Microsoft Translator expands reach with four new languages

Microsoft Translator has expanded its language portfolio by including three new Indian languages, Konkani, Maithili, and Sindhi. The latest update has expanded its language support to cover a total of 16 Indian languages, such as Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.    

In addition, Microsoft Translator has announced its support for Sinhala, the official language of Sri Lanka. 

Microsoft Translator now supports 16 Indian languages, which means that over 95% of Indians can now access information and work in their native or preferred language, according to the company. This makes computing more inclusive in India, as it allows people from all parts of the country to use technology without having to learn a new language. 

Businesses can also expand their operations internationally and reach more people. It is available as a free app for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac, and it can also be integrated into other Microsoft products, such as Office, Bing, and Skype. 

Microsoft's Translator app, the Edge web browser, Office 365, Bing Translator, and the Azure Cognitive Services Translator API provide access to the feature for organizations and programmers. 

Rajiv Kumar, Managing Director – Microsoft India, said, “We are excited to announce that we are broadening our language capabilities to include Maithili, Konkani, Sindhi, and Sinhala. We celebrate and support India’s diversity of language and culture with the most advanced AI to enable India’s growth, by making access to technology pervasive.” 

As per the company, Microsoft has been working on language models for translating and transcribing difficult Indian languages using Deep Neural Networks. Minor linguistic distinctions, such as gender, politeness level, and word type, are not lost by Deep Neural Networks. Microsoft's translation models are transparently updated on a regular basis to reflect technological progress and customer feedback.