Global interpreter platforms are slowly but surely changing the language industry. The language industry has long been immune to technological advancements, but that has now changed. Remote interpreting technology has changed the way interpreters and language service providers work. Phone and video interpreting have been a gimmick in the language industry for a long time. However, with the rise of global interpreter platforms, which offer booking, scheduling and management services for language service providers, remote interpreting is now easier than ever.
Many interpreter platforms now support video and phone remote interpreting. On the one hand, technological advancements have made it easier to integrate those remote interpreting features. On the other hand, remote interpreting is a natural consequence of the changing business landscape in today’s global world. Companies are becoming increasingly international. In order to be able to offer language services in every corner of the world, remote interpreting is the only effective solution. Also, remote interpreting is cost-effective because interpreters don’t have to travel to the physical location of the assignment and because the need for equipment is reduced to a minimum.
According to the 2019 Nimdzi Interpreting Index, 7 of the top 10 interpreting providers exclusively offer remote interpreting services. 2 offer both remote and on-site interpreting, and only one exclusively offers on-site interpreting. Just to give you an idea which direction the industry is heading towards. To state that global interpreter platforms have revolutionized the language industry would be an exaggeration. Large language service providers win big contracts because of their reach, not necessarily because of their innovative technology. However, interpreter platforms are a great way for smaller language service providers to extend their global reach.
The technology within interpreter platforms can be extremely valuable for expansion and reducing costs, which allows smaller language providers to compete with the big guys. Aside from smaller language service providers, other frequent users of interpreter platforms can be found in the public sector. The public sector is all about cutting costs, and that is where global interpreter platforms come in. Immigration offices, justice departments and healthcare institutions require the services of interpreters all the time. By using interpreter platforms, these institutions can hire highly specific and qualified interpreters quickly, and cheaply.
The top language service providers account for approximately a third of the language industry revenue. (total market size is USD 7.6 billion according to Nimdzi) However, through the new technology included in most interpreter platforms, smaller providers are able to be more competitive, public service institutions can offer better and more inclusive services. In other words, even though change might be slow, global interpreter platforms are changing the language industry for the better, and it will be exciting to see the evolution of the growing language industry in the next few years.
If you are a (small) language service provider and if you want to be more competitive on a global scale, then check out our product features or contact us to find out how we can help.
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