Sometimes, in order to communicate a business might need to call on an interpreter. For a long time that meant scheduling a face-to-face interpreter to come into the office and sit in on meetings, but times are changing. Thanks to advances in video remote interpretation technologies, businesses can now call on expert interpreters from anywhere.

Video remote interpretation (VRI) offers real-time interpretation services over the internet by connecting interpreters in contact centers with people who need language assistance. The technology is fast being adopted across many industries including medical practices and hospitals, schools, law firms, government agencies and many more.

In this article we’ll be discussing some ways that businesses can benefit from adopting remote interpreting solutions.

Convenience
One of the biggest advantages associated with video remote interpretation compared to traditional in-the-room interpreting services is convenience. VRI enables businesses to access the expertise of highly skilled interpreters immediately. That means unexpected language barriers can be solved more efficiently so that full communication and understanding are never compromised. By contrast, in-person services often require scheduling weeks in advance.

VRI offers the best of both worlds by providing that all-important face-to-face visibility for interpreters and participants from anywhere in the world. That means miscommunications can be kept to a minimum and interpreters can continue to make use of non-verbal cues (like body language) that help make communication more accurate.

Supports a Diverse Workforce
Accessible interpretation services help businesses support a more diverse workforce and partnerships. VRI technology helps businesses transcend language and disability barriers and enter new markets. By mediating meetings, conferences, workshops and webinars with a professional, on-demand, interpreting service, misunderstandings and miscommunications can be kept to a minimum and effective collaboration is allowed to take center stage.

Affordability
Remote interpreting is much more cost-effective than traditional in-person interpretation as onsite consultations can be time consuming and cost-heavy – each interpreter will charge a minimum fee plus additional expenses such as the mileage taken to travel to the destination. VRI eliminates many of these charges. Businesses that use VRI are charged only for the duration of their call, so you’ll only ever pay for what you actually use.

Easy to Set Up and Use
Virtual remote interpreting technology is super easy to set up and use. In fact, you’ve probably already got all the equipment to get started. All you need is a set of speakers, a camera (e.g. a standard webcam), a microphone and a stable internet connection. Once you’ve got your equipment set up, simply connect with your VRI provider to access professional services on-demand.

Extensive Language Availability
Oftentimes there will only be a limited pool of trained interpreters in any one particular area, which means it’s not always possible to access on-premises interpretation services for less in-demand languages. Luckily, remote interpreting solutions tend to cater to a much wider array of signed and spoken languages – so there’s no limit to what you can achieve. VRI’s ability to open up communication to the whole world is, arguably, its greatest strength.

Thinking of using video remote interpretation in your business? Before picking a VRI provider it’s smart to do a bit of research to source a reputable and professional remote interpreting company. That way you’ll guarantee seamless communications with all of your business clients and partners.

Author Plate
Ari Keneally is a consultant for Bilingual Connections, a company offering professional foreign language services, including video remote interpretation. With a mission to help people use language to enhance their career and improve their quality of life, the company provides a comprehensive service in over 70 languages for a variety of industries to meet the challenges of today’s global arena.