Sorenson's scare tactic is pathetic

[Chevy57]

Be clear, my perspective remains on Customer level. I am customer still, and this will not change.

I used to be in business with best friend and I used to run my own business and I DO understand how they run.

Even if I not work for Sorenson, I still in favor for Sorenson, why? Because Sorenson has the best product. The best products comes with price, and it is not free. In other word, I do have various VP units from various VRS providers and I STILL chose Sorenson over any other brands, not just because I work for Sorenson. It is because it has met my needs on personal and customer level. For example, I have central light alert system around my house, it is customized. With VP-200 I can hook up with it no problem. Other brand of VP, I simply can't which fails to accomodate my needs. If they have met my needs, I won't have problem using other VRS providers. It is all about meeting my accomodation needs.

This is to remind you that I am treating myself as customer at all the times even though I am proud to be employee of a company that works very hard to provide best product and service to you and myself too. Somebody said SVP cost 250 dollars, and I said nope, it is just fraction of that cost. I was shocked to find out the true cost and was grateful that my friends like you and myself could get for free. Why bash at Sorenson in the first place? If Sorenson is greedy, we won't be getting free 1st class Videophone.

if they will be greedy about rate cut, they should sell VP or mobile VP. not more Sorenson installers.

 

[netrox]

Read and know why SVRS is freaking out:

"Bonds and loans backing Sorenson Communications continue to be extremely volatile a day after plunging 20-40 points on news the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) cut reimbursement rates to providers of services to the hearing-impaired. The largest reductions were aimed at the biggest providers, which include Sorenson, and are expected to draw heavily on company earnings, given the fixed-cost nature of the businesses, sources said."

"There was the issue. Opponents argued the transaction represented a transfer of wealth from the public – phone bill taxes fund the reimbursements – to the private equity firm via the planned equity distribution."

https://www.lcdcomps.com/lcd/f/article.html?rid=800&aid=12318104

 

[pandaatv36]

Netrox,

I believe you are taking this out of context... along those lines in that website stated as well, Just next paragraph of what you put...

"These types of firms are “not about making people rich,” but are “about providing a public service,” to citizens who are deaf and hearing-impaired, according to an analyst."

FCC will fail to provide a public service of VRS will be a step back to the Deaf community is the big picture of loss in functional equvalence using telecommuncations.

Purple bowed out from public stocks and owing FCC... and their lenders as well. no one is perfect. *knocks your hollow head* anybody home? the MAIN ISSUES are will we have functional equvalence with those low rates? I doubt it.

Cheers

 

[diehardbiker]

I agreed, the point here is functional equilvent. Right now it is still not 100% functional equilvent and we are on way to see functionality equilvent. Having FCC cut back will stall the progress. I do not think VRS will go away but if FCC approves the proposal of severe cuts, which will mean likely same thing as TTY, which in the past 50 years has not change much except the size.

What I know the truth is that my company has the desire to improve the services and products. Yes, I see it every day and it is happening. But if there is cut, my company may have no choice but to scale back the progress which I do not want to see it happen. Want proof that Sorenson had improved? 3 years ago, we do not have customer service "CIR", Tele_Education programs. Do you know what Tele-education program is for? There are alot Deafies that I have met had NO idea what we have to offer. Many Deafies that I have met thought they were not permitted to use VRS to communicate with Hearing person :-o We are here to educate and we have the desire to see Deaf people like you equals to hearing people. We even educate hearing people how to use relay, they often were not aware of VRS and SIPrelay. There are other things that TEP and CIR does which helps improves functional equlivent for Deaf people like us. The fact is that there are plenty of Deaf and HOH still in dark about Relay service. It is not limited to VRS, we also include the SIP relay the IP based text relay services. So, if we scale back meaning those poor Deaf and HOH will stay in dark much longer. Enough is enough, time for Functionality equilvent to become a true reality for all of us.

Even though I said in the past that I will continue use Sorenson VP-200 because it met my needs more than any other competitors, yet it is STILL not enough.

