Exhibit 99.1
[GoAmerica letterhead]
CONTACT:
Joe Karp
GoAmerica
Voice: 201-527-1518
jkarp@goamerica.com
Thomas J. Rozycki, Jr.
CJP Communications
Voice: 212-279-3115 x208
tom@cjpcom.com
i711(R) VIDEO RELAY SERVICE DEBUTS OFFERING SUPERIOR PICTURE
QUALITY FOR DEAF PC USERS
New Service Continues i711.com's Reputation for Innovative
Services that are Easy to Use
HACKENSACK, NJ, December 5, 2006 - GoAmerica(R), Inc. (NASDAQ:
GOAM), a leading provider of online and wireless relay services, today announced
the availability of i711 Video Relay Service (VRS), the newest member of the
i711.com(TM) family of relay services. i711 VRS enables people who are Deaf to
use sign language to communicate with hearing people using a Windows computer, a
web camera, and a broadband Internet connection.
"Similar to our development approach with the i711 text relay service, we
focused our VRS innovations on those areas that would most positively impact the
customer's relay experience," said Mark Stern, vice president of product
management for GoAmerica. "We started with picture quality, added features that
would make calls more efficient for the user, and then made it easy to use,
whether from home, work, or on the road."
Clear Picture and Beyond
From its clear picture quality to its stylish user interface, i711 VRS was
developed to make VRS on a PC faster and easier to use, delivering all of the
following for a best-of-class VRS experience:
o Clear Picture. i711 VRS is designed to deliver the clearest possible
picture on a PC. This improved clarity makes sure every nuance of
signed communication is visible so communication between the parties
is more efficient and accurate.
o Smart Dialing. Like the i711 text relay service, i711 VRS callers
can use their i711 Phone Book, Speed Dial, and Redial features.
Users can make most calls in just one click.
o VRS Notepad(TM). Located right in the i711 VRS call window, VRS
Notepad eliminates the need to fingerspell lengthy information.
Instead of fingerspelling and confirming all of the digits in an
account number, for example, the user can simply type the number on
the VRS Notepad where it is immediately visible to the interpreter.
This also provides a useful spot to store addresses, confirmation
numbers, or other information gathered during the call.
o Firewall Friendly. i711 VRS is designed to work well with all types
of firewalls. Whether from work, home, or school, i711 VRS calls are
easy to make from behind a firewall.
o Relay and Beyond(SM). All i711 VRS customers receive free access to
i711.com's signature community information features. Exclusive
weekly articles from deaf authors, deaf community headlines, and
more take customers beyond ordinary relay.
"For years, using VRS on a PC has been a painful experience for many reasons,"
said Eric Hamlow from Stockton, California. "i711 VRS is the first VRS service
I've used that delivers a great relay experience on a PC, from the picture
clarity to the cool interface. Now, wherever I take my laptop, I know I can make
an i711 VRS call quickly, easily, and with the quality I need."
A Focus on Quality
i711 VRS (www.i711.com/vrs) is available now to a growing number of registered
i711 users. To ensure that customers experience high quality service right from
the start, groups of registered users are being invited to download i711 VRS
every week. Once a user has received an invitation, downloading and installing
i711 VRS takes fewer than five minutes.
Registration on i711.com is free at www.i711.com/register, and i711 VRS
invitations are being emailed weekly.
For its i711 VRS interpreting resources, GoAmerica has partnered with
Washington, DC-based Visual Language Interpreting (VLI), an established sign
language interpreting and CART service provider that shares GoAmerica's strong
commitment to service quality. VLI brings nearly 10 years of interpreting
experience to the relationship, and only employs interpreters who are nationally
certified by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.
About i711.com Relay Services
i711.com offers both text- and video-based TRS calling via the Internet. Text
services, often called "IP relay," enable Deaf or hard of hearing callers to use
a Web-connected computer or wireless handheld device to place calls, which are
connected to a relay operator. The relay operator calls the voice number and
then verbally speaks the text message typed by the deaf caller to the hearing
recipient and types the hearing party's responses back to the deaf party.
Using i711 VRS, a Deaf caller begins a call by communicating directly with a
sign language interpreter over a live video connection; the interpreter places
the call on the deaf person's behalf, and translates the sign language into
audible speech for the hearing person, and back into sign language for the deaf
caller. This real-time call enables a deaf person to have phone conversations
with hearing friends, family and colleagues more naturally using sign language.
Visit www.i711.com/vrs for more information.
TRS is a free service to all callers. TRS providers -- such as GoAmerica --
receive reimbursement from a pool of funds, collected from telephone carriers by
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and administered by the National
Exchange Carriers Association (NECA), based on the number of "conversational"
minutes handled by each provider.
About GoAmerica
GoAmerica is a leading provider of online and wireless relay services for people
who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech-impaired. The Company's vision is to
improve the quality of life of its customers by being their premier provider of
innovative communication services. For more information on the Company or its
services, visit http://www.goamerica.com or contact GoAmerica directly at TTY
201-527-1520, voice 201-996-1717 or via Internet relay by visiting
http://www.i711.com.
Safe Harbor
The statements contained in this news release that are not based on historical
fact are "forward-looking statements" that are made in reliance upon the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking
terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate",
"continue", or similar terms, variations of such terms or the negative of those
terms. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties,
including, but not limited to those of GoAmerica including: (i) our limited
operating history; (ii) our ability to respond to the rapid technological change
of the wireless data industry and offer new services; (iii) our dependence on
wireless carrier networks; (iv) our ability to respond to increased competition
in the wireless data industry; (v) our ability to integrate acquired businesses
and technologies; (vi) our ability to generate revenue growth; (vii) our ability
to increase or maintain gross margins, profitability, liquidity and capital
resources; and (viii) difficulties inherent in predicting
the outcome of regulatory processes. Such risks and others are more fully
described in the Risk Factors set forth in our filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Our actual results could differ materially from the results
expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. GoAmerica is not
obligated to update and does not undertake to update any of its forward looking
statements made in this press release. Each reference in this news release to
"GoAmerica", the "Company" or "We", or any variation thereof, is a reference to
GoAmerica, Inc. and its subsidiaries. "GoAmerica", the "GoAmerica" logo, "i711",
and the "i711.com" logo are registered trademarks of GoAmerica. "i711.com",
"i711 Call Me", "i711 Wireless", "ClickRelay", "Relay and Beyond", "VRS Notepad"
and "Clear Mobile" are trademarks and/or service marks of GoAmerica. Other names
may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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