ECTACO Provides Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine with its iTRAVL Speech-to-Speech Translators for the UEFA 2012 European Soccer Championship

NEW YORK and KIEV, Ukraine, Dec. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ECTACO, Inc., known for its pioneering position in the language translation devices and software business has taken the iTRAVL to a new level. Currently, 1,500 custom made speech-to-speech translators have been shipped to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine for the upcoming UEFA 2012 Soccer Championship.

This modification to the ECTACO iTRAVL is similar to the original SpeechGuards for military, law enforcement, and Homeland Security, which have been used by over 400 different agencies worldwide. The intended goal is to facilitate communication between local Ukrainian law enforcement officials and foreign guests. A similar device was successfully implemented during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The ECTACO iTRAVL features support for Russian, Ukrainian, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Polish, Portuguese and French; an audio phrasebook recognizing human speech and providing translation for 14,000 phrases; a voice enabled interface with vocal commands intended for extreme conditions, when, for instance, a large number of fans speaking different languages must be directed from one section of the stadium to another; and the Language Teacher application, which helps to obtain basic language skills in a short time.

The device has been subject to tests since February 2011 by Ukrainian police force. Participants have highly awarded the easy to use interface and effectiveness of the iTRAVL when communicating with people who speak a different language. "It's possible to learn a language, if you can devote 5-6 hours a day to studying," states Colonel Vladimir Salimskiy, Deputy Executive to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. "In such cases, it is possible to reach a bearable level of understanding within 6 months. But with this device... you just point at the language tab, and you're ready to start a conversation."

The translator is capable of providing instant translation for basic level communication between the hosts and visitors from all over Europe. This will make everyone's stay more comfortable and be of great help in avoiding crucial misunderstanding between police and soccer fans during the championship games.

"The ECTACO iTRAVL is a high tech multifunctional and multilingual device designed for a very specific set of situations and conditions," says David Lubinitsky, CEO, Ectaco, Inc. "It's important to note that the device is a budgetary solution in comparison to competitors in the market. It can be re-programed after the championship to serve similar or different tasks."

For more information visit www.ectaco.com or contact Greg Stetson at 718-728-6110 ext. 212 or [email protected].

SOURCE ECTACO, Inc.