"When our first child, Rachel Elizabeth, was to receive the sacrament of baptism, we had a problem because some of the family members we wanted to be Rachel's Godparents couldn't make the service because of the distance and expense of traveling," wrote Kern and Tracy Minehan of Minot, North Dakota in a recent e-mail to 8x8.

The message continues: "Well, thank goodness for the ViaTV Phone. After some coaxing, the priest allowed us to bring the ViaTV into the church and hook it up to their office fax line. We strung a 100 foot phone extension, which we got from the hardware store for less than five dollars and used a small hand-held TV. The sacrament went without a hitch."

The e-mail ends, "My entire extended family, two states away, was able to be present during and partake in this special occasion. The priest was just as excited as we were and said it was the first time he performed a baptism with the Godparents in another town. Thanks, 8x8."

In a follow-up videophone interview with 8x8, Kern said that he first used ViaTV in his work, which involves telemedicine with cancer patients in rural areas. Based on the successful use on job, he purchased a ViaTV for his family and his wife's family and they use them at least once a week for video visits.

"Rachel is Tracy's parents' first grandchild, so they love seeing her. They have zero computer knowledge but using the ViaTV, that caught on immediately," stated Kern.