Microsoft began integrating Skype Translator into Skype on Thursday to help its users overcome language barriers, according to USA Today.
Three billion video and voice calls are made using Skype on a daily basis, and with the ability to now use the software with people who speak a different language, Microsoft hopes to expand the program's reach and increase the number of calls and users.
Skype Translator currently works with six languages - English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish - and Microsoft claims that the translations will be almost instantaneous while you are conversing.
"It has been a long-time dream at Skype to break down language barriers and bring everyone across the globe closer together," said the Skype team. "Researchers, engineers, and many others across Microsoft have been working hard to make this dream a reality and we are looking forward to bringing this preview technology to more devices."
Skype Translator is built on algorithms that are designed to learn based on speech, meaning that the more the program is used and the more data it obtains, the more accurate it will become, according to The Seattle Times.
Skype is currently only available on Windows 7 and above and it is currently not known whether it will make its way to other platforms in the future, according to Venture Beat.
