Speech Translation Technology for Iraq

IBM has made a “humanitarian donation” to the United States government of innovative speech translation technology to support better communication in Iraq. The intent of the donation is to help augment human translators and improve the safety of US and coalition personnel, Iraqi citizens and the staff of nongovernmental aid organizations (NGOs).

Specifically, IBM will provide 1,000 two-way automatic translation devices and 10,000 copies of the software for future use. The systems can recognize and translate a vocabulary of over 50,000 English and 100,000 Iraqi Arabic words, and are designed for civil application environments such as hospitals and training.

The IBM systems are advanced, two-way “speech-to-speech” translators — known as MASTOR (for Multilingual Automatic Speech Translator) — that improve communication between English and Iraqi Arabic speakers.

The lack of understanding of Iraqi Arabic is a major concern among military personnel, their families and civilians in Iraq.

The issue was recently addressed in the Iraqi Study Group report, which highlighted the importance of better communication and recommended this issue be given the highest possible priority.

According to the report, of 1,000 US Embassy workers, only 33 are Arabic speakers, and only six are at the level of fluency. Another concern is the safety of those providing translation services and protecting translators in conflict settings.

There are fewer than 20 commercial translation systems currently available globally. Yet the need for cross-language communication has never been more urgent. A secondary goal of IBM’s contribution is to encourage other private sector organizations to speed their translation development and deployment, advance collaboration among this community of innovators, and prompt additional companies to extend their resources for similar humanitarian missions.

Development of the MASTOR technology began in 2001 at IBM’s T.J. Watson Research center and gained development support as part of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s (DARPA’s) Spoken Language Communication and Translation System for Tactical Use (TRANSTAC) program. The technology allows users to converse naturally, producing audible and text translations of the spoken words that can run on a variety of devices such as PDA, tablet PC or laptop computer. In addition to Iraqi Arabic, the technology is available in Mandarin Chinese, and IBM is currently extending the technology to additional languages.

Classmate PCs Shipping in Volume

Intel-powered Classmate PCs have begun shipping in volume to emerging markets. This affordable yet fully functional PC, based on the Intel Celeron M processor, is the first education-oriented mobile computer to ship in volume to Brazil and Mexico.

The Classmate PC supports collaborative learning environments primarily for K-12 schools and is part of Intel’s ongoing commitment and dedication to equip children around the world with technology that will help advance learning and development.

Intel also plans to run Classmate PC pilot programs in more than 25 countries this year, including Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.

In 2007, Intel’s aim is for these Classmate PCs to be available in such languages as English, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai and Turkish.

Classmate PCs are rugged and include features that are commonly found in today’s mainstream PCs, such as storage and built-in wireless, and are capable of running mainstream applications including video and educational software. These PCs are equipped with unique functions such as a water-resistant keyboard, an integrated educational feature set that allows teacher-student and teacher-parent collaboration, and an advanced theft-control feature using a network-issued digital certification.

Intel works in each market with local software, hardware and communications companies that manufacture, distribute, service and support these Intel-powered classmate PCs. Learn more about the Classmate PC at www.classmatepc.com.

Nokia Dominates Smartphone Market

According to research on smartphone markets from ABI Research, Nokia has maintained its leadership position with a 56.4 percent share of the 70.9 million units shipped in 2006. Nokia sold 40 million smartphones in 2006, compared to 28.5 million in 2005. Motorola also had a strong 2006 and occupied the second position with 8.5 percent market share, driven by the success of its Linux-based devices in China, most notably the MING. At the same time, Symbian’s strong position in the smartphone operating system market is under continued and increasing threat.

According to ABI Research Mobile Wireless Research Analyst Shailendra Pandey, “The key in differentiating smartphone products still lies in the physical design, and the look and feel of the user interface. The right combination of size, form factor, operating system and bundled applications will determine the success of a smartphone.”

In addition to the usual features, consumers are now increasingly seeking smartphones that have touch screens, MP3 players, Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth, fast processors and lots of memory as well as an expansion card slot.

ABI Research’s report, “Smartphones and the OS Market” found that there is a growing need to save on software costs as the average price of handsets continues to spiral downward. This trend has been highlighted by Symbian’s decision to lower its license fees, and by an increasing interest in Linux.

Stuart Carlaw, research director for ABI Research remarked that, “It is not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ Linux will have an impact upon this market. In 2006, Symbian was estimated to have a 73 percent share of the smartphone OS market, yet our forecast is that it will to fall to 46 percent by 2012, due to strong competition coming most notably from Linux, but also from Windows Mobile.”

New President for Xerox

Ursula M. Burns has been appointed president of Xerox Corporation. She was also elected to the company’s board of directors.

Burns was previously president of the company’s Business Group Operations, responsible for global research, engineering, marketing and manufacturing of Xerox technology, supplies and related services. As president, Burns retains leadership of these functions as well as the company’s information management organization. She also assumes responsibility for corporate strategy, human resources, marketing operations, and global accounts for Xerox.

Burns reports to Xerox Chairman and CEO Anne M. Mulcahy. The company’s worldwide sales organizations, Xerox Global Services, and finance and legal teams will continue to report to Mulcahy.