Contact: Glenn Lockhart
Viable Inc.
Tel: 240.292.0222 x227
Fax: 301.230.2442
http://www.viable.net
Viable Rolls Out VideoMail for Missed Calls
ROCKVILLE, MD – June 10, 2009 – Viable, a deaf-owned provider of
video relay services (VRS), has brought deaf and hard of hearing
people one step closer to functional equivalence with the release of
VideoMail, which allows deaf and hard of hearing people to receive
phone messages in sign language.
VideoMail is a no-cost feature compatible with ViableVRS, which
allows sign language users to make and receive phone calls 24/7 by
videoconferencing with an interpreter trained to relay phone
conversations. With VideoMail, ViableVRS users can receive video
messages from voice callers through a ViableVRS interpreter as well as
directly from videophone callers.
“VideoMail delivers functionality that has long been available to
hearing people and brings the deaf community closer to functionally
equivalent communications,” said VP of Technology Jason T. Yeh, who is
deaf and leads the VideoMail development team. “Now deaf and hard of
hearing people can go in a meeting or on a flight and check for
messages afterwards without wondering if a coworker, customer or
family member has been trying to contact them. VideoMail keeps us
informed.”
Viable’s VideoMail stands out from similar offerings due to its
flexibility and range of access methods. People can check their
VideoMail:
* Online via a web browser through either a PC or Mac
* On supported mobile devices, which include the Sidekick LX and
Blackberry models popular with deaf and hard of hearing consumers,
with iPhone support imminent
* Through the VPAD, the next-generation videophone developed by
Viable is WiFi-enabled, portable, and touchscreen
* By dialing “Mailbox” via Viable Vision, a free download for the
PC that offers dual-screen DVR capability and desktop viewing
Remarked Yeh, “Viable engineers put VideoMail under tremendous
testing and involved Viable employees and over 150 deaf and hard of
hearing testers in making sure that the service will perform to
expectations. Their valuable feedback has helped us design a service
that adds incredible value to ViableVRS and affects how they
communicate and relate with the hearing people in their lives.”
VideoMail is available only to people with a Viable Phone Number, a
ten-digit telephone number registered with Viable that enables prompt
access to 911 services via ViableVRS and to receive calls from both
videophone and voice callers. Viable Phone Numbers offer the functions
and benefits of a real phone number and work seamlessly with existing
PTSN telephone infrastructures.
With a Viable Phone Number, deaf and hard of hearing people can:
* Receive VRS calls from hearing people without special dialing
instructions
* Receive videophone calls from deaf people
* Make true 911 emergency VRS calls with their address pre-stored for
instant retrieval by their local emergency responders
ViableVRS users who want to receive VideoMail can register online for
a Viable Phone Number at https://www.viable.net/register/vsn1 and must
enter personal information for verification of U.S. residency and to
register their address for 911 emergency response. Customer Support
representatives fluent in sign language are on standby to help process
Viable Phone Number registrations from Monday-Friday from 9 AM –
midnight EST and Saturday-Sunday from 9 AM – 5 PM EST:
* VPAD: Click on “Help” then “Live”
* Viable Vision: Click on “Help”
* Videophone: help.ViableVRS.tv
* AOL IM:ViableHELP
* Email: [email protected]
For more information on VideoMail, frequently asked questions are
posted at www.viable.net/support.
# # #
About Viable, Inc.
Viable develops videophones and provides next-generation video relay
services for deaf and hard of hearing persons, opening them to a world
of communication possibilities. Founded in 2006, Viable is a private,
deaf-owned company, and many employees are deaf and hard of hearing
and are personally vested in the innovation and development of the
company’s products and services. Visit www.viable.net for further
information.
About Telecommunications Relay Services
Mandated by Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,
telecommunications relay services (TRS) enables individuals with
hearing or speech disabilities to achieve functional equivalence by
accessing telephone systems to place or receive calls through an
intermediary known as a relay operator or relay interpreter. Emergent
IP technology has given rise to video-based solutions, which are known
as video relay services (VRS). VRS options include using a webcam or a
videophone to connect to a video relay interpreter, and allow deaf and
hard of hearing callers for whom sign language is native to fully
achieve the ideal of functional equivalence.
Source: http://www.viable.net/company/release/2009/6/10/1