Purple Enhances Its Video Relay Service for iChat(R)

ROCKLIN, Calif., March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Purple Communications™, Inc. (Pink Sheets: PRPL), a leading provider of text, video relay (VRS), on-site interpreting services, and video remote interpreting (VRI) today announced PurpleVRSim, an important enhancement to its VRS service on the Apple® Mac®'s iChat platform. PurpleVRSim substantially improves video quality for VRS calls, while delivering a better call experience with new call tools.

"PurpleVRSim extends the latest video technology to Mac VRS users through iChat," said Mark Stern, Vice President, Technical Program Management at Purple Communications. "While important for Purple's users, this upgrade is really for anyone who uses a Mac and wants to see better video quality and a better call experience for their VRS calls."

Crisp Video, Streamlined Calling, Drag-and-Drop, and Spanish

With its crystal-clear video and new call tools, PurpleVRSim is an enhancement for anyone using VRS through iChat, including Purple's customers who connect using hovrsIM. PurpleVRSim includes:

• Crisp Video – Purple's newest video platform instantly delivers higher quality video because it benefits from the latest video technology.

• Streamlined Calling – PurpleVRSim saves the users' call preferences for later, so making and accepting calls through iChat takes fewer steps.

• Drag-and-Drop – Users can drag any picture from their Mac into the call window to show the video interpreter (VI) exactly what they're trying to describe. Now the VI can choose the best words to communicate the user's message.

• Spanish Language Support – Deaf users wishing to speak in Spanish benefit from easy access to Purple's certified bi- and tri-lingual interpreters, right in iChat. Users simply type "sp" in the chat window, and are instantly connected to the appropriate VI.

• User Experience Enhancements – With refined set of commands, consolidated call windows, automatic profile matching, and Mac OS X Snow Leopard support, iChat users will find Purple's high-quality VRS easier than ever to use.

The Perfect Replacement for hovrsIM

iChat users who have made VRS calls through "hovrsIM" for years will see an immediate bump in video quality and call performance when they make their calls through  PurpleVRSim instead.

"With hovrsIM, Purple was the first relay provider to put VRS in the hands of Mac users," said Ronald E. Obray, Purple's vice chairman. "PurpleVRSim is the perfect successor to hovrsIM, building on our history, but making some important enhancements that will ensure Purple is the most popular relay service on iChat."

Pricing, Availability, System Requirements

PurpleVRSim is free to use, available now, and works with any Mac equipped with iChat and running Mac OS X version 10.4 or above.

To try the service, users simply send the number they'd like to dial to "PurpleVRSim" using iChat, and the call begins immediately.

Future calls are even easier when users add "PurpleVRSim" to their Buddy List. Doing so takes seconds with just a few easy steps, right in iChat.

For more information about PurpleVRSim and Purple's other Mac and iPhone solutions, visit www.purple.us/ichat.

About Purple

Purple Communications is a leading provider of text, video relay (VRS), on-site interpreting services, and video remote interpreting (VRI) for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, offering a wide array of options designed to meet the varied communications needs of its customers. Purple's vision is to enable free-flowing communication between people, inclusive of differences in abilities, languages, or locations. For more information on Purple Communications, Inc. or its services, visit www.purple.us by Internet, relay by visiting www.ip-relay.com, or video phone by connecting to purple.tv.

"Purple" and the Purple logo are registered trademarks, and "hovrsIM," and "PurpleVRSim" are trademarks of Purple Communications, Inc. "iChat," "Apple," "iPhone," and "Mac" are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. "Buddy List" is a registered trademark of AOL, Inc.  Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Purple Communications(TM), Inc.