Telescan, LLC acquired Axon Communications in March 2003. This was a careful business decision that took into account not only the synergy between the businesses, but also the heritage Axon created over its 20-year history.

Axon started with the merger of two small businesses - one engaged in software development, and the other in pioneering video teleconferencing technology. The year was 1983, and it was apparent that although video teleconferencing was a great idea, its time had not yet arrived. For two reasons: (1) available technology dictated that only the largest of corporations could afford video conferencing, and (2) the concept of meeting virtually (on camera, no less) was difficult to sell. Looking for ways to generate revenue, Axon entered into an engineering venture with a mobile communications company to design an automated interconnect terminal. This development work introduced Axon to telephone technology and interface requirements, and to the general telephone industry.

In early 1984, during discussions with a telephone company representative, mention was made of the Telephone Answering Service Industry. Following that conversation a survey of telephone answering services in the greater Los Angeles area was conducted. The result of that survey was a product definition and, in December of that year, installation of the first AXON/4 at a telephone answering service in Connecticut.

The AXON/4, although simple in concept, turned out to be a right product at the right time. It was a small, relatively inexpensive, 4-port, three-position, DID answering system. Between the years 1985 and 1989 over 600 answering services purchased over 1,400 AXON/4 answering positions. These systems were purchased by large, medium, and small cord-board-oriented answering services in the United Stated and Canada. For these businesses the AXON/4 was a first step into what was then the newly emerging concept of DID, call-forward answering.

Simple to use, the AXON/4 represented an easy migration for the cord-board operators of the day. The system was specifically designed to closely emulate cord-board operation, but do it in a modern way. The AXON/4 introduced several technical innovations including small size and true one-button call-answering. It's original concept was to replace a cord board position with a DID system that emulated, yet simplified, cord board answering procedures. The AXON/4, and its eventual video counterpart the 4V, packed a lot of features and performance into an attractive package that was very inexpensive when compared to available alternatives.

In 1988 Axon introduced the AXON 8000 system platform. Like the AXON/4, the 8000 was designed not for the largest telephone answering services, but rather for businesses that needed a feature-rich, reliable, yet reasonably priced system for their growing business. The development path for the AXON 8000 went from paper to paperless, through integration with other vendor products.

Reliable equipment, plus a real dedication to customer service helped Axon Communications build and maintain a loyal following of users over the years. Roger Young and Bobby Riggs, Telescan’s new owners, recognized these Axon qualities and how they mirrored those of Telescan, the company they had recently acquired. Here was not only a good product fit, but also an almost perfect fit of business philosophy.

Merging two businesses is always a challenge, even if they seem a good business fit. First there is the challenge of integrating the different staffs, each with their own history of hierarchy and procedures, and then the challenge of integrating the different product lines. To help make this merger successful, Telescan has retained the services of several key Axon personnel. They are providing continuing technical service to Axon’s base of system users, and advice to Telescan personnel as they take over the production, repair, and upgrading of the Axon product line. One thing for certain is that the Telescan – Axon business combination not only represents a stronger industry presence, but also promises to benefit both Telescan and Axon customers.