IWRelay was one of the first booths I sought out at DeafNation World Expo, simply because they were the first company to provide a VRS solution on the iPhone 4. Their booth was small, but was packed with IWRelay personnel wanting to share the exciting news about their iPhone 4 application that serves as a front end to VRS via FaceTime.

I had the opportunity to speak with Greg Born, the son of IWRelay founders/owners Jeff and Vicky Born. Greg also has the distinction of being the developer of the IWRelay application, so it was a pleasure to talk with him about their app. He expressed excitement and optimism about the fact that their application coupled with the portability of the iPhone 4 and the ease of use of FaceTime would change the way deaf people would be able to access their VRS services. I took a brief (56 second) video of Greg showing off the IWRelay application, so you can see for yourself. (Sorry that the iPhone 4 screen isn’t that clear in the video.)

[Readers on iOS devices: Vimeo doesn't embed in HTML5 yet, but if you would follow the link below the video, you'll be able to see the video in HTML5 on the Vimeo site.]

IWRelay at DeafNation World Expo.

To recap, the IWRelay application allows you to directly dial a number to call via VRS, or you can choose an existing number from your iPhone 4′s Contacts list. You will be told that an interpreter will be calling via FaceTime shortly. Once you get connected with the interpreter, your VRS experience proceeds pretty much the same as any other VRS call. All calls made via the IWRelay app do not use your data or cost you any voice minutes (because FaceTime officially works only on WiFi).

Thanks, Greg and the rest of the IWRelay team for the opportunity to meet with you all in Las Vegas! We wish you the best with your application and your services.