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One year ago, GoAmerica launched i711.com, a relay service that enables deaf and hard-of-hearing callers to use a Web-enabled computer to place calls through an operator. As with other relay services, an operator verbalizes text typed by a caller and types the hearing party's responses back for the hearing-impaired party.

GoAmerica took i711 wireless with a version for AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) - for the desktop and wireless devices - last October, followed by T-Mobile Sidekick support this past February. Today, the company further mobilized i711 with the introduction of a version for Research In Motion's (RIM) popular BlackBerry handhelds. As with the Sidekick, the QWERTY thumb-keyboard makes these devices a natural mobile extension for i711.

The recent BlackBerry and Sidekick announcements give i711 Wireless users what they've been requesting, GoAmerica VP of product management Mark Stern told PDAStreet. "Those customers were asking for a mobile relay service that we are currently now able to offer on three different levels," he said; through AIM, Sidekick and BlackBerry.

And while an AIM app existed for the Sidekick, by developing the native application for the smartphone, GoAmerica improved the user experience with a native application, according to Stern. For example, "When you have a real-time character transmitting experience, you see letter by letter what's happening as far as the conversation. As opposed to AIM, where it's only happening when it's sent back and forth," he added.

The goal is to get as close to a 'real' voice phone conversation as possible, an ideal Stern thinks i711 Wireless moved a step closer to with each enhancement.

Integration between i711 Wireless and native handheld applications, such as with the BlackBerry Address Book, is important to achieve a better mobile experience, Stern said. Name Dial, for example, lets users dial any number stored in their BlackBerry Address Book by typing the name of the person they want to call. Type the first few letters of a person's name, and i711 Wireless displays a list of matches from the Address Book. The user then simply clicks on the name they want to dial to begin the relay call.

The user can also pick the phone number they want to dial before calling the operator, so they don't have to tell the operator the number they're calling, which saves time. For instance, with the BlackBerry, you enter the number you want to call into the app, which connects you to a relay call center - directly - whereupon the operator then connects you to the number.

Additional time-saving features include Quick Text to send longer messages to an operator in a single step (particularly useful for sending voice mail instructions or placing take out restaurant orders), and integrated Address Book Editing to ensure the user's BlackBerry Address Book is up-to-date with frequently dialed numbers.

Cost, Premium Service
The regular i711 Wireless relay service is free. An optional Wireless Toolkit offers a premium set of features that cost an extra $9.95 per month after a one time $10 activation fee. It includes more communication choices, such as live TTY (teletypewriter) calling, TTY messaging, and voice-to-text messaging.

TTY was designed and built in 1964 to allow deaf people to speak with each other over the phone. But you couldn't use it to communicate with a non-hearing-impaired person without them having a TTY machine, which is why the relay system was created.

With the development of the Web, IM, etc., the use of TTY diminished greatly over recent years, but some people still prefer to use it.

The Wireless Toolkit also includes mobile access to open captioned movie information (telling users if films with captions are playing nearby), and easy user access to emergency roadside assistance; if you're a member of the AAA Auto Club.

It's a safety issue. "You're in your car and it breaks down, and you have no way of contacting the relay system without finding a telephone. We actually provide a way for the Sidekick or the BlackBerry to contact AAA directly for assistance," Stern explained.