When it comes to virtual or hybrid meetings, Microsoft Teams stands out as a top choice for many. Its user-friendly interface and versatility make it an everyday tool for both impromptu and scheduled discussions among peers.
Breaking down language barriers in Teams meetings has never been easier. Microsoft has introduced a new built-in feature that makes it possible for people of multiple languages to collaborate seamlessly in Teams. But that's just the beginning. There are several other ways to enhance your Teams meetings and make them more inclusive. Keep reading to find out more.
Simultaneous interpretation allows interpreters to convey what a speaker says in one language to another in real-time. This is done without disrupting the original flow of the speaker.
Simultaneous interpretation allows for more inclusive meetings, where participants who don't speak the same language can fully understand each other and collaborate across language boundaries.
No matter the type of meeting or event, breaking down language barriers through simultaneous interpretation can lead to successful collaboration and inclusivity. From pitches to town halls, training sessions to webinars, language access is essential for effective communication across diverse participants.
To ensure successful communication across diverse participants and break down language barriers, it's crucial to find a multilingual meeting service partner who can provide all the necessary services for your Teams meetings. They should not only help you find the best interpreters for your sessions, but also provide the technical expertise and backend technology that ensures a seamless experience for everyone.
Does your multilingual Teams meeting partners tick all these boxes?Working with a multilingual meeting partner like Interprefy ensures a seamless experience for everyone involved: the meeting host, the meeting participants, and the assigned interpreters.
There are multiple ways in which simultaneous interpretation can be made available for your meetings on Teams. Some are a great fit for regular internal meetings, and other for public-facing events.
Each option comes with its own benefits and limitations. Let's look at them in more detail.
Image: How it works. Interpreters can work and collaborate on a remote simultaneous interpretation platform, while participants can listen to their translated audio either in Teams, or via a second app.
Since autumn 2022, Microsoft Teams features a native and simple language interpretation feature. While the functionality in Teams is limited - both for participants and interpreters - it can be combined with Interprefy's leading remote interpreting tech and services, to create a seamless multilingual experience.
When enabled by the meeting host, interpreters can be assigned to a language channel and join the meeting. When a speaker talks, the interpreter starts translating the speech into the defined output language. Other meeting participants simply select between the original and interpreted language (see image above).
The language interpretation feature in Teams provides the option to have interpreters work in Teams directly. It is however lacking the essential tools of a professional interpreter console, such as audio controls, communicating with the booth partner or support staff, or handover features.
By working with Interprefy, interpreters can work from our leading-edge interpretation soft console and collaborate with both their booth partner and the support technician.
The interpretation audio is then "injected" directly into the language channels in Teams. For the meeting participants, the experience is the same as if interpreters were working in Teams directly. Providing interpreters with professional tools and support can however make a huge difference to the interpretation quality.
Providing a seamless user experience, the "Inject" integration is a popular choice for Teams meetings and Teams Webinars with simple interpretation setups.
Originally designed to remove the need for on-site presence of interpreters at face-to-face conferences, remote simultaneous interpretation platforms like Interprefy have evolved to support online meetings and events held on any platform.
Interprefy's simultaneous interpretation plug-in for Microsoft Teams can be installed through the Teams app store. Once the plug-in has been installed, and the meeting has been booked with Interprefy, your meeting participants simply open a side panel to choose their language from a dropdown list. Additionally, the Interprefy plug-in can also be used to auto-generate translated captions.
The plug-in approach is a seamless and highly secure option for regular multilingual business meetings. Core use cases include internal meetings, business meetings with other companies with a corporate Teams account, internal events (town halls, training sessions, etc.), or meetings between your branches.
Much like the remote interpreting plug-in, this approach requires the support of a remote simultaneous interpretation tech provider. Providers like Interprefy stream the meeting audio and video to an interpreter soft console and then send the interpreted audio back to an app that participants open either in their web browser or on their smartphones.
In this app, participants can then choose their language access option and language preference.
The blended approach is a popular choice for larger meetings, hybrid meetings, or events with broad participation from several organizations, or even the public. It is also a very powerful solution, if you're looking to provide multiple modes of language access (interpreting, sign language interpreting, captioning).
In order to pick the right option, it's important to evaluate your requirements and setup. Every organisation and every meeting is unique. Ask yourself these questions:
We've successfully facilitated interpretation in thousands of Teams meetings, as well as tens of thousands more on other platforms too. We can assist you in evaluating the best way to work with the familiarity and operational convenience of Teams while removing language barriers and ensuring the most effective communication.