Skype for Business offers new beta features that allow live meetings to be translated into multiple languages

Microsoft has recently added a new beta feature to Skype for Business, allowing the live translation of meetings into over 40 languages. This feature opens up a world of opportunities for organizations that need to communicate with people all around the world. While it is still currently in beta, the real-world applications are game changing for global organizations.

hello in different languages

How does the live translation feature actually work?

This new feature allows live captioning for Skype for Business meetings into 40 languages. Microsoft is using their Bing Translator technology, which will allows speakers to talk in a variety of supported languages that are then transcribed via computer generated text for viewers to see.

While viewers will still be only able to hear the presentation in the language that the speaker is using, having the text translation will bridge the language barrier.

Technology based on a consumer version of Skype

The translation technology is actually based on a feature that has already been rolled out to consumer Skype users, which can handle live person-to-person transcriptions in both text messages and calls.

Microsoft quiet on a release data for this functionality

Microsoft has not officially announced a release date and the company has also not explicitly stated which input languages will be supported. If it’s anything like Bing Translator, it’ll have support for seven different languages, but it’s unclear whether Microsoft will roll out support for all of these at once.

Microsoft looking to expand Skype for Business to reach more enterprise users

The business communication tool space is becoming crowded with startups like Slack and HipChat. Microsoft is obviously looking to add features to Skype for Business that will differentiate itself from the competition. There’s little doubt that Microsoft has the resources to develop a feature packed video chat and live meeting solution, and with live translation, the Redmond computing giant adds another feature aimed at continuing to dominate the enterprise cloud computing arena.

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