Though a ViaTV Phone will not solve all the thorny issues involved in the dissolution of a family, it can take the edge off of a bad time. For a relocated parent or a despondent child, being able to see their loved one by simply making a video call, may alleviate a lot of pain and suffering. The miles that separate them will melt away and "missing you" may change to "see you again soon."

As time goes on, the ViaTV Phone may allow a non-custodial parent to stay more involved in their child's life than they might otherwise be. Frequent video calls may make all concerned feel they are psychically close, if not physically close.

Richard Wysocki, a senior vice president for Eastman Kodak, who lives in Connecticut, purchased two ViaTV Phones to keep in touch with his seven-year old son, who lives in Dallas. The divorced executive says, "The ViaTV is a killer application for divorced or separated families. There's no comparison between a regular phone call and a video call. Any kind of visual cue or even a still image adds incredibly to communication. Nothing replaces it."

According to Wysocki, "The difference it is making is extraordinary because I believe that in my son's 7-year-old mind, seeing me while talking to me is very, very close to actually having me there with him. We can share pictures he draws in school, a new haircut, a funny face he has learned to make and all those other little things that enrich a relationship and would otherwise make separation from him so difficult."

"I was preparing to pay $8,000 for computers and ISDN phone lines so I could keep in touch with my son. I tried the ViaTV on a lark," states Wysocki. After trying ViaTV Phones, Wysocki was delighted to discover the quality of the product met his needs as well as the $8,000 system he was contemplating.

What sold Wysocki on ViaTV besides it being "plum simple" to use, was it's portability. "I can take it with me and call from wherever I am. We have videoconferenced not only from my home in Westport, but also from my office in New York and from California and Hawaii. I used it to connect from both Stockholm and Paris. From Stockholm my son saw the view from my hotel window and from Paris I showed him two new Star Wars figures I had purchased for him at the airport."

With a ViaTV Phone, separated parents can experience peace of mind like never before.