Microsoft has unveiled Translator Pro, a mobile app offering real-time speech-to-speech translation for businesses, alongside the upcoming Interpreter in Teams feature, which introduces AI-powered voice cloning for multilingual meetings.
These tools mark the company’s latest effort to enhance workplace collaboration through AI-driven language solutions.
Launching in a gated preview today for enterprise customers with iOS devices running iOS 15 or later, Translator Pro provides enterprises with real-time translation across nine languages, robust privacy controls, and offline functionality.
Meanwhile, Interpreter in Teams, slated for release in early 2025, uses voice cloning to replicate a speaker’s tone and cadence in other languages during live meetings, adding a personal touch to global collaboration.
Translator Pro: Real-Time Translation with Enterprise Security
Microsoft Translator Pro enables seamless communication by providing real-time speech-to-speech translation in languages such as English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and German. Users can view or hear transcriptions and translations simultaneously, ensuring efficient conversations. Offline capabilities support nine key languages, allowing functionality even in low-connectivity scenarios.
Designed specifically for enterprise environments, Translator Pro ensures data privacy by storing all conversational data within the organization’s Azure tenant.
According to Microsoft, neither the company nor third parties have access to this data, a feature that sets Translator Pro apart from consumer-focused tools.
Enterprise IT administrators have full control over app deployment, including managing conversation histories and diagnostic logs. This control extends to disabling data storage or configuring automatic exports to cloud storage, aligning with corporate data governance policies.
Accessing the Microsoft Translator Pro preview app requires completion of an application through Microsoft’s Limited Access request form, and only approved organizations can participate in the current preview. The app operates as a paid service, requiring an active subscription, and supports offline functionality for nine select languages.
AI Voice Cloning in Teams Interpreter
Building on the success of Translator Pro, Microsoft’s Interpreter in Teams introduces AI voice cloning, allowing multilingual meeting participants to retain their own voice characteristics while speaking in another language. This feature will initially support nine languages, including Japanese, Italian, and Portuguese.
Voice cloning relies on Azure AI Speech technology, which uses advanced machine learning models to synthesize lifelike speech patterns.
Privacy concerns have been addressed by ensuring no biometric data is stored or used for model training. Instead, users opt-in to enable voice cloning through meeting prompts, maintaining full control over their data.
Historical Context: Microsoft’s Language Tech Journey
Microsoft’s advancements in live translation tools date back to 2017 with the PowerPoint Live Presentation Translator, which supported up to 100 participants across 60 languages.
This tool laid the groundwork for neural network-based translation solutions that power today’s Translator Pro and Teams Interpreter.
Other notable milestones include the launch of Azure AI Speech in 2018, improved with custom neural voice in 2021 and this October with HD Neural Voices, which introduced emotional tone recognition and conversational pacing.
Competing Technologies: DeepL Voice and ElevenLabs
Microsoft faces strong competition in the AI translation market. A few days ago, machine-translation specialist DeepL announced DeepL Voice, a tool emphasizing minimal latency during real-time speech-to-text translation.
DeepL Voice offers two modes: Voice for Meetings for virtual collaboration and Voice for Conversations for in-person interactions. Unlike Microsoft’s voice cloning, DeepL prioritizes low-latency text-based translations, catering to businesses that require rapid, precise outputs during multilingual discussions.
Another competitor, ElevenLabs, focuses on voice synthesis, offering tools that replicate speaker-specific vocal characteristics across multiple languages. Both DeepL and ElevenLabs are expanding their offerings in a market where AI-driven communication tools are becoming essential for global enterprises.
Microsoft’s Translator Pro and Interpreter in Teams represent significant steps forward in enterprise AI communication. By combining cutting-edge translation capabilities with a focus on privacy and usability, Microsoft is reshaping how businesses collaborate globally.
