Docomo to conduct 2nd trial of cloud-based translator phone service

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NTT Docomo Inc said Wednesday that its second trial of an experimental service for real-time interpretation between Japanese and other languages via mobile devices will take place from June 1 to Sept 30.

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In the first trial involving some 1,000 Docomo subscribers between November 2011 and March 2012, about 70% of the participants reported that they would like to use the service again. In response, Docomo will launch this second trial for 10,000 users. Also, the trial will expand to 10 languages besides Japanese, as compared to English, Chinese and Korean in the first trial. Seven of the languages will be available for face-to-face communication between people talking in the presence of each other.

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The translator phone service utilizes Docomo’s “network cloud,” which integrates the company’s cloud and mobile network resources to handle the heavy processing required for rapid real-time interpretation. Interpretation generally is handled in three steps: machine recognition of spoken words, rendering into another language, and conversion into a voice readout that the other party hears. Thanks to the network cloud, interpretation will be processed at the same rapid speed even after the seven additional languages are introduced.

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Docomo has enhanced its experimental service with two major upgrades in response to feedback from the first trial. First, the user interface now has a Repeat button, which enables the speaker to replay the last interpretation if the other party is unable to hear it. Second, a new start-up procedure enables users to launch the service faster.

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Docomo said it expects to further enhance its translator phone service based on feedback from this second trial, aiming to launch a commercial service by March 2013.

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