FCC will fail to provide a public service of VRS will be a step back to the Deaf community is the big picture of loss in functional equvalence using telecommuncations.


Cheers

 

[qwerty123]

I agreed, the point here is functional equilvent. Right now it is still not 100% functional equilvent

Even though I said in the past that I will continue use Sorenson VP-200 because it met my needs more than any other competitors, yet it is STILL not enough.

snappy vrs, purple, zvrs is simple byproducts from soresnon vrs

 

[qwerty123]

Purple bowed out from public stocks and owing FCC... and their lenders as well. no one is perfect. *knocks your hollow head* anybody home? the MAIN ISSUES are will we have functional equvalence with those low rates? I doubt it.

Cheers

and purple stock is all time low 8 cent!

 

[diehardbiker]

Yeah, just think this way if it did boost to 5 dollars, that would be way way way over 11% return in profit, meaning will make rich people richer! That would mean 6,250% PROFIT, Whats difference?

and purple stock is all time low 8 cent!

 

[qwerty123]

Yeah, just think this way if it did boost to 5 dollars, that would be way way way over 11% return in profit, meaning will make rich people richer! That would mean 6,250% PROFIT, Whats difference?

profit? Purple must pay off mountain of debt first

 

[diehardbiker]

That is not the point Im trying to say. What I am saying is that there are people that disagreed about sorenson investors gettin 11% in return. This is to reflect those greedy investors if bought at 8 cents per share from purple co and Purple co skyrocket their business and can kick the value of share to say 5 dollars a share, that would yield much farther than 11% in return to make guy from rags to rich. Call that greedy rags?

This is Capitalism.

DHB

profit? Purple must pay off mountain of debt first

 

[Lynn_Jo_17]

You y'all need to get over this. FYI, this new is old and get move on because everything aint true and sorenson vrs is full of bullshit, period. They are just trying to scare deaf folks off and jump to conclusion and create two stories all way in this nation.

 

[zerodog]

NAD is disgrace

You y'all need to get over this. FYI, this new is old and get move on because everything aint true and sorenson vrs is full of bullshit, period. They are just trying to scare deaf folks off and jump to conclusion and create two stories all way in this nation.

It amazing that you are so BLIND!

It not about scare...

Please tell me the math.. how much does the lease office building cost? How much the bandwidth to keep quality service our need? How much does the interpreter paid.

All that stuff and you say MOVE ON.. even you don't have enough source and rest of you..

Look at FCC / VRS SCARE WITH NAD PRESIDENT, BOBBIE BETH SCOGGINS WITH CAPTIONS on Vimeo that friend shared with me.

She say.. no enough data.. then why the hell she post the video at NAD website! She say can't say anything without data first.

Please explain me how she spending the NAD office and so on....

That so LAME and disgrace from NAD because VRS have deaf employee as she say 'protect'... well

It sound LIKE... VRS employee who is DEAF and that DEAF isn't enough?!

Again... it may sound profit... do you expect that volunteer to work VRS?

 

[SouthFella]

diehardbiker, just to catch you up to speed, VP200 is not a new and not the latest VP product. It is at least 3 years old and a deaf person still not able to leave a message to another deaf person. A hearing person is the only one that can leave a message to a deaf person with Sorenson products. A cheap netbook can out perform a VP200.

I am curious as to what new products Sorenson is coming out this summer to see if it will meet the needs of people with a hearing loss.

And yes Sorenson via Ron Burdett sent out " scare tactics" to get you people to send letters to the FCC. In my book, that is not ethical business practice. tsk tsk

I suspect Burdett and Kelby are " cut from the same cloth " of scaring deaf consumers.

 

[radioman]

diehardbiker, just to catch you up to speed, VP200 is not a new and not the latest VP product. It is at least 3 years old and a deaf person still not able to leave a message to another deaf person. A hearing person is the only one that can leave a message to a deaf person with Sorenson products. A cheap netbook can out perform a VP200.

I am curious as to what new products Sorenson is coming out this summer to see if it will meet the needs of people with a hearing loss.

