skype interpreting service
Looks like Skype is heading our way in the language industry. They just announced that they linked up with an interpreting service provider. They provide translators in 99% of cases (for the 30 most requested langauges) in an average time of 45 seconds. The cost is US$2.99 a minute - which makes is more expensive than a interpreting service, but it makes it an interesting tool for “a quick call” to your Japanese customer to quickly check a detail.
http://share.skype.com/directory/%3Cb%3Elanguage_line%C2%AE_personal_interpreter%3C%10b%3E/view/
But it is also an interesting development considering that the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights contains a number of clauses relating to interpreting. Many groups are guaranteed the right to an interpreter (for example refugees, or prisoners). Many countries use telephone interpreting to grant this right and Language Line is a major player in this market, scoring contracts all over the world, for example too in Australia and New Zealand.
So you wonder where they get the qualified interpreters from? They are actually rather rare in this world - almost as rare as educational opportunities to learn about interpreting.