Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/58400
www.iltanet.org • Include preview text with voice messages sent through Outlook Voice Access: An attempt is made to transcribe any voice message an individual makes while accessing the voicemail system via Outlook Voice Access. Overall Experience After rolling this feature out to our attorneys, managers and selective IS staff, we felt it was important to note the following: • Voicemail messages are not always transcribed. Microsoft does not promise that 100 percent of the voicemail messages received will be transcribed into text if the feature is enabled. In some cases, when a recorded voice message is more than one minute in length, transcription does not occur. In that case, a text message may be sent stating that the message is too long. Available server resources may prohibit the message from being transcribed, so occasionally users receive a text stating that the server is too busy. Poor line quality may also stop the transcription process. We have seen this happen several times, especially when an inbound call is received from a mobile device. • The text may not be entirely accurate. This especially occurs when the message is recorded over background noise, such as other voices and street noise. • Language translations are unavailable or imprecise. There are a number of language packs available for Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging, however not all of them are supported for voicemail transcription. For example, when we migrated offices in Asia to Exchange 2010, we found there was no support for Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese). And our experience with French translation was disappointing. After thorough testing, we found that the translation was nowhere near what was intended 16 ILTA White Paper by the original message. We decided to disable Voice Mail Preview for the entire Paris office, followed by our Geneva and London offices where British English is prevalent. E-Discovery Awareness When we deployed Exchange 2010 and moved our voicemail system to this platform, the decision was made to retain voicemail messages within the inbox for a maximum of seven days. We felt this was valid from the perspective of e-discovery. Many of these transcribed voicemail messages show up in search results since they contain text and are automatically indexed. A broader discussion regarding this topic is merited. No Substitute for People Voice Mail Preview should not be viewed as a potential replacement for secretaries who perform transcription duties. Having a person listen to voicemail messages can not only provide a more accurate transcription to text, but can also determine the tone of the message, which is an important part of transcription. More Transcriptions to Come Overall we have been mildly satisfied with the Voice Mail Preview transcription feature and understand that it is in its first version. While not always exact, even in English, it can be a useful tool for gaining a general understanding of the intended meaning of voice messages. We have seen its advantages for those attending meetings and for those who frequently travel. It can also be useful for on-call support. Firms considering speech-to-text translation should at least test this product. Implementation is straightforward and support is minimal. We suspect that improvements will be made as Microsoft releases rollups and service packs, and that support for additional language packs will be seen soon.