That new era has spawned both competition and opportunity. Once upon a time, there was only one concern and just one solution. If you needed your phone answered when you weren't in - you hired an answering service. By being very efficient and very necessary assistants to a wide range of business categories, the Telephone Answering Service became a fundamental part of the businessworld. Along with the multiple options for communications and messaging, businesses have developed individual specialized needs that demand more than just simple solutions.
Nothing is cut and dried anymore.
Messaging has become more complex and technology has raised the level of communications expectations to new heights. And through it all, the world has become far more accepting of solutions that provide for something other than just a live person on duty to handle telephone communication. The cost for people has been getting higher and unnecessary for many applications. Then too, automation has become acceptable in many circumstances. In fact, we have come full circle with a decided preference among many business people who favor voicemail, rather than a person, to take and dispatch messages and perform other routine tasks.