Press Releases

SALT LAKE CITY (Feb. 23, 2012) - Sorenson Communications^®, the leading provider of Video Relay Service (VRS) for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who use sign language to communicate, today announced it has added five new mobile devices to its list of those currently supported by ntouch^® Mobile, Sorenson Communications' mobile VRS solution. The ntouch Mobile app can be downloaded from the Android™ Market at no cost. Using ntouch Mobile on any of these devices empowers deaf people to access VRS to communicate with hearing people through a video relay interpreter - anytime, anywhere.

The five new mobile devices now supported by ntouch Mobile are:
HTC EVO™ 3D from Sprint^®
HTC EVO Design 4G™ from Sprint
Samsung^® Galaxy™ Nexus™ from Verizon^®
Samsung Galaxy S™ II from AT&T^® and T-Mobile^®
Samsung EPIC™ 4G Touch from Sprint

Sorenson Communications' ntouch Mobile now supports a total of 16 Android and iPhone^® devices. The complete list of supported devices can be viewed by visiting www.svrs.com/ntouchmobile.

"Sorenson Communications is pleased to provide functionally-equivalent technologies that offer added convenience and safety for our customers. We strive to provide products that will best fit our customers' lives and choices for communication," says Sorenson Communications Product Manager Ricky Simmons.

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications products and services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the new Sorenson ntouch^® VP videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; ntouch^® PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; ntouch^® Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via mobile devices; and Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay^®), a text-to-speech relay service.

SALT LAKE CITY – (Jan. 6, 2012) Today, Sorenson Communications®, the largest employer of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters in the U.S., announced that in 2011, the company sponsored 550 interpreting workshops for ASL interpreters, providing an opportunity for interpreters to earn Continuing Education Credits (CEUs). The CEUs are needed to maintain professional certification status and continue to work as professional ASL interpreters. Sorenson provides these workshops for employees as well as for community interpreters who are not employed by Sorenson Communications.

In an effort to advance national interpreting standards, Sorenson, the leading Video Relay Service (VRS) provider for those who use sign language to communicate, dedicates resources to the ongoing professional development of Sorenson interpreters as well as interpreters throughout the country.

Chris Wakeland, Sorenson Communications Vice President of Interpreting, notes, “Sorenson is committed to the success and professional development of all ASL interpreters. For this reason, we continually look for ways to enhance interpreters’ skills so we can better serve our customers and the greater deaf community.”

Last year, through Sorenson-sponsored workshops, about 150,000 CEUs were awarded to interpreters who qualified. As in past years, the workshops also provided a channel for interpreters to donate to local communities and deaf groups, including schools, youth camps, sports and senior clubs and interpreter organizations. More than $10,000 was donated to local groups by interpreters attending 2011 CEU workshops.

Amy Kalmus, Sorenson Communications Director of Professional Development, explains that Sorenson encourages all interpreters to pursue and maintain the highest standards of excellence. “Due to the nature of the work in the VRS setting, continued professional development and growth is essential to providing top-quality customer service. Providing training opportunities for employee and non-employee interpreters allows Sorenson to support the customers that use VRS. Most Sorenson interpreters work part-time schedules, which allow them to also perform community interpreting work and apply the training they receive through Sorenson to their work within their local communities.”

Kalmus explains ongoing professional development for ASL interpreters is critical in order to keep pace with the rigorous demands placed on them. Hundreds of Sorenson-sponsored workshops are planned for 2012 for VIs working in Sorenson VRS centers. Sorenson will continue to offer workshops for non-Sorenson employees as well. “We look forward to providing a variety of workshops that will benefit interpreters across the country – and empower them to meets the needs of any given interpreting situation,” Kalmus says.

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications products and services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the new Sorenson ntouch^® VP videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; ntouch^® PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; ntouch^® Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via mobile devices; and Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay^®), a text-to-speech relay service.

SALT LAKE CITY - (Nov. 14, 2011) - An internet video, sponsored by Salt Lake City-based Sorenson Communications, is making headlines by combining music and American Sign Language (ASL). The video, produced by the Deaf Professional Arts Network (D-PAN), features deaf children signing the lyrics to the hit song "We're Going to Be Friends," by the White Stripes. Since being posted on YouTube just two weeks ago, the video has received 300,000 views and nearly 500 comments.

The ASL "White Stripes" video features deaf or hard-of-hearing children, mostly from the Detroit area, who sign heartwarming lyrics about meeting a new friend at the beginning of the school year.