And yes Sorenson via Ron Burdett sent out " scare tactics" to get you people to send letters to the FCC. In my book, that is not ethical business practice. tsk tsk

I suspect Burdett and Kelby are " cut from the same cloth " of scaring deaf consumers.

Whatever sorenson comes out this summer, if anything, will still be "geared towards the word profit". they will always like before do a play on words about new features that "helps deaf" but really make it "easier for hearing" to increase the SVRS mins.

zerodog- he does have a point. adding up all the expenses to run a VRS is scary and astronomical amounts which is why SVRS, and other VRS's are pushing for higher funds.

Back to my rant- if people are on SSD/SSI can't increase thier monthly checks since its government regulated, the VRS's seem to be able to do so and it FCC regulated, but still falls under the government. Doesnt seem like we have a vioce here either way do we? Sorenson used the power of the deaf voice to complain, why not do it again? First time it seems understandable. Now, they expect us to do it again, under a deadline?! again?! what about next time ?! and the time after that?! I think its time for VRS's to take responsiblity and setup a long term plan, instead of abusing us nearly every year.

 

[diehardbiker]

You will be surprised, since the beginning of this century Sorenson started with what? First generation ENVISION SL, not many people know this one mind you the Envision SL software is second generation! Yes, software was second generation, the first generation is what? It is a webcam with special card that is insert in the computer for video compression. At that time it is not 100% perfect especially for VRS. Second generation is software based which can use webcam of your choice. It is even better then here comes VP-100 then VP-200 total of 4 products in just 10 years! This proves that Sorenson isn't stopping developing new products.

If FCC true business cut the rate, then I can bet you there may be no new product and we will be getting just like what we got with TTY, 50 years of minimal improvement. That is where you miss this point. If we support stable funding, I can assure you that VRS companies will be more motivated to develop new products.

Understand the scared tactic, can you tell us what better way to get Deafies and HOH file complaint to FCC?

If we do not say "bankruptcy", I can bet you, most Deafies will not care and will not do anything BAM! its over and its too late. So, any idea?

diehardbiker, just to catch you up to speed, VP200 is not a new and not the latest VP product. It is at least 3 years old and a deaf person still not able to leave a message to another deaf person. A hearing person is the only one that can leave a message to a deaf person with Sorenson products. A cheap netbook can out perform a VP200.

I am curious as to what new products Sorenson is coming out this summer to see if it will meet the needs of people with a hearing loss.

And yes Sorenson via Ron Burdett sent out " scare tactics" to get you people to send letters to the FCC. In my book, that is not ethical business practice. tsk tsk

I suspect Burdett and Kelby are " cut from the same cloth " of scaring deaf consumers.

 

[aslrocks58]

Whatever sorenson comes out this summer, if anything, will still be "geared towards the word profit". they will always like before do a play on words about new features that "helps deaf" but really make it "easier for hearing" to increase the SVRS mins.

zerodog- he does have a point. adding up all the expenses to run a VRS is scary and astronomical amounts which is why SVRS, and other VRS's are pushing for higher funds.

Back to my rant- if people are on SSD/SSI can't increase thier monthly checks since its government regulated, the VRS's seem to be able to do so and it FCC regulated, but still falls under the government. Doesnt seem like we have a vioce here either way do we? Sorenson used the power of the deaf voice to complain, why not do it again? First time it seems understandable. Now, they expect us to do it again, under a deadline?! again?! what about next time ?! and the time after that?! I think its time for VRS's to take responsiblity and setup a long term plan, instead of abusing us nearly every year.

