Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Tag: videophones

  • Videophone Incompatibility–I’ve Had It!

    man on videophone

    I think videophones are the greatest invention since dark chocolate peanut butter cups, but today, I’ve had it.

    I had an interview set up this afternoon for my next book. The person called me using an ntouch by Sorenson. I used a Z-20 by ZVRS. We could not see each other.

    This is actually old news in the videophone industry and I’ve been aware of it for a while now. But today, I became rip-roaring mad. If you know me, it takes a lot to set me off. When I can’t run my business because of videophone incompatibility, it makes for one cranky entrepreneur.

    So I’ve had it. I’ve filed a complaint with the FCC, but my complaint is just one of many, many, many complaints that were filed with the FCC. It will take up to two weeks to submit my complaint to Sorenson and they have 30 days to address an answer to me.

    A call to the FCC confirmed that they’re aware of the issue and working to ensure that all videophones are compatible, but the slow pace of this fix is frustrating. The ntouch was released ONE YEAR ago this month. Prior to this, I could call a Sorenson videophone, but since the ntouch was released, it’s been a real problem. I still can’t leave an answering machine message when I call a Sorenson videophone. A call to Sorenson provided no answers as to when this compatibility issue will be fixed, just that they’re “aware of the problem and working to fix it.”

    Today, I couldn’t conduct business and we ended up turning to an alternative way to connect. That is totally uncalled for. Can you imagine Verizon and Sprint pulling this kind of thing off? If they so much as went one day where someone couldn’t make a call because of cell phone incompatibility, the media would be all over it.  Can you imagine an AT & T customer calling a T-mobile customer and not being able to access voice mail because of “incompatibility?”

    For crying out loud, (and we can’t even hear it) let’s get this incompatibility issue FIXED so we can go about the business of connecting with one another.

  • Join the Z-Team at the Chicago Z-Fest!

    It’s been a busy year for the Z-Team– we’ve launched a new Z videophone: the Z4! Come and join the Z-Team at the Chicago Z-Fest on Saturday, March 20th from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hinsdale South Cafeteria  at 7401 S Clarendon Hills Rd, Darien IL.  Pizza and pop will be provided. You’ll have a chance to meet folks from the Z-Team and learn about the four different videophones that Z provides.

    You can RSVP on the Zvrs Facebook page: Chicago Z-Fest

    And guess what, we’ve got some new services coming up– join us to find out what they are!

    Some photos from our visit with the folks from St. Louis Deaf Professional Happy Hour:

    See you at the Z-Fest!

  • Zvrs at DeafNation, The Z Sign, and Z4!

    I was browsing through my camera and came across a few photos taken at the Zvrs booth at the recent Deafnation Expo. I first joined Zvrs during last year’s Expo, and this year, I ended up running the booth with the local Z team. We had fun, despite a hectic, very busy day!

    After the clean up, the Z Team took a moment to pose for a picture:

    After dinner, we were walking back to our cars when Mike Aubry spotted a “Z” high up on a building:

    What a cool way to end the day with the Z Team!

    Stay tuned to www.zvrs.com and watch for the release of the upcoming Z4 software! This software can be downloaded to a Mac or PC for FREE– and you can have a three-way conversation with the Z4. Check out the new video for more information on the Z4 (with captions):

  • Why I Love My Z-150 Made by Tandberg

    Just a year ago, I was making phone calls mostly by text relay or a Captel phone and occasionally by webcam using video relay.  In January, I took a position as a Sales Manager for Zvrs and I was introduced to the Z-150 videophone which is made by Tandberg.  Tandberg is a world leader for videoconferencing and apparently Cisco feels the same way– they purchased Tandberg in a recent deal for three billion dollars.

    I think they got a great deal.

    My life took a huge change when the Z-150 came into my life.   I was introduced to single-line VCO:  when I make a phone call, I use my voice to talk directly to the hearing person on the other end of the connection.  I don’t need a second phone to do this, I speak directly into the videophone and the person can hear me.  Perched on the screen in front of me is a Zvrs interpreter.