Fall is here, hear the yell
Back to school, ring the bell
Brand new shoes, walking blues
Climb the fence, books and pens
I can tell that we are going to be friends.

Ron Burdett, Sorenson Communications Vice President of Community Relations, said, "Sorenson is pleased to sponsor this beautiful video that brings signs and sounds together to bridge the deaf and hearing worlds. Sorenson seeks to do this every day through high-quality products and services."

D-PAN co-founder Sean Forbes, a deaf musician and artist, said, "We are proud to have the support of artists who want their music to be heard by everyone, and we thank the White Stripes for allowing us to use their song."

The "We're Going to Be Friends" video can be accessed at www.d-pan.org or on the Sorenson Video Center.

About D-PAN
D-PAN is 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting professional development and access to the entertainment, visual and media arts fields for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. D-PAN began by creating a series of groundbreaking ASL-centric music videos which received accolades from both hearing and non-hearing audiences around the world. With millions of views collectively on YouTube, D-PAN videos have set the standard for artistic ASL interpretations of popular songs.

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications services and products for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the new Sorenson ntouch^® VP videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay), a text-to-speech relay service; ntouch^® PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; and ntouch^® Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via a mobile device.

FREMONT, Calif. (Oct. 7, 2011) - Sorenson Communications, the leading provider of Video Relay Service (VRS) for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who use sign language to communicate, today announced important updates to its ntouch^® PC product. Included in the new ntouch PC 2.0 features is Deaf SignMail^®, which empowers ntouch PC users to record and send as well as receive video messages.

"For the first time, Sorenson customers can now leave each other messages in their native language - sign language," notes Dale Pederson, Sorenson Communications Product Manager. "This long-awaited innovation empowers deaf callers to send and receive video messages to deaf family, friends and business associates."

New ntouch PC 2.0 features and options for Sorenson^® VRS (SVRS^®) customers include:

• Deaf SignMail - Video messages can be sent from ntouch PC and received by all Sorenson users.
• Block List - Unwanted calls and SignMails from specific numbers can be blocked.
• Spanish VRS - Contacts can be designated as Spanish-speaking for direct routing through a Sorenson Spanish-speaking interpreter.
• Fast Search - A number or contact name entered on the ntouch PC home screen brings up all matching entries from the ntouch PC Phonebook.
• Multiple phone numbers for Contacts
• Audio Ringer
• USB Flasher Compatibility
• The ability to minimize ntouch PC to the Windows^® system tray
• The ability to automatically start ntouch PC when starting Windows

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications services and products for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the new Sorenson ntouch^® VP videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay), a text-to-speech relay service; ntouch^® PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; and ntouch^® Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via a mobile device.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 5, 2011) - Sorenson Communications, the leading provider of Video Relay Services (VRS) for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who use sign language to communicate, today announced its new ntouch® VP videophone. The announcement was made at Gallaudet University, one of the premiere educational institutions for deaf students in the world.

Using an ntouch VP videophone, a television and a high-speed internet connection, deaf individuals connect to a nationwide network of American Sign Language video interpreters who contact hearing individuals and then relay conversations between the two parties.

The new ntouch VP combines the best elements of Sorenson's award-winning VP-200® videophone with new features, including Deaf SignMail®, which empowers ntouch VP users to record, send and receive video messages.

"Sorenson was the first to create a videophone designed specifically for deaf users. Since then, our customers requested the option to leave a signed video message," notes Sorenson Communications President and CEO Pat Nola. "Deaf SignMail is Sorenson's response to that request. We've fully integrated Deaf SignMail into ntouch VP so it's easy to send and receive video messages to deaf family and friends."

Other new or enhanced features of the ntouch VP videophone include:

• A new deaf-friendly user interface
• State-of-the art video quality with Sorenson HD
• Searchable contacts in Phonebook
• Camera unit that mounts on any TV
• LightRing® visual caller ID
• Improved remote control
• Sorenson Video Center
• Voice Carry Over (VCO)

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications services and products for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the new Sorenson ntouch^® VP videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay), a text-to-speech relay service; ntouch^® PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; and ntouch^® Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via a mobile device.

SALT LAKE CITY - (Sept. 29, 2011) - Sorenson Communications today announced that ntouch^® Mobile, Sorenson's mobile VRS solution, now supports the Samsung^® Sidekick^® 4G, Samsung Epic™ 4G with a data plan through Sprint^® and the Samsung Galaxy S™ 4G with a data plan through T-Mobile^®. The addition of these three devices brings to 10 the number of devices now supported by ntouch Mobile. The ntouch Mobile app is available at no cost to Sorenson users.

