growing base of customers, while adding new technology and features that our user base has come to expect from us.

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