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April 03, 2013

Purple Communications' SmartVP Improves Communication for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing

By Kasey Schefflin-Emrich, TMCnet Contributing Writer

Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals will soon experience an easier and more efficient way to communicate with Purple Communications' (News - Alert) new videophone called SmartVP.



Purple's SmartVP, developed in partnership with Tely Labs, consists of a HD camera with a wide-angle lens that can send and receive video up to 720P HD, the ability to communicate with deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals either directly or through an American Sign Language interpreter, a message system that enables users to send and receive information in ASL, and the ability to communicate using a single phone number regardless of the location of the user.

The SmartVP also features numerous applications that provide access to things such as YouTube (News - Alert) channels, local weather, YellowPages and show times for captioned movies. The apps can be accessed at any given time, including during a video call.

"The deaf community has a history of embracing new technologies that improve the quality and flexibility of their communications," John Ferron, president and chief executive officer of Purple Communications, said in a statement. "Today, we're excited to begin unveiling SmartVP as the next-generation of video communications for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. We've been delighted with early feedback from our customers and how impressed they are with the functionality and ease of use of SmartVP when compared to other options in the market."

SmartVP fits in line with Purple Communications' mission statement.

"Our goal at Purple is to deliver an exceptional video relay service experience for our customers on any screen they want to use; PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone or TV," Tony La Rosa, chief technology officer of Purple Communications, said in a statement. "SmartVP fulfills our five-screen strategy and goes well beyond simply allowing customers to make video calls from their televisions. The inclusion of relevant applications and features that make calling easier, including 911 emergency services, set SmartVP far apart from competitive options in the market today and give us a platform that is rich for further innovations."




Edited by Brooke Neuman
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