the cloud-based platform for remote interpreting
TRANSCRIPT
THE CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM FOR REMOTE INTERPRETING AT CONFERENCES AND SIMILAR EVENTSA REAL BREAKTHROUGH IN THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETING
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When I worked in business development at Swiss Post, I saw just how many events required interpreting services in order to ensure comprehension amongst the four Swiss national languages. I found the technology very old-fashioned and the equipment used both cumbersome to transport and expensive to rent.
I reckoned that – in a similar way to other communication services – simultaneous interpreting could be dramatically improved by implementing state-of-the-art Internet and smartphone technologies.
Having left Swiss Post, I started working on this concept, and in due course a team was created and a company set up.
Today, two years later, Interprefy is a consolidated business with a dedicated management team and well-established products.
It is, then, my great pleasure to introduce you to Interprefy!
Yours faithfully, Kim Ludvigsen, founder & CEO
Dear partners, event organisers and interpreting professionals!
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CONCEPT
Interprefy is a cloud-based platform for remote simultaneous interpreting at conferences and similar events.
It exploits the potential of modern technology to make interpreting services simpler and more affordable.
Interprefy’s technology allows delegates at events to connect using their smartphones, tablets or laptops and listen to interpreters.
Interprefy’s platform can be accessed via mobile app or Firefox/Chrome browser.
The “Interprefy Connect” mobile app can be downloaded for free for both iOS and Android devices.
With Interprefy, interpreters can work from any location.
The platform also enables the audience and the speakers to participate remotely in conferences and similar events.
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YOUR BENEFITS WITH INTERPREFY
You avoid having to rent booths and audio equipment – all you need to do is to connect smart devices to the Internet through a stable Wi-Fi connection or through the mobile data network.
Multilingual events are easy to set up: unlimited number of interpreters – some on-site, some remote – can work in parallel using the Interprefy platform.
At very large events or for high-profile delegates, you can combine the Interprefy platform with existing on-site audio equipment and use traditional headphones.
Provide simultaneous interpreting for any size and type of event, even at short notice, for short assignments and in remote locations.
EASY-TO-USE MULTIFUNCTIONAL
FLEXIBLE
VERSATILE
Interprefy’s technology enables interpreting to be offered at smaller events where the cost of interpreting could not otherwise be justified.
Select certified interpreters from our database worldwide or use your own interpreters, eliminating travel and accommodation costs in either case.
EXPANSIVE
COST-EFFICIENT
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HOW DOES INTERPREFY WORK?
A client/event organiser enters the interpreting requirements directly into the platform (start
time/date, end time/date, number of languages, number of participants requiring interpreting, location, etc.) and places the
order/confirms the quote.
Conditions at the venue and the technical requirements need to be assessed. The Wi-Fi
at the venue should be checked in advance. If the quality is insufficient, Interprefy can provide various technical solutions, linking up Interprefy’s
technology to the existing on-site equipment.
Interprefy configures the event electronically and supplies the organiser with access codes (tokens) for the moderators, interpreters and
conference delegates.
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Interpreters log in via Interprefy’s interpreter web interface or connect in their booths. They
should use an Ethernet cable.
Before the conference starts, delegates download the Interprefy mobile app, log in
with the token provided and connect using their earphones. Alternatively, traditional IR headsets
can also be used. Let the Interpreting begin!
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DELEGATES
Having downloaded the Interprefy app, conference delegates can use their own smartphones, tablets or laptops to hear the interpreters with HD quality sound.
A token is entered in order to connect to the right language room.
In the event that delegates cannot attend an event in person, they can still log in and listen remotely – event organisers thus have the opportunity to involve more participants in various locations.
At venues with a poor Wi-Fi connection – or specifically in the event that the client wishes to avoid smartphones – traditional headsets, standard IR/radio transmitters can be used to stream audio. The use experience is therefore unchanged vis-à-vis a traditional set-up.
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SPEAKERS
Depending on the conference room, the speaker speaks either into a microphone connected to the local audio system, or, in the event of small meetings, into a microphone connected directly to the Interprefy platform.
Interprefy’s set-up allows for the input not only of those speakers who are on-site, but also of speakers who can participate remotely, being streamed to the audience using the Interprefy platform
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INTERPRETERS
Interpreters need not be present at the conference venue – they can be located and work from anywhere, thereby improving their uptime by avoiding the requirement to travel to the venue.Working with the Interprefy platform, interpreters hear the speakers over VoIP and watch the conference via webcam. They can also work from booths at the organiser’s premises when providing interpreting services for events overseas.
Interprefy can provide turn-key solutions including interpreting at short notice using Interprefy’s in-house database of highly-qualified interpreters. Fully certified and tested, most of them belong to recognised interpreting associations.
If the client prefers to use its own interpreters, we can easily instruct them on how to use our platform.
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Interpreters can offer their clients a fully integrated interpreting service with Interprefy as their technology partner.
Interpreters can therefore develop a new market segment consisting of workshops, seminars and smaller conferences with 10-20 delegates – a segment that, until now, has not used interpreting services due to the high costs involved.
