8x8 provider of Packet8 announced it is continuing its holiday season tradition of providing pediatric patients in children's hospitals throughout the U.S. with opportunities to have live videophone visits with Santa Claus at the North Pole.

Now in its 3rd year, the "Videophone Visits with Santa" program enables children who are confined to the hospital during the holidays to see and chat with Santa over the Packet8 VideoPhone service at his "North Pole" workshop at 8x8's Santa Clara, California headquarters. The visits take place from either the child's hospital room or a centralized patient lounge area and are followed by the special delivery of requested toys and gifts.

Children's Hospitals participating in the program this year include:

• Cincinnati Children's Hospital -- Cincinnati, OH
• Miami Children's Hospital -- Miami, FL
• Johns Hopkins Children's Medical Center -- Baltimore, MD
• Barbara Bush Children's Hospital -- Portland, ME
• Schneider's Children's Hospital -- Long Island, NY
• Shriner's Hospital for Children -- Tampa, FL
• Vanderbilt Children's Hospital -- Nashville, TN

"We are, once again, pleased to provide children who cannot sit on Santa's lap this holiday season with the chance to visit with him remotely over our Packet8 VideoPhone services," said 8x8 Chairman and CEO Bryan Martin. "The fact that these children can actually see and interact with Santa, rather than just speak with him, makes a huge difference in the quality of their phone session with him. Children can also point at and see specific toys and attractions located throughout Santa's workshop. This is the multimedia experience that IP communications services are all about and why our subscribers value their Packet8 VideoPhones so much."

The Packet8 VideoPhone, currently available for $99.99 after mail-in rebate, delivers high-quality, full-motion video and clear, delay-free audio over any broadband Internet connection. Using 8x8's Packet8 Internet phone service, Packet8 VideoPhone subscribers receive unlimited video calling worldwide to other Packet8 VideoPhone subscribers and unlimited voice-only calling in the U.S. and Canada for just $19.99/month. The Packet8 VideoPhone is so easy to use that anyone, especially the young at heart, will enjoy owning one.