Microsoft Teams Adds Language Interpretation

微软 finally follows Zoom and 网迅 in regards to facilitating online meetings. Microsoft used to promote its live caption and Microsoft translator features, which are very helpful but certainly not adequate for a serious meeting. Despite so much hype and marketing pitch, automated translations are far from replacing professional interpreters.

Cutting to this new feature of Microsoft, please bear in mind that it has limitations and you need to take several steps before seeing that lovely "enable language interpretation" toggle bar.

It is possible to enable?language interpretation?on your Microsoft Teams account. The feature is in Public Preview Mode at the moment. There are three steps to enable it until it becomes a regular, live feature.

1. Admin enables Public Preview on your company account.
2. You enable Public Preview on both your Teams desktop app and also Teams browser.
3. Create a?meeting, invite attendees and interpreters, save it. You can then go to meeting options and “enable language interpretation” as shown on the cover image.

Limitations:

• Interpreters need to belong to the same corporate account.
• One?interpreter?can interpret to one direction only.
• Interpreter and speaker audio may mix and distract listeners.

Microsoft has not announced any specific schedule to make this feature public, yet. We hope that they improve the feature and make it public soon.?Online?meetings with language interpretation facilitates multilingual communication.

Millions of corporations already have Microsoft Teams account on their computer. Having an option to enable interpretation and invite a professional conference interpreter to their meeting will make event organizations much easier.