Interpreters can work at more events, where previously organisers had to reduce the number of foreign delegates to lower the budget and/or because the venue had no space for extra booths.
Interpreters have an opportunity to work at those events where additional languages and/or interpreting at short notice are required, and even at locations where there is no possibility of setting up booths.
As no travelling is required, interpreters can comfortably work at more events, thus increasing their productivity.
When the organisation stages events overseas, interpreters have the opportunity to work from booths just like they used to do
As delegates can listen to and watch the event remotely, interpreters can interpret for people located overseas.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERPRETERS BY USING THE INTERPREFY PLATFORM
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At small and medium-sized events, such as seminars, workshops, sales meetings;
At large conferences with limited numbers of delegates needing interpreting;
For short assignments lasting 1-2 hours;
At multilingual events with application of «relay language» such as round tables,
panel discussions;
For events where interpreting to/from rare languages is needed;
For events at difficult-to-reach locations (remote islands, resorts, mountains);
For events set up at a short notice;
In case delegates cannot attend an event in person, but want to do so remotely;
When there is not enough space for the number of booths required in the
conference rooms and/or additional space cannot be provided;
If interpreters would otherwise have to decline job offers because of tight schedules
that would not allow for long journeys to be made
For press events as well as for interviews, which need to be recorded.
In cases where additional languages could be offered to just a few delegates.
If an event consists of several parallel sessions, and participants in one room want
to listen to what is going on in other rooms.
INTERPREFY’S INTERPRETING SOLUTION IS IDEALLY USED:
USE CASES
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TRADITIONAL CONFERENCE
USE CASES
If you’re staging a large conference, with Interprefy’s solution you don’t need to fly in interpreters and pay their travelling and accommodation costs. The delegates listen to the interpreting with smart devices or can use traditional radio/IR headphones. In the latter case, you are not dependent on Wi-Fi, and there is no need to set up booths or for interpreters to be on-site. This hybrid solution is very beneficial if you need additional languages at short notice.
One or two languages interpreted by remote interpreter(s):
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BOARD AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS
If the members of the executive do not share a common language, the Interprefy platform is an excellent solution to facilitate communication. No booths need to be set up and no interpreters are present in the room, which gives the meeting a more intimate and confidential character.
The committee members can talk into gooseneck microphones (if already installed in the room), or, if there are no microphones, they speak into handheld USB microphones. They can listen to the interpreting either with smart devices or – if available – via traditional radio/IR headphones.
The example below shows a meeting or round-table discussion with 14 participants and two remote interpreters.
USE CASES
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SMALL MEETINGS
The following example demonstrates how the interpreting service is provided when a sales manager and his assistant visit a client. The client group is three-strong, but in principle there is no limit to this number. The only thing the meeting organiser needs to do is to bring a laptop (or tablet).
In the picture on the left, the sales manager talks and the client representatives listen with their smartphones.
In the picture on the right, the client representative talks and the sales manager and his assistant listen.
SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS
Make sure the participants at the seminars and workshops understand everything completely, by providing cost-efficient remote interpreting!
At seminars and workshops, all the coach needs is a laptop and a USB microphone to speak into. Participants use smart devices to listen to the interpreting being provided.
USE CASES
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PANEL DISCUSSION
The Interprefy platform can handle as many languages as clients require – up to eight languages have been tested in parallel. The following example shows a panel discussion with five languages. As often happens in situations with many languages, a relay language is used, usually English (in red).
USE CASES
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INTERPRETER/SPEAKER ON-SITE OR OFF-SITE (REMOTE)
It’s not just the interpreters who can be located away from the venue – delegates and speakers don’t need to be there, either. As such, it becomes feasible to stage conferences with some delegates being physically present and others participating remotely. The interpreters can either work from their on-site booths or from an external location, as seen in the two examples below.
USE CASES
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TOUR GUIDE SET-UP – WITH SMARTPHONES ONLY
A completely mobile environment for tours can be set up.The speaker/tour leader carries a combined small modem/router in their pocket, which creates a Wi-Fi environment. He can use his smart device as a microphone.The Wi-Fi moves around with the group, the participants hear the interpreters over the Internet through the mobile Wi-Fi or mobile data on their smart devices.
USE CASES
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TOUR GUIDE SET-UP WITH HEADSETS
A feasible option in the event that the Wi-Fi/mobile data coverage, where the tour takes place, is poor.The mobile radio tour guide system can be used to stream the interpreter’s voice to the attendees.Attendees hear the interpreter on their receivers, which removes the need for an Internet connection.
USE CASES
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INTERVIEWS WITH SPORTSPEOPLE IN MIXED ZONES
After a competition, use an invisible simultaneous interpreter in the mixed zone!
Journalists can interview sportspeople directly, even if the two parties do not share a common language. The event organiser sets up the interpreters before the interview, and the journalist and interviewee both use smart devices, with the Interprefy App installed and connect via Wi-Fi or the mobile data network to the interpreter. The journalist and interviewee speak into the microphone and listen to the interpreting on their smart devices. As no interpreter is physically present, the interview becomes more direct and personal. And nobody notices that the interviewee is using an interpreter.