Sorenson Communications created ntouch Mobile as a communication solution for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who wish to place and receive Sorenson VRS^® (SVRS^®) and point-to-point calls while on the go. With the forward-facing technology of Android^® and iPhone^® devices, it is now possible for deaf people to communicate in their native language - sign language - on a mobile device while away from their home videophones.

"Sorenson continues to be a leader in deaf communication," says Ricky Simmons, Sorenson product manager. "We continually strive to provide the most practical and reliable communication options to our customers. These include high-resolution video technology, user-friendly software interface and Video Relay Service."

To date, the ntouch Mobile app supports the following Android and iOS^® mobile devices:

• Samsung Epic 4G with a Sprint data plan
• Samsung Galaxy S 4G with a T-Mobile data plan
• Samsung Sidekick 4G with a T-Mobile data plan
• iPhone^® 4 with a data plan through AT&T^® or Verizon^®
• iPod touch^® 4th generation using WiFi^®
• HTC^® EVO™ 4G with a data plan through Sprint
• HTC myTouch^® 4G with a data plan through T-Mobile
• HTC Thunderbolt™ with a data plan through Verizon
• Samsung Nexus S™ from Google^® with a data plan through T-Mobile
• Samsung Nexus S 4G from Google with a data plan through Sprint

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications services and products for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the Sorenson VP-200^® videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay), a text-to-speech relay service; ntouch™ PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; and ntouch™ Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via a mobile device.

SALT LAKE CITY - Sept. 15, 2011 The 2011 Deaf & Hard of Hearing Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Robert G. Sanderson Community Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, located at 5709 S. 1500 West, in Taylorsville. The general public is invited to participate in the festival, which is sponsored by Sorenson Communications, the largest provider of Video Relay Service for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. There is no charge to attend the festival.

An increasing number of people are interested in the services provided by the Sanderson Center. Approximately 8.8 percent of Utahans have hearing loss severe enough to interfere with communication, and 10 percent have enough hearing loss to justify wearing a hearing aid. And, for a variety of reasons, the numbers are growing. An article in the August 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that one in every five teens now has at least slight hearing loss which can affect learning. Military.com reports that hearing damage is the number-one injury that affects returning military. Age-related hearing loss is becoming more prevalent as America's largest demographic, the baby boomers, enter their senior years.

More than 1,200 people attended the first biannual Deaf & Hard of Hearing Festival, held in 2009. The Sanderson Center is expecting more than 1,500 participants this year. Festival attendees at this year's event will enjoy various food booths, informative assistive hearing technology demonstrations and arts and crafts products to view and purchase. The festival will also feature games and activities for children and families and an evening film screening of the Mark Wood comedy "Versa Effect," presented in American Sign Language and hosted by the Utah Association for the Deaf.

"The Deaf & Hard of Hearing Festival offers a window into the rich culture of deaf and hard-of-hearing people," says Marilyn Call, Director of the Sanderson Center. "Everyone - hearing, deaf and hard-of-hearing are encouraged to attend."

For more information about the Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Festival, send an email to emccowan@utah.gov or call 801-657-5216 (videophone).

About the Robert G. Sanderson Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The Sanderson Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is a one-stop center for a variety of programs and services for Deaf and hard of hearing adults and their families. Services are provided with barrier-free communication. All staff know American Sign Language (ASL). Classes and meetings are presented in ASL and captioning so all are included in the communication loop. Services include counseling, Hard of Hearing adjustment training, case management, Vocational Rehabilitation counseling, life-long learning education, interpreter training/certification and a senior citizens program. An Assistive Technology demonstration room with a loan program is a highlight as well as a high school size gymnasium for deaf sports and large activities.

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications services and products for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the Sorenson VP-200^® videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay), a text-to-speech relay service; ntouch™ PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; and ntouch™ Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via a mobile device.

SALT LAKE CITY (Aug. 30, 2011) - Currently, 36 million Americans, about 17 percent of the U.S. population, have some degree of hearing loss. With the baby boomers entering their senior years, that number is expected to double by the year 2030.

At a press conference today, Salt Lake City-based Sorenson Communications^® announced CaptionCall^®, a new service that will benefit millions of Americans with hearing loss. The service is for anyone who has difficulty hearing on the telephone.

Similar to captioned television, CaptionCall uses innovative voice recognition technology and a transcription service to quickly display written captions of what callers say on a large, easy-to-read screen. The free, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-funded service is delivered through the state-of-the-art CaptionCall telephone, which works like a regular phone. Customers make and receive calls as they always have. All that is required to use CaptionCall is a high-speed internet connection, a standard home phone line and an ordinary home electrical outlet.

