Periphonics Corporation, founded in 1969, was a pioneer in the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) industry. The company evolved from a boutique voice response manufacturer into a key subsidiary of global telecommunications giant Nortel Networks by the late 1990s. 

Founding & Early Era (1969 – 1979) 

• 1969: Periphonics Corporation is co-founded in Bohemia, New York, by S. Thomas Emerson, who served as the original CTO.
• Early 1970s: The company focused on manufacturing early computerized voice response systems.
• 1974: S. Thomas Emerson is named “Inventor of the Year” by the U.S. Patent Office for his work in computer technology. 

Expansion & Market Leadership (1980 – 1998) 

• 1983: Periphonics deployed the first-ever voice “call tree” (IVR system).
• 1980s: The company became a subsidiary of Exxon Corporation during a period of diversification by the oil giant into technology.
• 1991: Periphonics Limited (UK) is established to expand operations into the European market.
• 1992: Supplied and installed voice processing systems for the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation.
• 1998: Launched CallSponsor CT, a major computer telephony product that integrated IVR, skills-based routing, and call blending into a single suite. 

The Nortel Era & Beyond (1999 – 2009)

• 1999: Nortel Networks acquires Periphonics Corp for approximately $435 million to bolster its e-commerce and internet-based service offerings.
• 2001: Nortel rebrands the core Periphonics technology as the Nortel Speech Server.
• 2005: Periphonics Limited (UK division) enters a declaration of solvency and begins liquidation as part of Nortel’s broader restructuring.
• 2009: Following Nortel’s bankruptcy, the assets and legacy Periphonics technologies were sold off to various telecommunications firms. 

Key Products Through the Eras

• Early Voice Response Units (VRUs): Proprietary hardware-based systems for high-energy physics data acquisition and early banking.
• IVR “Call Trees” (1983): The foundational technology for modern automated phone menus.
• CallSponsor CT (1998): A turnkey “computer telephony” suite designed to reduce installation and debugging times for call centres.
• Nortel Speech Server (2000s): The evolved version of Periphonics technology integrated into Nortel’s digital network infrastructure.

Periphonics Corporation, founded in 1969, was a pioneer in the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) industry

TSP / Deluxe Data : 1990 – 1995

Year:         1994

Course:     Periphonics Voice Processing Systems LTD.  VPS 7000 / 9000 Series VPS
Application Development (VOS 4.3) –
(Periphonics Voice Processing)