Viable Rolls Out VideoMail for Missed Calls

New service makes it possible for deaf and hard of hearing people to receive phone messages in sign language on their videophone, computer or mobile device.

Rockville, MD (PRWEB) 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 (https://www.viable.net/vrs), 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 (https://www.viable.net/register/vsn1), 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: help at viable dot net

For more information on VideoMail, frequently asked questions are posted at www.viable.net/support/faq.

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.

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