"Virtually anyone with hearing loss faces the challenge of communicating by phone," notes Sorenson Communications President and CEO Pat Nola. "The ability to communicate by phone empowers people to stay connected, remain independent and call with confidence. CaptionCall helps keep personal and business relationships alive and vibrant."

CaptionCall facts:

• Callers can keep their current phone number and their phone service carrier with no increase or fees added to their monthly bill.
• CaptionCall conversations are secure through an FCC-regulated, encrypted transcription process.
• CaptionCall offers customized audio with an adjustable ringer and handset volume, similar to an amplified phone. CaptionCall also offers customizable frequency amplification.
• Text size is adjustable so that every word of every call is clearly displayed and can be read (even by those with poor eyesight) on a large display screen.
• CaptionCall offers location flexibility. The CaptionCall phone can be set up using a wired or wireless internet connection.
• CaptionCall is a free service with ongoing customer support.
• CaptionCall is compatible with most hearing aids.

More information about CaptionCall can be found by visiting www.captioncall.com.

About CaptionCall
CaptionCall (www.captioncall.com) is a revolutionary new telephone service for anyone who has trouble hearing on the phone. Similar to captioned television, CaptionCall uses voice recognition technology and a transcription service to quickly provide written captions of what callers say on a large, easy-to-read screen. The CaptionCall phone, combined with the free, FCC-funded service and friendly customer support, helps people everywhere communicate by phone with confidence. CaptionCall is another innovative solution from Sorenson Communications, the worldwide leader in telecommunication relay services.

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications services and products for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the Sorenson VP-200^® videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay), a text-to-speech relay service; ntouch™ PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; and ntouch™ Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via a mobile device.

SALT LAKE CITY (Aug. 23, 2011) - Sorenson Communications® today announced that ntouch® Mobile, Sorenson's mobile VRS solution, now supports the iPhone® 4 and iPod touch® 4th Generation. Sorenson customers must have a data plan from AT&T® or Verizon® to download ntouch Mobile to their iPhone 4. To download ntouch Mobile to their iPod touch, customers must have access to a Wi-Fi connection.

Sorenson Communications is the leading provider of Video Relay Service (VRS) for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who use sign language to communicate.

In addition to the many mobile services Sorenson has offered in the past, such as Video Center with Sign Mail®, Contacts List, Call History and E911, the new app offers two new features: Sorenson Directory, which provides GPS-based number searches based on the caller's location and one-touch dialing to frequently-used phone numbers; and Share Location, which empowers mobile callers to share their current location via video with the call recipient. Share Location is especially valuable for deaf or hard-of-hearing callers when contacting services that need the caller's location, such as calling for a taxi, placing an order or scheduling a delivery.

As in the past, the ntouch Mobile app provides deaf-communication access for SVRS or point-to-point calling using a mobile device with a forward-facing camera. The ntouch Mobile app for Apple's iOS touch is free and offers full SVRS capabilities as well as access to the industry's highest-quality American Sign Language interpreters. To use ntouch Mobile for iOS, users must download the ntouch Mobile for iOS app from the Apple App Store and request a Sorenson ntouch Mobile account by visiting www.svrs.com/ntouch.

"Sorenson is pleased to offer another outstanding mobile product to our VRS customers. At Sorenson, we take pride in creating products that are reliable, convenient and functionally-equivalent," says Ricky Simmons, Sorenson Communications Product Manager.

To learn more about ntouch Mobile, visit www.svrs.com/ntouch.

* Trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners.

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications services and products for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the Sorenson VP-200^® videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay), a text-to-speech relay service; ntouch™ PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; and ntouch™ Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via a mobile device.

SALT LAKE CITY (Aug. 3, 2011) - Sorenson Communications®, the leading provider of Video Relay Service (VRS) for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who use sign language to communicate, today announced support for the HTC myTouch™ 4G and the HTC Thunderbolt™ Android™ devices.

The ntouch Mobile app turns an Android device with a forward-facing camera, such as the myTouch 4G and Thunderbolt, into portable videophones, providing mobile deaf-communication capability for VRS or point-to-point calling. With ntouch Mobile, deaf and hard-of-hearing people have communication access every day, everywhere. More information can be found at www.svrs.com/ntouchmobile.

In the past six months, Sorenson has announced support for four Android devices, including the HTC Evo®, the Nexus S™, the HTC myTouch 4G and HTC Thunderbolt.

