Interprefy has launched Interprefy Agent, a solution designed to alleviate the challenges of meetings with participants speaking different languages. The new solution functions as an added attendee on common meeting platforms and will listen to and translate the conversation in real-time.
Initially, the solution will support Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. Users need to invite the Interprefy Agent to the meeting, where it will provide a link in the chat for each attendee to receive a translation of what is being said.
The Agent will create live translations in over 80 different languages. However, it is limited to 10 languages if autoswitch is selected, and 25 if the host manually switches the translation agent to a new language. The Agent only works for prescheduled meetings. The Agent will join the meeting a minute before the scheduled time.
It means that translations no longer require complex integration with third-party applications, translators, or other equipment. The meeting host emails an invitation to the dedicated address for the Interprefy Agent. The Agent will then join the meeting like any other participant. It will capture the meeting audio and stream it to the Interprefy platform. The platform will provide the relevant translation. Interprefy will not record the audio unless specifically requested to do so.
Oddmund Braaten, CEO at Interprefy, explained, saying, “By simply adding an email address to an online meeting, the Interprefy Agent acts as a smart, automated participant. The audio is captured securely, translated in real time, and delivered to the meeting attendees in the language of their choice. This is a real first, and one we are immensely proud of.”
Is this the perfect solution?
Not quite. Unlike Interprefy Now, the main platform that Interprefy offers, the Agent does not control the microphones or the meeting. The Agent will translate what it hears. The host will need to have strict control over the speakers in the meeting; otherwise, the Interprefy platform will probably struggle if multiple people are talking at the same time. This cannot happen on the Interprefy Now platform as it ensure that only one microphone is active at a time.
Regardless, this simple-to-use Agent could transform communication and collaboration for multinational teams, reducing confusion and enhancing the value of meetings, whether they are presentations, town halls, or roundtable formats.
Participants will be able to contribute effectively, knowing that their contributions will be translated accurately. They will also understand what is being said better if the speaker’s language is not known to them or a secondary language. Interprefy intends to expand the capabilities of the Agent to other meeting platforms, though it hasn’t revealed what these are yet.
Hopefully, it will extend to Slack Huddles, as Dreamforce approaches; it would be a timely announcement at the multinational conference. One item missing from the Interprefy announcement is pricing, with nothing visible on their site specifically related to the new Agent.
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
Interprefy claims this is the first tool that combines AI-powered speech translation with real-time captions across any major meeting platform. While most platforms offer transcription, few offer translation simultaneously.
While Interprefy may be the first, other platforms, such as Zoho Meeting, might deliver the same capability quickly. Zoho Connect already offers translation, and Zoho Meeting supports transcription, so they may not be far away. What sets Interprefy apart is the number of languages it supports and the maturity of its AI-powered translation software.
It will be interesting to see how many companies take advantage of this solution. What difference does it make for collaboration, and how long can Interprefy maintain its competitive advantage?
