GoAmerica Acquires Verizon’s Video / TTY Relay Services
August 2, 2007
IP-Relay will soon have a new owner.
GoAmerica recently announced that it will be acquiring Verizon’s Telecommunication Relay Services (TRS) division. This division includes Verizon’s TTY relay services, IP-based (via the Internet) relay services, and video relay services.
At $50 million cash and up to an additional $8 million in contingent cash consideration, this acquisition isn’t exactly chump change. Didn’t know GoAmerica has this kind of money! But revenues just for these services was approximately $67 million for 2006 (with no word on expenditures / profit), so this may be a good move.
I’ve been using IP-Relay nearly ever since it was created. So, I’m curious if the change in ownership will enhance the services provided through IP-Relay even more.
August 2, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Anyone remember the lousy service and customer services by Wyndtell in the old days? Wyndtell name was dropped because its reputation was really awful and its servives was absorbed by its parent company, GoAmerica. I refuse to use GoAmerica/Wyndtell services. Yuck!
August 2, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Wyndtell Sucks,
If you hate McDonald’s, you still buy the Big Mac. What is different?
I am sure that Go America learnt the hard lesson about Wyndtell service.
They have improved their business and earn high profits so they can acquire the Ip-Relay service. Who knows if Go America may purchase HOVRS or CSDVRS? What if they acquire Sorenson VRS, and would you still use Sorenson VP?
Does that mean you are going back to your historial TDD?
August 2, 2007 at 8:13 pm
All I care, frankly, is what does that mean, if anything, to me? May things on as before or better. :)
August 2, 2007 at 9:36 pm
I was a former Wyndtell customer. After the contract with Wyndtell was over, I stopped using the service and had switched over to T-Mobile.
When i711 software became available for Sidekick users, it had a feature that allowed pager-to-TTY conversations. It required a $10 monthly payment to have that specific feature to work.
So, I attempted to activate it and learned that GoAmerica refused to accept my request because they had a record that showed that I owed Wyndtell the remainer which was the last month’s service fee that I wasn’t aware of before closing the account. GoAmerica refused to approve me to have the pager-to-TTY feature activated just because I owed Wyndtell.
Verizon will be doing the same thing to anyone who owes Wyndtell and/or GoAmerica.
August 3, 2007 at 9:07 am
Former Wyndell Customers,
I have good ideas that you may like. Moreover, Go America may may your requests. You may write a formal letter to request for waiving your debt if you continue to do business with i711 service and IP-Relay service (including Verizon wireless services). I am sure that they would make extra revences much better than their effors to refuse waiving your debts.
Let me know in a few months if Go America honors your requests.
August 30, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Hi, GoAmerica is now run by a very smart group of highly professional managers. Customer service is a priority. No, I don’t work there, I own the stock (it’s publicly traded).
September 12, 2007 at 1:10 pm
[...] 12th, 2007 It was only recently that GoAmerica, i711’s parent company, merged with Verizon. And today it was announced that GoAmerica will be acquiring, uh, merging with Hands On VRS as [...]
March 11, 2010 at 7:26 pm
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