NEC提供即時電話翻譯五國語言服務

In July the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

ＴＶ電話で５か国語通訳…料金１分１５０円程度

　ＮＥＣは、タブレット端末などを使ったテレビ電話で、５か国語を日本語に通訳できるサービスを本格的に始める。

　対象は英語、中国語、韓国語、ポルトガル語、スペイン語で、主に外国人住民が多い地方自治体などでの利用を見込んでいる。

　窓口にタブレット端末やスマートフォン（高機能携帯電話）、パソコンを用意し、インターネット経由のテレビ電話で通訳センターにつなぐ。ＮＥＣが開設したセンターに２４時間、３６５日体制で待機する通訳者を介して会話ができる仕組みだ。料金の目安は１分間で１５０円程度で、タブレット端末などのほかに専用機器は不要だ。自治体では既に東京都北区が利用している。

　ＮＥＣは、外国人が利用する機会が多いサービス業向けの需要も多いとみており、今後３年間で３００件の受注を目指す。ベトナム語やタイ語などにも対応できるようにサービスを強化する方針だ。

（2013年7月14日09時31分 読売新聞）

 (試譯文)

NEC formally began the service which could translate five languages into Japanese using a video phone with a tablet computer etc.

The targeted languages were English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. The company counted upon the usage by local self-governing bodies that needed to deal with many foreign residents, etc.

When the window of a tablet computer, a smart phone (highly efficient mobile phone), or a personal computer were ready, the video phone via the Internet would tie to an interpreter center. In the center established by NEC, a mechanism was standing by in 24 hours and 365 days to make conversation through a translator. The standard charge was about 150 yen for 1 minute, other special-purpose machine such as a specialized tablet computer would not be necessary. The self-governing body at Kita-ku, Tokyo was already using it.

NEC was expecting that high demand would come from service industries that had many occasions in dealing with foreigners, and aimed at receiving 300 orders in a three-year period starting from now. It also planned to enhance service so that it could respond to Vietnamese, Thai, etc.

It seems new invention could generate new business in the field of communication.