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Broadband & Mobile Featured Article
June 21, 2007
Text4Deaf Launches IP Communications Site for the Deaf
By Anuradha Shukla TMCnet Contributing Editor
Text4Deaf.Com, a new communications-based Web site for the deaf community and the people with whom they interact, has been officially launched.
The new Web site is reportedly powered by MobileSphere’s Joopz web texting technology, and enables real-time text messaging with a Web interface to cell phones, regardless of the carrier.
“We are always striving to be familiar with the most current technology on the market so that we can make appropriate recommendations to those who are deaf and hard-of-hearing,” said Jolene Mancini, AuD candidate in Audiology at Gallaudet University in a statement to the press.
Mancini continued: “Texting is very important on this campus, and the concept of sending and receiving text messages from the Internet is appealing because of its convenience, affordability and extra features. This is a practical technology that I would recommend to anyone, regardless of hearing status.”
According to CTIA (News - Alert)–The Wireless Association, 158 billion text messages were sent in the U.S. alone in 2006, which is up 95% from 2005, translating into approximately 300,000 text messages per minute.
Thanks to Text4Deaf, users can send and receive messages to individuals and groups. The Website also enables recipients to respond directly to the originating PC, Mac, PDA or mobile phone and to group member mobile phones. Users can send Web texts from any web-enabled device worldwide to any U.S. or Canadian mobile phone. The Web site also provides additional value-added services such as:
- Two-Way "Web Texting" — enables users to send and receive text messages (SMS) from the Web to any mobile phone in the U.S. and Canada.
- Mobile Chat — Utilizing the group chat feature, users can have conversations via text with multiple people at once. All responses go to everyone in the group.
- Group Broadcast — This service enables user to blast the same message to a group of people at once, with all responses going to the sender.
- Text Reminders — Users can track what they need to do and when, then sending a text reminder to their own cell phone.
- Scheduled Texting — Send scheduled text messages for the recipient to receive at a specific time.
- SMS Forwarding — One can never miss a text when off-line with this service.
- Voicemail Greeting — People can request a free Text4Deaf greeting for their phone. This lets others know they prefer to receive a text rather than a voice message.
“Communications should be a two-way street, with everyone being able to reach each other, regardless of their hearing capacity, texting plans or availability," stated Kerry Thompson, Text4Deaf spokesperson.
“Our site allows the deaf and hearing communities to meet each other half way, and we believe others will use it as I do, communicating with family, friends and colleagues,” concluded Thompson.
Anuradha Shukla is a contributing editor for TMCnet, covering call centers, CRM and information technology. To see more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
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