    A few weeks ago, for the first time, I called my friend Cassie to talk about plans for our kids.  In the past, we always texted or used email but I decided to give her a call because we wanted to discuss something in detail.  It was the first time that she experienced a VCO call and she was simply blown away.

    “How are you keeping up with me so well?” she asked.

    “I’ve got a great interpreter in front of me and he’s doing a great job!” I explained.  The interpreter grinned.

    “It’s almost like you’re hearing,” she said.

    The neat thing is that people can call me up using a regular ten-digit number.  I don’t have to explain anything to anyone when I give out my number.  I just tell them, “Call me,” and they do.  When they dial the ten-digit number, it automatically routes through Zvrs and my Z-150 alerts me to the call with an email and then the videophone flashes on the screen.  I press a button and answer with, “Hi, Karen here!”

    I’m not kidding when I say that my life changed after getting a Z-150– because now I’m on the phone all the time.  I used to dread making phone calls because the other person would become impatient and hang up.  I still work as a Deaf Mentor on the side and I love being able to call up families and connect with them.  I use the Zvrs Spanish-speaking interpreters to connect with Latino families.

    Now that Cisco has Tandberg, it won’t be long until most of America has a Tandberg sitting on their desk.

    How cool is it that a deaf person is ahead of the phone trend?

    Update: Tandberg picked up the blog on their site: Videoconferencing Changes Deaf Mother’s Life.

    Tandberg Telepresence Helps Deaf Mom Communicate Better

  • Z Ya Later!

    Check out the sports section of the Chicago Tribune!  I had to laugh when I saw that, because my buddies at Zvrs.com are always saying to each other, “Z ya later!”

  • The Z Team in Vegas–What a Week!

    I finally sat down to upload pictures from the last several weeks and came across photos from my trip to Vegas with the Z Team.  I spent eight days in Vegas with my team– four days in team meetings and the other four days at the Deaf Seniors of America conference.

    Lori shows the hubby Vegas via the Z
    Lori shows the hubby Vegas via the Z

    Here’s my buddy Lori– she joined the Z Team the same day that I did.  We had our training together in Florida back in January.  She’s talking to her hubby on the Z-340, showing him the view outside her room.

    Sean talks about The Z
    Sean talks about The Z

    We started off our trip with a talk from our CEO, Sean Belanger and then we had an inspirational talk from Carl Gustin who worked for Kodak and Apple. Carl compared The Z to Apple in their early days, commenting on the amazing amount of passion we have as a team. We do have a lot of energy firing up a room when we all get together!

    Each of the Sales Managers teamed up to give presentations– I had a blast being teamed up with U. S. Chung.  Even though we didn’t win, we gave the audience some laughs with our presentation.   In the photo below, Manny Johnson receives an award for “Salesperson of the Year.”  Well deserved! 
    Manny Johnson receives award
    Manny Johnson receives award
    Later that night we all wore our Z shirts and we gathered outside to chat.  After a while, people started talking with us– they wanted to know where that “Z” place was in Vegas.  “Where’s the Z Club?”  “What’s the Z?”  “Where do I find the Z?”  Shannon joked that we should start sending people on a wild-goose-chase to find “The Z” in Vegas.
    Joe Wiegers and Butch Zein
    Joe Wiegers and Butch Zein
    Tony, this way!
    Tony, this way!
    Shannon O'dneal--my other mentor
    Shannon O'dneal–my other mentor
    There’s nowhere to go, but UP!
    Upward and onward!
    Upward and onward!

  • Z, The Next-Best-Thing to Being There

    “Impromptu gatherings are always the best,” said Karen Calvin on Saturday night.  It was nearly two a.m. and the last of our friends were about to head out the door. 

    It started out as one of those weekends where we planned to work on the basement with our friend Mike.  Mike had been coming over with his kids for several weekends and tackling the basement with Joe.  Joe emailed another friend, John Sullivan.  “We need a tall guy to hold up the drywall,” he said.  Tempted with free beer, John said yes.