USE CASES FOR THE SPORTS INDUSTRY
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PRESS CONFERENCES WITH SPORTSPEOPLE AND COACHES
If you are organising a press conference, you can now forget about the hassle of organising interpreters for the various languages you might need at your press event!
You can offer simultaneous interpreting at your press conference at short notice for as many languages as you want, without having to install interpreting booths and having to get interpreters to come to the site.
Journalists will use their smart devices to listen to the interpreters and to ask questions. All communication can be automatically recorded for later use, if needed.
USE CASES FOR SPORTS INDUSTRY
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TECHNICAL SET-UP
Our events can be adapted to your specific technical requirements.
We offer standard stand-alone cloud-based solutions as well as tailor-made hybrid solutions in combination with on-site audio equipment, depending on the technical conditions of the venue and requirements of the organisers.
The Interprefy solution can use any of the following technical configurations:
INTERPREFYSTAND-ALONE
AudienceHear with...
smartphones, tablets or laptops
a laptop mic or a conference mic
connected to a laptop
remotely fromhome/office
remotely fromhome/office or
interpreting booths
remotely fromhome/office or
interpreting booths
a mic, connected to an on-site audio system
smartphones, tablets or laptops
traditional radio/IR headsets
an on-site mic, connected to an
on-site audio system
SpeakerTalks into...
InterpretersWork...
INTERPREFYHYBRID
INTERPREFYHYBRID PLUS
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TECHNICAL SET-UP
INTERPREFY STAND-ALONE
No on-site booths or audio equipment are required – just a stable Wi-Fi connection or mobile network
Fast set-up, ideal for smaller audiences
Interpreting of the event can be prepared and carried out completely remotely
Video of the speaker is streamed to the interpreter
Stand-Alone Automated Cloud-Based Solution:
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INTERPREFY HYBRID
The Interprefy platform is connected to the local audio system, which uses the on-site microphone setup
For large events, it is advisable to use a professional microphone setup, which provides the best sound quality
Audience use smartphones to hear the interpreter
High-quality video of the speaker can be streamed to the interpreter.
Solution in Combination With the On-Site Audio System:
TECHNICAL SET-UP
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INTERPREFY HYBRID PLUS
If delegates don’t have smartphones or cannot be expected to download apps onto their smartphones, they can use traditional IR/radio headphones to hear the interpreter – their user experience is therefore unchanged
The Interprefy platform is connected to the on-site audio system
The audio signal from the interpreters is streamed to the Interprefy laptop, which is connected to a traditional radio/IR transmitter
Problems with Wi-Fi streaming to large audiences are avoided
Additional languages can be easily set up without having to install booths for the interpreters.
High-quality video of the speaker can be streamed to the interpreter.
Solution in Combination With the On-Site Audio System and aRadio/IR Transmitter:
TECHNICAL SET-UP
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TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Interprefy uses state-of-the-art communication technology that provides high-quality sound even under poor network conditions.
A super-wideband connection with up to 12.5kHz frequency range is used, with flexible adjustments based on the available bandwidth.
The sound quality we deliver is, therefore, superior to that which can be achieved with traditional remote connections.
Minimum 2 Mbps download/upload for video + additional 0.5 Mbps down/up for each audio channel/language. If attendees connect through standard broadcasting equipment and radio/IR headsets, the above bandwidth is sufficient, otherwise additional capacity should be set aside for streaming to the audience.
When streaming to attendees through laptops, tablets or smartphones, minimum 0.2 Mbps download per user is required.
Ping on any connected devices must be below 50ms
Maximum of 20 devices per wireless access point (Wi-Fi router)
When connecting the PCs of the interpreter(s) and the speaker(s), an Ethernet cable connection is preferable.
Use mobile Speedtest app (www.speedtest.net) to test bandwidth and ping, testing several times in different places of the room
Y-splitter can be used to reduce the number of devices.
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SECURITY & PRIVACY POLICY
Interprefy applies best practices for network security – we use 128-bit encryption across all communication streams; SRTP encryption is used for media and DTLS-SRTP for key negotiations.
Interprefy’s software is installed on dedicated servers on several continents
Separate sessions – accessed via individually generated tokens – are created for each event
Guarantees can be given that no voice data is recorded or stored (unless required by the customer)
Confidentiality is assured – the interpreters provided by Interprefy and the staff have all signed NDAs
Compliance with the Safe Harbor framework regarding the collection, use and retention of personal data
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INTERPREFY RECOGNITION
The effective, innovative nature of the Interprefy concept has been acknowledged by several different organisations.
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NOTES
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INTERPREFY AG
Stadelhoferstrasse 12
CH-8001 Zürich, Switzerland
www.interprefy.com
PCO
Hotel &Convention
centre
SMEMultinationalCompany
NGO
Technical provider for
events
Association