"We continue to add support for new devices to provide mobile communication for as many deaf and hard-of-hearing people as possible," says Ricky Simmons, Sorenson Product Manager. "Sorenson will continue to add many more communication options for our customers in the coming months."

Like all Sorenson products, ntouch Mobile includes the Sorenson Video Center with SignMail®, Call History and E911.

For more information about Sorenson's full line of deaf and hard-of-hearing communication products and services, visit www.svrs.com.

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications services and products for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the Sorenson VP-200^® videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay), a text-to-speech relay service; ntouch™ PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; and ntouch™ Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via a mobile device.

SALT LAKE CITY (June 15, 2011) - Sorenson Communications^®, the leading provider of Video Relay Service (VRS) for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who use sign language to communicate, today announced it has added support for the Nexus S™ with a data plan from T-Mobile^®, to its mobile VRS application, ntouch™ Mobile.

The ntouch Mobile app provides mobile deaf-communication access for VRS or point-to-point calling, using certain Android mobile devices that contain a forward-facing camera. Now, people who communicate using sign language can use VRS outside of the traditional venues of home and office. The ntouch Mobile app empowers them to communicate anytime, anywhere.

Sorenson has also added several enhanced features that make ntouch Mobile more convenient for users, including:

• Call length shown in Call History
• Missed Call notification recorded when the mobile device is off-line or turned off
• On-screen display of the number of rings
• On-screen display of the SVRS Video Interpreter's ID number
• Improved call-connection performance

"Sorenson continues to provide new and innovative communication options for our customers as part of our product suite," says Ricky Simmons, Sorenson Product Manager. "Sorenson employees constantly focus on developing the most functionally-equivalent communication tools for our deaf and hard-of-hearing customers. These additional services are just the beginning."

To learn more about the new ntouch Mobile for Android features, visit www.svrs.com/ntouchmobile.

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications services and products for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the Sorenson VP-200^® videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay), a text-to-speech relay service; ntouch™ PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; and ntouch™ Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via a mobile device.

SALT LAKE CITY (May 7, 2011) - Friday evening, Sorenson Communications announced the winners of its second annual "Express Yourself" Video Contest at an awards party, held at the California School for the Deaf. The announcement party, sponsored by Sorenson Communications, was held in connection with the DeafNation Expo Riverside, a two-day event that brought together hundreds of local deaf people.

The "Express Yourself" winner of the "Youth" category is Daniella, from Chicago. The winner in the "General" category is Melissa Malzkuhn, from Washington, D.C. Melissa was assisted in the creation of her video by Megan Erasmus and Amanda Sortwell, also from Washington, D.C. The winner in the "Sorenson Employee" category is Robert Giuntoli, from Austin, Texas. The winner in the "Youth" category received a check for $1,000, and the winners in the "General" and "Sorenson Employee" categories received checks for $1,500. All will have their videos shown through the Sorenson Communications Video Center.

Winning entries were selected from dozens submitted and were judged on:

• The incorporation of the contest theme, "Express Yourself"
• Originality
• Creativity
• Use of sign language and/or representations of deaf culture
• Cinematography and editing

"Sorenson Communications was very pleased with the response to this year's Video Contest and with the quality of the submissions," notes Ron Burdett, Sorenson Communications Vice President of Community Relations. "As the leading provider of Video Relay Service (VRS), Sorenson also recognizes the importance of preserving the deaf cultural tradition of storytelling. Sorenson recognizes the power and beauty inherent in sign language. We are committed to preserving this magnificent language and documenting current deaf culture through video."

Those interested in participating in Sorenson events, including the "Express Yourself" Video Contest, can stay informed by visiting www.svrs.com often.

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications^® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications services and products for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service^® (SVRS^®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the Sorenson VP-200^® videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; Sorenson IP Relay^® (SIPRelay), a text-to-speech relay service; ntouch™ PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; and ntouch™ Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via a mobile device.

SALT LAKE CITY (April 8, 2011) - Sorenson Communications, the leading provider of Video Relay Service (VRS) for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who use sign language to communicate, today praised the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Video Relay Service (VRS) Fraud Order. The order, which further defines specific VRS rules and practices for VRS providers, was issued April 6, 2011.

"Sorenson recognizes the efforts of the FCC to secure and protect the integrity of the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund," says Paul Kershisnik, Sorenson Communications Chief Marketing Officer. "VRS providers, including Sorenson Communications, are charged to provide access to functionally-equivalent communication services for deaf and hard-of-he