    Another friend,  Dennis O’Brien volunteered his labor and joined us after installing some Z’s all day.  His wife Laura and son Shawn came over.  Laura texted the Facebook Queen, Lori Krakora, and told her to come on over with her kids.   Lori brought her kids, and three other friends of ours–Todd and Karen Calvin and Mark Riedel.

    The guys put up just two pieces of drywall and called it quits.

    So we spent the night gathered around the kitchen table yakking and laughing.  The kids were off playing somewhere in the house– we didn’t hear a peep from them.  We talked about everything under the sun:  the stinking economy, the difficulty of keeping a business going during hard times, our kids, our future– and our childhoods.

    Connecting with Kent from Colorado
    Connecting with Kent from Colorado

    It was getting late, probably near midnight, when we decided to call our friend Kent from Colorado.  Kent was part of our deaf investment club which disbanded not too long ago.  So Kent joined the party virtually through the Z videophone. 

    “Damn, I wish I was there!” he said.

    “Dude, you are here!” I said.  We passed the Z-340 around and yakked some more.  After Kent hung up, Julie and Jim Chavez called at one a.m.  So we planted the Z in front of us and chatted away with the Chavez’s while munching on potato chips.  There were grease marks all over the Z-340 from being passed around.  Earlier in the day, the Z survived an encounter with spilled milk.  I sat back and watched the conversations around me– marveling how neat it was that friends from far away could join us and be involved.

    I think we’ve got a new slogan for Z:  The next-best-thing to being there.

  • The Newest Trend: A Z-phone Party

    What better way to kick off a new job than to throw a party to show off some new toys? 

    On Saturday, I invited a few people over to see the new Z videophones from CSDVRS:

    In the photo below, Roberta explains her experience with the Z-150 that she uses at work.  With her previous videophone, she had difficulty with phone calls coming in.  The z-150 has firewall transversal technology which works well with complex network systems.

    Dennis O’Brien explained the various features and services that CSDVRS provides and also explained that Yes You Can use CSDVRS with other videophones.  We also covered the new 10-digit numbering system and why this number is important for 911 services.

    By the end of the night, people were saying this:

    If you work for the federal government, here’s some information on how you can obtain a Z videophone for your workplace:

    The Z™ Videophones from CSDVRS Now Available to Federal Employees

    Clearwater, FL [February 3, 2009] – CSDVRS, LLC, is now authorized to distribute its The Z™ 150 videophones to federal employees via the Department of Defense’s Computer/Electronics Accommodations Program (CAP). “This is an exciting step forward for federal employees who require high quality video that supports firewall traversal and encryption ability, such as The Z™ 150 for the purpose of secure visual communication.” said Chris Wagner, CSDVRS Vice President of Marketing. “Federal employees who are deaf or hard of hearing can now request The Z™ to be provided to them at no charge through CAP, which is a remarkable program that CSDVRS is proud to provide videophones for.”
     
    The Z™ 150 uses the same technology as some of the most advanced videoconferencing systems in the world, and was designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing callers in partnership with world-renowned videoconferencing leader Tandberg. With a built-in 8.4-inch LCD screen and an easy-to-use keypad, federal employees can make calls with the touch of just a few buttons. The space-efficient videophone has a multitude of features, including incoming phone call flasher, call history, video/audio privacy, speakerphone/microphone capability, access to video remote interpreting services, and the ability to work with Internet firewalls commonly found in federal workplaces.
     
    CAP provides free assistive technology and services to people with disabilities, federal managers, supervisors, and information technology professionals. The program also increases access to information and works to remove barriers to employment opportunities by eliminating the costs of assistive technology and accommodation solutions. This is accomplished through partnerships with federal agencies and vendors such as CSDVRS.
     
     “In the federal government, fast and reliable connectivity is paramount,” Sean Belanger, CEO, CSDVRS stated. “CSDVRS works closely with our customers to deliver world-class, dependable video communication solutions, such as the Z-150 videophone that enhance operational efficiency and, ultimately, allow deaf and hard of hearing federal employees to communicate effectively in their workplace.”
     
