- Google has announced it is partnering with integrators Volara and SONIFI to launch a full-service solution for helping businesses around the world remove language barriers
Lilian Rincon, Senior Director of Product Management at Google, said that the goal of Google Assistant is to help people get things done with features like a real-time translation feature called interpreter mode. This feature helps hotel guests communicate with concierge staff even if they do not speak the same language. This feature was also added to smart speakers, smart displays, and smartphones so you can get translation help while you are on-the-go.
Rincon also announced that Google is partnering with systems integrators Volara and SONIFI to launch a full-service solution for helping businesses around the world remove language barriers for their customers. So businesses can now get help translating conversations with guests across 29 languages in real-time using just a Nest Hub.
“This new solution means that interpreter mode will be expanding to new places like airports (Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport), airport lounges (American Airlines Admirals Club at Los Angeles International Airport, Airport Dimensions), banking (HSBC), organizations managing live sporting events (Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and Ooredoo at Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar), organizations aiding humanitarian efforts (Mercy Corps, Human Rights First) and hospitality management (Delaware North), in addition to more hotels (seven new Caesars Entertainment properties including Bally’s Las Vegas, The LINQ Hotel + Experience, Flamingo Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, along with Best Western Hotels & Resorts properties in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and our first international partners Shibuya Stream Excel Hotel Tokyu in Japan and W Doha Hotel & Residences in Qatar),” Rincon wrote.
To further put this in context, Rincon provided an example of how this technology has been beneficial. Every year, there are more than 21 million passengers that travel through John F. Kennedy International (JFK) Airport’s Terminal 4 (T4) in New York. T4 is operated by JFKIAT (owned by Schiphol USA, a U.S. affiliate of Amsterdam based Schiphol Group). Sixty-five percent of the customers in T4 are international travelers, many of whom are visiting the U.S. for the first time. And flying can be stressful for passengers especially for those who struggle to understand the native language. Fortunately, they can use interpreter mode at the information desks located within the terminal. This enables travelers to get assistance with locating luggage, navigating the terminal, locating ground transportation, and finding concessions. Plus Guest Services staff are finding interpreter mode beneficial as it fosters communication that enhances the customer experience traveling through and from the airport.
