NEWS: Online interpreting

Polyglott offers you remote simultaneous interpreting in real-time for your web conferences. We provide all major language combinations with a cloud-based solution that is scalable, user-friendly and easily adaptable to your requirements. Our system features an interpreter interface specifically designed for interpreters (according to ISO PAS 24019). The system is encrypted, compatible with the most common conferencing platforms (Microsoft Teams, Whereby, Skype, Go-to-meeting etc) and complies with the security requirements of the EU Parliament.

The solution we offer is ideal for any kind of event, both online and onsite, saving both money and environment. You can join the event from any smartphone, tablet or computer. The interpreters do not have to travel and conference organizers skip the costs for renting interpreter booths and headsets.  

We can also host your complete meeting online, including video and audio streaming. Your moderator and the attendees participate remote and everyone can make their voice heard. You can use live interactive chats and broadcast surveys.

We provide technical support prior and throughout the event. Our technical staff ensures that the services meet your requirements and assure full compliance.

Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

What is simultaneous interpreting online?

Simultaneous interpreting online, a.k.a. Remote Simultaneous Interpreting is the latest technological solution, provided for online and on-site meetings. Online interpreting saves time and money, compared to traditional on-site interpreting. It is also environmentally friendly.

There are several Cloud-based interpretation platforms and the interpreters are working from their offices or homes. No additional hardware is needed. The attendees listen to the interpreters through a web application, downloaded on their laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Online simultaneous interpreting means that it is no longer important where the interpreters are stationed. You can have your meeting in any time zone, anywhere in the world, face-to-face or online. While covid-19 forces millions of people to meet online, we believe that online simultaneous interpreting will remain with us after we all get vaccinated and resume face-to-face meetings. There are many reasons for it: the technology is constantly improving, with online solutions making it possible to engage interpreters on very short notice, and you can have an unlimited number of language combinations with better access to many more competent professionals. 

Remote interpreting truly is a blessing to multilingual communication. It makes interpreting services more available than ever before and in new ways. As the market for interpreting services expands, it diversifies. Research shows that online simultaneous interpreting is an acceptable and accurate alternative to on-site interpreting.

You do not have to cancel your event because of Covid-19. Just as your colleagues, counterparts, and partners have moved online, your interpreters have been doing the same for a couple of years, and all the more so during the past months.

All platforms for simultaneous interpreting online can be combined with the most common video conference platforms, such as MS Teams, Webex, Go to Meeting, Zoom and others. However, many interpretation platforms can be used both for the event per se and for interpreting

Where to start looking for simultaneous interpreting online?

Yes, simultaneous interpreting online can be booked on short notice. However, it does not mean that you should purchase the services at the last minute. As your event per se, online interpreting requires planning as well, namely:

• Contact the language company of your choice
• Have at hand as specific and detailed information about your event as possible, namely:

1. Date and time/duration of your event
2. Language combination(s)
3. Video conference platform you are planning to use
4. Do you have a policy, restricting/banning any software?
5. Would your attendees prefer using only laptops or only smartphones or both?
6. Would you like to combine the interpreting platform with your preferred video conference platform or use the interpretation platform as a single solution for your event?

Important to have in mind

Planning and preparation are required to make interpreting services efficient, regardless of whether they are delivered online or on-site. When you have made up your mind about the technical solution and the provider you have to undertake the following steps:

• Appoint one or two moderators for your event. The moderator’s role is vital, regardless of whether the event is multilingual or not. The moderator makes sure that only the invited attendees are allowed to enter the virtual meeting venue, she/he is monitoring the chat, gives the floor to the speakers and introduces them, sees to it that everyone who asks for a word, has been noted, leads Q&A, voting, etc.
• Make sure that your language services provider gets the list of participants and the agenda as early as possible.
• We know that many presentations surface at the last minute. Email them to the language company the minute they appear. Until then we are grateful if you send us earlier presentations from the previous meetings: it is not the facts we are looking for, but your professional vocabulary.
• Test/dry run is essential before the event. We advise you to plan it a couple of days before the meeting.
• Speakers, moderator(s) and interpreters have to connect at least 30 minutes before the start of the meeting.
• If your event exceeds three hours, please note that the interpreters, regardless of whether they work online or on-site, need a break. If you have a full-day event online you need to plan a one-hour lunch break and two shorter breaks – one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to manage the additional cognitive load, entailed by online meetings and faced by both your attendees and interpreters.