Language Line Services Issues 2012 Outlook, Predicts Shift to Mobile Language Access in New Year

MONTEREY, Calif., Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With more than 20 million over-the-phone interpretation calls served in 2011, Language Line Services, the global leader in interpretation and translation services, today issued a "2012 Outlook on Language Access" for services that will be required by healthcare, emergency response (9-1-1), government, banking and other business customers.

The report points to the fact that the over-the-phone industry is on the cusp of offering "quick-connect," live interpretations on cell phones, for the first time and in 170-plus languages.

"More than 30 years ago, Language Line Services created a technology that picks up the incoming calls and within moments connects the caller to a qualified, trained interpreter for the language requested. This year we're taking that service to mobile phones for the first time, launching technology that reduces connection times for the most popular languages and also streamlining our support for the government and healthcare sectors with new online service portals," said Louis F. Provenzano, Jr., president & CEO of Language Line Services.

"As the No. 1 language access provider for healthcare, government, emergency responders and beyond, including FEMA during Hurricane Irene, we are always on the frontlines of situations where proper communication saves lives. We're constantly improving our processes and services and are excited about the industry-leading enhancements we're rolling out in 2012."

First-Ever Mobile Live Interpretation Services

Mobile interpretation services with one-touch dialing will be in the hands of emergency responders for the first time in 2012 and ultimately all Americans to better serve the growing population of limited English proficient people. The service is slated to be available to government agencies, healthcare providers and businesses by the middle of the year.

"Until now, the industry has been tethered to landlines," Provenzano said. "This new quick-connect mobile service will cut that cord for live interpretation support in first-responder emergencies, law enforcement officers within ethnic communities, healthcare providers in hospitals and homes, businesses of all sizes, and virtually any organization with field personnel."

New Web Portals for Government & Healthcare Services

Two new online service portals for Language Line Services government and healthcare customers will provide streamlined, industry-specific language access in one central location to phone interpretation service, document translation, localization ("translating" web sites and marketing materials to highlight a company or product), cultural sensitivity training, language proficiency testing and demographic data analysis services.

The Healthcare Portal, available at (http://healthcare.languageline.com), and the Government Portal slated to be launched in early 2012, will seamlessly increase efficiency and productivity by providing service access from any location, at any time, and through virtually any device. Healthcare users now (and Government users soon) can submit requests for reports, metrics, compliance information and more from any business system.

"For government employees, this will mean no longer having to manage a large database of contact names, phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses," Provenzano said. "Instead, by simply logging into the Web, government users will have access to every type of language service. Managers and directors will be able to centrally oversee the use of the full range of language services throughout their departments or organizations at national, regional, local, or individual levels. The Government Portal will allow users to submit multiple language projects in as many as 170 languages for a single project."

Cutting Interpreter Connect Times with QuickConnect™

Language Line Services customer calls already connect with Spanish interpreters on an average of just 12.8 seconds. Spanish is the company's most requested language.

Language Line Services will soon release QuickConnect™, a new technology platform that will enable clients to access the most requested languages even faster.

"This new service capability will dramatically reduce our customers' overall call handle time and improve customer service levels," said Provenzano. "QuickConnect™ is a patented system that enables instant access to our high demand languages. By leveraging our communications technology to make every work-at-home interpreter more productive, we are now able to provide better, faster service and improve our customer's experience in the process."

The company continues to actively recruit in the growing refuge/emerging languages and now nearly 20 percent of its interpreter workforce has various security background clearances for the Federal Government.

Language Line Services will hire over 1,500 interpreters in 2012 with the majority of the interpreters being U.S. domestic-based and with Federal Government SF-85P clearance.

"Language access in the United States has never been more important than it is today, as the country's growing ethnic minorities are projected to become the majority by 2050, according to the Pew Research Center. The U.S. population will swell to 438 million over the next 40 years with immigrants driving 82 percent of the increase," Provenzano said.

"Millions of limited English speakers will need critical services that can only be available with appropriate language support in an increasingly mobile world."

About Language Line Services

Language Line Services, the global leader in telephone interpreting and language solutions, serves clients in government, healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, utilities, insurance and many other industries by quickly connecting them to their customers, patients and sales prospects in more than 170 spoken languages as well as American Sign Language (ASL) and Mexican Sign Language (LSM). Language Line Services is recognized as a trusted partner to thousands of public and private organizations throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, providing easy access to the industry's fastest language interpreting service at highly competitive rates. For more information about Language Line Services' suite of telephone, on-site and video interpreting, document translation, interpreter assessment and training programs, please call (800) 752-6096 or visit http://www.languageline.com  

Contact:

Trent Freeman
Olmstead Williams Communications
310.824.9000
[email protected]
http://www.olmsteadwilliams.com

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SOURCE Language Line Services