Jeff Wellemeyer

Jeff Wellemeyer (born September 13, 1972) is an American entrepreneur, software developer and an international property and resort developer. He is best known for creating the cloud based communications technologies for delivering IP PBX services, developing the first high-speed wireless Internet technology and developing the first computer systems to process financial Automated Clearing House transactions on the Internet. Currently he is the President and Chairman of the Smoothstone IP Communications Corporation based in Louisville, Kentucky which he co-founded in 2000.

Personal life and early years

Wellemeyer was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He has one brother, former Major League Baseball Pitcher Todd Wellemeyer.

Wellemeyer incorporated his first company at age 15. At age 17 as a senior in high school Wellemeyer developed the first solid state voice mail system for the home; releasing it to the public at the 1991 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The system was sold through NuTone intercom dealers nationwide as an enhancer to the dimishing home intercom business. It is unclear what became of this business.^[1]

Casino business

In 1992 Wellemeyer created a chip counting technology using a laser in the bottom of a multi-demonination casino chip tray. This technology using a set of low powered optical lasers worked similar to a barcode reader allowing the casino to track winning in real-time by knowing the value of the chips at an individual table. Although there were some product trials the technology never gained wide market acceptance.

Later in 2004 Wellemeyer partnered with Casino Moguel Richard Schilling, Jr to start (Schilling/Wellemeyer Gaming) SW Gaming, LLC. dba. Harlows Casino and Resort, a $70 Million casino and resort property located in Greenville, Mississippi.^[2][3]

On September 13, 2010 SW Gaming dba Harlows Casino and Resort was sold to Churchill Downs for $131 Million.^[4]

Virtual PAY

In 1994, Wellemeyer developed the first Internet electronic lockbox where consumers could pay their bills electronically over the Internet using an ACH transfer from their checking account.^[5] This system provided the first Internet payment capabilities for customers of Mobil Oil, First USA VISA, and Sunoco.^[6][7][8]

VirtualPAY sold the technology to National Processing Company (NYSE:NAP) in 1994.

ViperLink

In 1995 Wellemeyer created the first multi-point high-speed Internet access technology deployed in the United States.^[9] According to Roberta Wiggins, director of wireless mobile communications at the Yankee Group, "no one in the industry had combined the high bandwidth available through ViperLink with wireless technology".^[10] ViperLink was credited as the catalyst that created the multipoint wireless delivery technology used in most modern wireless broadband networks and was the first to market with wireless bandwidths that exceeded 256kbit/s, delivering reliable 1Mbit/s and above transport in a reliable cost effective model.^[11][12]

In 1998 ViperLink was sold to Paul Allen backed Darwin Networks for an undisclosed amount.^[13]

Smoothstone

In 2000 Wellemeyer co-founded Teledvance Communications, with Shelly Godfrey and Paul Borgman. Teledvance was the first network delivered, hosted IP PBX service for business in the United States.^[14]

Teledvance raised a small amount of angel capital and subsequently secured a $7 million investment from MK Capital in 2005^[15] prior to changing the company name to Smoothstone IP Communications Corporation.^[16] Smoothstone grew rapidly and today, according to Frost and Sullivan is the largest cloud based communications provider in the US. Smoothstone provides services to enterprise companies in over 4000 cities domestically and 14 countries worldwide.

On April 20, 2011 Smoothstone was sold to the $2.5 Billion, Omaha, Nebraska based West Corporation for $120 Million.^[17]

References

External links