Articles and Stories

May 28, 2015

By Amanda Scott

Microsoft’s Skype Translator is after Google Translate’s 200 million plus daily users. Skype Translator has just released phase two of its preview. This means letting some of Skype’s users try out its live translation tool.

While Skype already gives users the ability to translate instant messages in over 50 languages, including Klingon for the Star Trek lovers, the new technology offers real-time translation. The service listens to you speak and translates for whomever you are speaking with on the other end.

Phase one of the release allowed only live English and Spanish translation. Phase two added two additional languages, Italian and Mandarin. Other new features of phase two included theability to mute the translation during conversation or only partially translate the conversation.

Some users think Skype’s Translator may need some improvement before releasing to the mass market. Users said that the process was slow and you needed to enunciate well. There were also issues with the IM portion of Skype Translator in that it has literal translation issues. Colloquial language and idioms just don’t translate properly with the use of free translate tools. Microsoft also recommends the use of a headset with a microphone, instead of a stand-alone mic, which may be an issue for some users.

User’s that were able to test out Skype’s live translation during the preview were disappointed in the limited languages it was able to translate to and from, especially since there are languages that may be far more popular to more people than Italian and Mandarin. German was the language that Microsoft used when demonstrating the product, however it was not available in the preview of the product.

It seems we will have to wait and see who comes out ahead. With Google Translate said to soon be releasing an app that turns your cell phone into a real-time translation device, the competition will be fierce. Skype Translator has great potential and will surely give Google translation services a run for their money. Neither service is advanced enough to win over most companies however, as they still rely on paid translation companies for their translation needs.