Contact: Glenn Lockhart<\/p>\n
Viable Inc.<\/p>\n
Tel: 240.292.0222 x227<\/p>\n
Fax: 301.230.2442<\/p>\n
contact@viable.net<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.viable.net<\/p>\n
Viable Rolls Out VideoMail for Missed Calls<\/p>\n
ROCKVILLE, MD \u2013 June 10, 2009 – Viable, a deaf-owned provider of
\nvideo relay services (VRS), has brought deaf and hard of hearing
\npeople one step closer to functional equivalence with the release of
\nVideoMail, which allows deaf and hard of hearing people to receive
\nphone messages in sign language.<\/p>\n
VideoMail is a no-cost feature compatible with ViableVRS, which
\nallows sign language users to make and receive phone calls 24\/7 by
\nvideoconferencing with an interpreter trained to relay phone
\nconversations. With VideoMail, ViableVRS users can receive video
\nmessages from voice callers through a ViableVRS interpreter as well as
\ndirectly from videophone callers.<\/p>\n
“VideoMail delivers functionality that has long been available to
\nhearing people and brings the deaf community closer to functionally
\nequivalent communications,” said VP of Technology Jason T. Yeh, who is
\ndeaf and leads the VideoMail development team. “Now deaf and hard of
\nhearing people can go in a meeting or on a flight and check for
\nmessages afterwards without wondering if a coworker, customer or
\nfamily member has been trying to contact them. VideoMail keeps us
\ninformed.”<\/p>\n
Viable’s VideoMail stands out from similar offerings due to its
\nflexibility and range of access methods. People can check their
\nVideoMail:<\/p>\n
* Online via a web browser through either a PC or Mac<\/p>\n
* On supported mobile devices, which include the Sidekick LX and
\nBlackberry models popular with deaf and hard of hearing consumers,
\nwith iPhone support imminent<\/p>\n
* Through the VPAD, the next-generation videophone developed by
\nViable is WiFi-enabled, portable, and touchscreen<\/p>\n
* By dialing \u201cMailbox\u201d via Viable Vision, a free download for the
\nPC that offers dual-screen DVR capability and desktop viewing<\/p>\n
Remarked Yeh, “Viable engineers put VideoMail under tremendous
\ntesting and involved Viable employees and over 150 deaf and hard of
\nhearing testers in making sure that the service will perform to
\nexpectations. Their valuable feedback has helped us design a service
\nthat adds incredible value to ViableVRS and affects how they
\ncommunicate and relate with the hearing people in their lives.”<\/p>\n
VideoMail is available only to people with a Viable Phone Number, a
\nten-digit telephone number registered with Viable that enables prompt
\naccess to 911 services via ViableVRS and to receive calls from both
\nvideophone and voice callers. Viable Phone Numbers offer the functions
\nand benefits of a real phone number and work seamlessly with existing
\nPTSN telephone infrastructures.<\/p>\n
With a Viable Phone Number, deaf and hard of hearing people can:<\/p>\n
* Receive VRS calls from hearing people without special dialing
\ninstructions<\/p>\n
* Receive videophone calls from deaf people<\/p>\n
* Make true 911 emergency VRS calls with their address pre-stored for
\ninstant retrieval by their local emergency responders<\/p>\n
ViableVRS users who want to receive VideoMail can register online for
\na Viable Phone Number at https:\/\/www.viable.net\/register\/vsn1 and must
\nenter personal information for verification of U.S. residency and to
\nregister their address for 911 emergency response. Customer Support
\nrepresentatives fluent in sign language are on standby to help process
\nViable Phone Number registrations from Monday-Friday from 9 AM –
\nmidnight EST and Saturday-Sunday from 9 AM – 5 PM EST:<\/p>\n
* VPAD: Click on “Help” then “Live”<\/p>\n
* Viable Vision: Click on “Help”<\/p>\n
* Videophone: help.ViableVRS.tv<\/p>\n
* AOL IM:ViableHELP<\/p>\n
* Email: help@viable.net<\/p>\n
For more information on VideoMail, frequently asked questions are
\nposted at www.viable.net\/support.<\/p>\n
# # #<\/p>\n
About Viable, Inc.<\/p>\n
Viable develops videophones and provides next-generation video relay
\nservices for deaf and hard of hearing persons, opening them to a world
\nof communication possibilities. Founded in 2006, Viable is a private,
\ndeaf-owned company, and many employees are deaf and hard of hearing
\nand are personally vested in the innovation and development of the
\ncompany’s products and services. Visit www.viable.net for further
\ninformation.<\/p>\n
About Telecommunications Relay Services<\/p>\n
Mandated by Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,
\ntelecommunications relay services (TRS) enables individuals with
\nhearing or speech disabilities to achieve functional equivalence by
\naccessing telephone systems to place or receive calls through an
\nintermediary known as a relay operator or relay interpreter. Emergent
\nIP technology has given rise to video-based solutions, which are known
\nas video relay services (VRS). VRS options include using a webcam or a
\nvideophone to connect to a video relay interpreter, and allow deaf and
\nhard of hearing callers for whom sign language is native to fully
\nachieve the ideal of functional equivalence.<\/p>\n
Source: http:\/\/www.viable.net\/company\/release\/2009\/6\/10\/1<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Contact: Glenn Lockhart Viable Inc. Tel: 240.292.0222 x227 Fax: 301.230.2442 contact@viable.net http:\/\/www.viable.net Viable Rolls Out VideoMail for Missed Calls ROCKVILLE, MD \u2013 June 10, 2009 – Viable, a deaf-owned provider of video relay services (VRS), has brought deaf and hard…<\/p>\n