Two UT Dallas juniors' telecommunications company takes off

The proprietary configuration of the PrimeVOX product allows for the scrambling of messages that are later unscrambled on the company's servers.
The proprietary configuration of the PrimeVOX product allows for the scrambling of messages that are later unscrambled on the company's servers. | File photo
Two students at the University of Texas Dallas have built a friendship based on a mutual interest in technology into a business that is venturing to rake in as much as $1 million a year in just five years.

PrimeVOX Communications is a local Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) company offering custom-tailored phone systems to businesses. Luke Escude, a junior in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science of UT Dallas, started the company seven months ago and brought in classmate Caleb Devany in December as the sales representative.

With a dozen clients, office space in Addison, and a membership with the Plano Chamber of Commerce, Escude and Devany are hopeful for great gains. The business model is different from other VoIP companies because the proprietary configuration of their product allows for the scrambling of messages that are later unscrambled on PrimeVOX servers. Because the service is cloud-based, clients are able to retrieve calls on an app on their mobile phone, never missing a call.

Stephen Perkins, a computer science lecturer at UT Dallas, says Escude stands out and has the drive and knowledge to achieve success in a startup. Perkins himself co-founded NetMass Inc, a cloud-based backup and archiving service provider, and the two UT Dallas students said their computer science courses have helped them finesse their skills.