Ericsson unveils 'live captioning' platform for broadcasters

Ericsson has unveiled its real-time platform that supports live captioning in various languages for broadcasters around the world using speech-to-text, newsroom integration, and rapid offline content preparation.

The live platform is a key part of Ericsson's Broadcast and Media Services portfolio following the acquisition of leading media services company Red Bee Media in July 2014.

The enterprise-level, schedule-driven software platform, which was developed in-house, uses the best possible speech recognition and stenography technologies to power Ericsson's live captioning services. It allows multiple captioners to prepare and deliver real-time services for clients while maximizing re-use of the caption data after it has been broadcast - for example, by helping to power content discovery and enrich archive search. The platform is currently being used to deliver live captioning services for major broadcast clients, including the BBC.

Simon Smith, Head of Broadcast & Publication Operations at BBC Television, says: "The drive for technical innovation and operational efficiency has underpinned Ericsson's approach to the design and development of this platform from the outset. They have delivered a system that is uniquely tailored to meeting our demanding requirements. We are already seeing a step change in live subtitling accuracy as a result of using this platform, and we view its ongoing development as a vital tool in delivering ever-greater access to live programs for the BBC's deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers."

David Padmore, Director of Access Services at Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services, says: "Our ongoing investment in technology and innovation really demonstrates our commitment to delivering the highest levels of service and quality to both our customers and their audiences. We've received really positive feedback so far from all areas - viewers, deaf and hard-of-hearing groups, captioners and broadcasters. Our aim is to continue to work with these groups to ensure we meet the high standards of live captioning that audiences expect. This is a platform we'll be using to build our captioning future, and we feel that the innovation has only just begun."

Ericsson's access services division is the largest in Europe and has been providing captioning services for over 25 years. Using industry-leading solutions, Ericsson delivers 200,000 hours of captioning every year, 80,000 of which is delivered live. Ericsson is also the world's largest provider of TV audio description and sign language translation.