Product Overview: Microsoft Translator
Microsoft Translator is a comprehensive, cloud-based machine translation service provided by Microsoft, integrated into various Microsoft products and available for use across multiple platforms. Here’s a detailed look at what the product does and its key features.
What Microsoft Translator Does
Microsoft Translator is designed to facilitate text and speech translation between numerous languages and language varieties. It is part of Microsoft Cognitive Services and Azure Cognitive Services, making it a versatile tool for both consumer and enterprise use. The service powers translation features in a wide range of Microsoft products, including Microsoft Office, Bing, Microsoft Edge, SharePoint, Yammer, Visual Studio, Skype, and more.
Key Features
Text Translation
- Microsoft Translator supports text translation through the Translator Text API, which uses modern neural machine translation (NMT) technology. This provides higher quality translations that better capture the context of full sentences compared to traditional statistical machine translation (SMT).
- The service allows for the translation of text into multiple languages with a single request and automatically detects the source language of the text.
Speech Translation
- The service includes speech translation capabilities, powered by Microsoft Speech services. This feature is integrated into applications like Skype Translator and the Microsoft Translator apps for live, multi-device, multi-language conversations.
Custom Translator
- Custom Translator enables enterprises, app developers, and language service providers to build neural translation systems tailored to their specific business and industry terminology. This customization can be integrated into existing applications, workflows, and websites using the Microsoft Translator API.
Live Conversation Feature
- Microsoft Translator offers a live conversation feature that allows up to 500 people to engage in multi-device, multi-language, in-person translated conversations. This feature is available in the Microsoft Translator apps and on the Microsoft Translator website.
Offline Capabilities
- The Microsoft Translator mobile app allows users to download language packages for offline use, enabling text, speech, and photo translation even without an internet connection.
Additional Tools
- Transliteration: Converts words and sentences from one script into another, such as presenting Chinese characters in the Latin alphabet (PinYin).
- Bilingual Dictionary: Provides alternative translations, examples of words in context, and translated sentences to help users choose the most appropriate translation.
- Phrasebook: Includes common phrases for practice, useful for travelers and language learners.
Integration and Scalability
- Microsoft Translator is highly scalable and can be integrated into web, desktop, or mobile applications using industry-standard REST technology. It is used globally by thousands of organizations as part of their existing workflows.
- The service is secure, meeting strict security requirements and compliance certifications such as HIPAA, ISO, SOC, and FedRAMP. Customer data is not stored in persistent storage, ensuring confidentiality.
User-Facing Tools
- The Bing Microsoft Translator web app allows users to translate texts or entire web pages into different languages. It features a Bilingual Viewer that displays the original and translated text in parallel, with synchronized highlights, scrolling, and navigation.
Availability and Accessibility
- Microsoft Translator is accessible through various Microsoft products, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), where users can translate text directly within their documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
- The service is also available as desktop and mobile apps, supporting both online and offline use, and includes features like text, speech, and photo translation, as well as a phrasebook for common phrases.
In summary, Microsoft Translator is a powerful and versatile translation tool that leverages advanced neural machine translation technology to provide high-quality translations across multiple languages and platforms, making it an essential resource for both personal and business use.