Microsoft Corp.’s Skype division has launched a preview version of its new Skype Translator, a service that allows realtime translation from one language to the next.

The tool, which Microsoft has been working on for over ten years is said by the company to “break down geographical barriers to make every day audio and video communications possible…removing another barrier to make it possible for people to communicate irrespective of what language they speak.”

Along with English and Spanish spoken translation, the preview release of Skype Translator provides on-the-fly translation for 40 written languages for participants in Skype chats, in theory making it possible for people to speak in different languages in real time.

“Microsoft was one of the first to delve into the challenge of speech translation,” Microsoft’s Gurdeep Pall said. “Recent improvements in speech recognition, made possible by the introduction of deep neural networks combined with Microsoft’s proven statistical machine translation technology, allow for better translation outcomes, making meaningful one-on-one conversation possible. Skype is about helping people communicate – mind to mind, heart to heart. Skype Translator is the latest evolution of this.”

Interestingly the company is pitching the service to the education sector at first, with a video demonstration using school children talking to each other over Skype. Without having had a chance to test the service, first impressions are that it is no Bablefish of Douglas Adams fame as the demo involves basic speech; you can’t see it being particularly useful in business transactions yet unless you’re prone to speak slowly, or at an 8 year old’s level.

But that is not to be unkind: it’s a first release of a technology which with time and refinement may one day deliver a truly universal translator, long the dream of many a futurist and science fiction writer.

You can sign up for Skype Translator here; note that it’s currently only available for Windows 8.1.

Img credit: Microsoft.