I reported this to their customer service and told them that I had to resort to other provider like SnapVRS. They understood, and I don't see why they would worry too much since having a high-volume calls everyday is pretty much a good thing for any VRS providers. The worst thing that can happen is customers porting their 10-digit number to other providers. I should also mention that Z-20's VCO feature is fully compatible with SnapVRS, and that's one thing I like about Tanberg E20. I believe this feature only works if I use other VRS provider that use SIP, and I was aware that SnapVRS's Ojo is SIP-based as well, so I figured the VCO would work. Of course, Z4 or other SIP-based Z-products would work too.
And we do understand. Any VRS customer has the right to dial-around to reach any other VRS provider for interpreting. That is your right, and we have no intention of changing that.
Most videophones will let you dial an IPv4 address (208.94.18.175), a DNS name that points at that IPv4 address (zvrs.tv), or a 10 digit phone number that points at that IPv4 address (8888881116). The 10 digit phone number is stored in the iTRS database, and is used by any VRS provider videophone to place a call as if it were a point-to-point phonecall.
If you use a non-ZVRS videophone today, you can call 8888881116 and reach ZVRS VRS interpreters. Give them a try. They're all professionally certified.
Other providers have phone numbers that allow you to do the same, which can be found on their respective websites.
Just tonight, I was called by Sorenson's regional manager from my area, and he begged me to port my 10-digit number back to Sorenson. I told him my reasons and told him that their VCO feature sucks. I asked him why should one have too many separate resources or devices just to achieve the same level of functionality as the Z-20. I told him I wasn't interest in having a nTouch VP in addition to a 15-inch TV, and a separate phone line. Believe it or not. We actually negotiated over the VP. He said he was willing to pay for a year-worth voice plan on the top of my AT&T unlimited TAP plan for my iPhone. I used Skype which I paid for the last 11 months each time I use VCO with Sorenson. He tried to offer me one year subscription of MagicJack. He even try to get me sold on the free iPad 2 deal! I actually hesitated at some of the deals he was trying to make with me, and that must have been stupid of me to nearly fall for that crap, but I must admit the iPad would have been a good deal for an idiot. He said he would give me time to think about it for 24 hours. Thirty minutes later, he changed the deal, and his final offer is the nTouch VP, a 15" TV, and $300 (he intended to buy out my Z-20, which I realized was a bad deal after our conversation). I apologize if I rambled too much here, but I thought I must share this with you guys. I don't like their porting marketing scam.
Those tactics are new to us as well.
I've heard rumors of the "free TV" gimmick, but never giving customers cash outright. As I don't have any direct personal involvement with anyone else who has been given such perks, I really can't call Sorenson out based on personally obtained facts.
The $300 cash is _very_ surprising. It is one thing to subsidize the price of a videophone, or of equipment that would make a videophone operational (like a free TV for a VP200 or nTouch VP). It is another thing entirely to give customers cash incentive to use their service. I think the FCC will want to hear about this. We will make sure they do.
If you feel the offers were inappropriate, and you wish to change this behavior, I can only suggest that you consider reporting it with the FCC using form 2000C:
FCC Consumer Complaints
The online form is here:
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form2000.action?form_type=2000C
The FCC requires a 30 day response to any inquiry from that form. Filing one will ensure a response.
VRSEngineer, if you are reading this, can you please enlighten me on why they may want us to port their previous customers' number back to Sorenson? I mean… What if I got myself a free iPad 2 out of this deal, and still use ZVRS as my primary provider through my Z4 soft phone and leave the nTouch VP in the dust? That's something I think they failed to realize if it's not the porting that brings them profit, but the constant use of their VRS service. Unless you can refute this and clarify for me. Thanks. I asked you specifically, because of the great VRS knowledge you possessed.
My first warning would be: make sure not to sign anything that commits you to something that isn't made absolutely clear to you.
You _can_ use any VRS provider's equipment and dial around to any VRS interpreters you wish. This is what dial-around is all about. The primary downside is that it will require that you fingerspell any phone numbers you wish to dial.
Incoming PSTN audio calls to your phone number will still get you a VRS call from your default provider. This means that you can't have in-bound-audio calls route through to a ZVRS interpreter, if SorensonVRS is your default provider for that phone number.
If you don't really care about your 10 digit phone number, why not throw it away by porting it to Sorenson (and never using nTouch), and just sign up for a new ZVRS Z4 phone number and use that mobile client on your new iPad2 instead?
So long as you haven't committed to something with SorensonVRS by signing something that says they can take it back from you if you don't use their service, I'm not seeing the fiscal downside here for you.
If you were still looking to use your old number through nTouch, you will lose out on features like ZAlert, 1Number, and point-to-point videomail if you port your phone number from ZVRS to SorensonVRS.
So long as you don't use/need that old phone number, or if you do that you don't use/need those features, I wouldn't blame you for considering the very gracious offer SorensonVRS has extended.
This is really all part of being a savvy consumer, and knowing what you can and can't get away with.
Providers _do_ keep a history of business they've done with you in the past. For anyone thinking you can just keep porting your phone back and forth to get free stuff: VRS providers will notice pretty quickly what you're up to
Be careful. Be safe. And I'd love to see copies of anything they want you to sign along the process of doing so.
Thanks for the tips. 
Personally, I don't give a flying puck (and yes I do mean the hockey puck 