    Federal employees may request for a Z-150 by visiting www.tricare.mil/cap     <http://www.tricare.mil/cap> or e-mail z150@csdvrs.com for more information. More information about CSDVRS products and services may also be found at www.csdvrs.com.
     
    About CSDVRS
    CSDVRS, a video relay services provider, launched its inaugural service to the nation in 2000. By 2001, CSDVRS became the nation’s only 24/7 provider, and also was the first to offer Spanish VRS, video mail and personal 800 numbers. CSDVRS was developed by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals based on feedback from the nation’s deaf and hard of hearing community. While other providers have followed our lead, CSDVRS is dedicated to that same spirit of innovation and commitment to excellence that took VRS from a dream to reality, by becoming the nation’s premier VRS provider.

  • Back Home Again…and, Onward with the Z-Phones!

    I’m back!

    Lori and Karen

    Last week Tuesday, I headed down to Clearwater, Florida, to meet the Z-Team from CSDVRS.  It turned out to be an overwhelming, intense, exciting, fun, brain-jamming week.  I teamed up with Lori Koch from South Dakota, who took the position of Assistant Director of Sales.  The two of us spent three days getting to know all the employees and soaking up the nuts and bolts of our jobs.  Lori did a much better job of remembering who was who, but she had a head start, as she knew nearly half of the employees from her former job.

    On Sunday, the Sales Managers from all over flew in and there were even more names to place with faces.  On Monday night, we played a fun, team-building activity and then headed over to an employee’s house for dinner and a swim.  We fired up the Z-340 videophones and took turns using them.  I called home and connected with my kids.  It was so neat to walk around in the backyard and introduce everyone to my family, including the ones in the pool.  Wi-fi access rocks!

    I was able to test out the new Z-100 software for PCs on my laptop at the airport.  I called my mother-in-law and chatted with her using VCO (Voice Carry Over, using my own voice to speak directly).  Just before boarding, I talked with CSDVRS Outreach Specialist, Dennis O’Brien (whom you might remember from his Obama vote) via my built-in laptop webcam.  I closed the laptop to board, but once I sat down, I called him again.  You should have seen the look on his face when he realized that I was calling from the airplane before take-off.

    The year ahead promises to be an exciting one with the Z-Team and I look forward to connecting with deaf and hard of hearing customers from all over.   I will be covering Illinois and Wisconsin, plus nationwide with those who use VCO.  I’m teaming up with Mike Finneran and Hope Turpin on the nationwide level.

    I will be hiring Outreach Specialists in Illinois and Wisconsin and looking for VCO and Spanish Outreach Specialists as well. 

    For more information about the Z products or to learn more about our services, I would be happy to chat with you. If you, or someone you know is struggling with phone access at work or at home, let me know.  I will help work to find a solution to your phone needs.

    kputz@csdvrs.com

    VP: karenputz.myvp.tv

    Voice callers can reach me at: 888-657-8492

    Twitter:  DeafMom

  • Moving in a New Direction With CSDVRS

    Today, I’m heading over to Harper College for the Deaf Nation Expo.  I’ll be at the CSDVRS booth, where we have an exciting line of new “Z” videophone products and services.

    You may recall that I worked previously for Hands On and for i711.com before they merged into one company.  I have to say, I love the videophone companies that I’ve worked for, but I had an exciting opportunity come forth that I couldn’t pass up.

    With CSDVRS, I have the opportunity to focus on VCO, which is voice carry over.  With VCO, I make and receive phone calls using my voice and the other party can hear me directly.  On the screen, an interpreter signs everything that the person on the phone is saying to me.   VCO has enabled me to participate in tele-conference calls for Hands & Voices, interview people from all over and chat with hearing friends directly.  Just recently, I completed a taped interview that will soon be going up online. So with CSDVRS, I have the wonderful opportunity to share this technology with others who will benefit from it.

    So if you’re planning to attend the Expo, stop by the CSDVRS booth and say hi!