I still don't get why profit has become a dirty word! Any business that want stay in business must make a profit or business will die. This industry is first one i know of that Deaf voice counts! Any other business, customer satisfaction is what makes or breaks business. Deaf are relatively small group for any business to worry about whether or not they are happy. In VRS, if Deaf don't like your service, they will make other choice. Since real 10-digit numbers, hearing don't make choice, deaf choose. That is why default provider so important. Deaf decide which company hearing people will contact through. And companies know that! But some deaf people can't accept that most popular service also means most profit. Least popular-least profit. So FCC makes a proposal that least popular can still make some profit by making price for using less popular company cost more, not to deaf, but to TRS fund. So deaf people still get choice of which company to use. And TRS fund makes sure that all companies stay even if they small, inefficient. That only happens in government-subsidy company, because of ADA. The only companies that want to eliminate competition are badly run companies that don't want the pressure competition. Is is small group of Deafies that want to eliminate big company just because few people don't use them.
They should stop whining and get on with their own lives. Let VRS marketplace do its work. And be happy that we live in a time when Deaf finally a majority "voice" in any market!

 

[Banjo]

I still don't get why profit has become a dirty word!

They are only limiting the profit they can reap. You have to keep in mind that they may be in the private sector, but the VRS services are not. These services are being funded by the taxpayers. Once you start relying on taxpayers' money to fund a service for the deaf, you have to expect a limit to how much you can profit from it.

If they don't like that, they have to make a change. The solution is pretty simple though, all they have to do is to switch from free service to fee-based service. Then they won't have to rely on the government since the customers will be paying for the services.

Right now, the taxpayers are paying for the VRS.

Private sectors shouldn't be making massive profits at the taxpayers' expense. There has to be a limit to what they can do.

Why do you think they are making all these changes right now? It's because there are too many people trying to take advantage of the government and even committing fraud because they want more, more, more.

Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for it.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Nothing's wrong with profit. However VRS is funded by taxpayers' dollars. They are just saying if you can make a profit, you don't need to be subsidized by the public.

Just basic government economic...

If there's a profit, make them self-accountable; if there's a lot of competitions, it's self-maintaining; if there's relatively low competition with high payoffs, tax them; if there's no competition, break up the market into smaller competitors; if there's no profit, subsidize it.

Right now VRS is being subsidized. If they are making a profit, it's obvious they don't need to be subsidized as much.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

You will be surprised, since the beginning of this century Sorenson started with what? First generation ENVISION SL, not many people know this one mind you the Envision SL software is second generation! Yes, software was second generation, the first generation is what? It is a webcam with special card that is insert in the computer for video compression. At that time it is not 100% perfect especially for VRS. Second generation is software based which can use webcam of your choice. It is even better then here comes VP-100 then VP-200 total of 4 products in just 10 years! This proves that Sorenson isn't stopping developing new products.

If FCC true business cut the rate, then I can bet you there may be no new product and we will be getting just like what we got with TTY, 50 years of minimal improvement. That is where you miss this point. If we support stable funding, I can assure you that VRS companies will be more motivated to develop new products.

Understand the scared tactic, can you tell us what better way to get Deafies and HOH file complaint to FCC?

If we do not say "bankruptcy", I can bet you, most Deafies will not care and will not do anything BAM! its over and its too late. So, any idea?

Seems to be moot-point because progressive videophone technology is always targeted toward hearing people or for business conferences, not the deaf. We just happen to reap the benefit from it.

 

[diehardbiker]

Moot point? Whats your point? If there is no FCC funding then we will NOT even have videophone or we may have to pay thousands of dollars for a videophone.

If you don't mind, check Polycom they got their own videophone and the starting price tag is $4,000 dollars for a unit! Check out their website Telepresence, Voice and Video Conferencing Solutions

So back to your argument, if we do not target toward bridging communication between hearing and Deaf, then why should FCC support?

FCC purpose is to provide accomodation and the accomodation has price tag on it.

Seems to be moot-point because progressive videophone technology is always targeted toward hearing people or for business conferences, not the deaf. We just happen to reap the benefit from it.

 

[diehardbiker]

Many of you complaining about "Profits" and you collect SSI/SSDI from government. What do you call this? There is one word for this! Guess what it is called?

P R O F I T, and it is 100% pure profit, you took money from government without anything return and that is 100% profit so should I consider you greedy? If you call these people getting profit greedy then I have to call you greedy too. Get the drift?

Profit is what makes economy thrives. Without profit, the economy will collapse, period.