Government of Nunavut provided critical data to create new
translation system; government also adopting Teams to provide
better access to services, healthcare and learning for remote
communities
TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2021 /CNW/ - Today, Microsoft announced
the addition of Inuktitut text translation to Microsoft Translator.
This addition will allow users to translate any of the more 70
languages to or from Inuktitut, the primary dialect of the Inuktut
language, which also includes Inuinnaqtun. Inuktitut is spoken by
approximately 40,000 Inuit across Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit
homeland in Canada and seventy per
cent of the residents of Nunavut
use Inuktitut.
Now available in the Microsoft Translator apps, Office,
and Translator for Bing, users can use AI-powered Azure
Cognitive Services Translator and Azure Cognitive Services
Speech to add Inuktitut translation to apps, websites, workflows
and tools. This provides an additional way to make Inuktitut more
accessible at work, at school and in everyday life and will help
ensure the language continues to thrive.
"For thousands of years, Inuit have spoken Inuktut across the
world. It's amazing how we have kept Inuktut strong by adapting to
changes in our culture. Embracing new technology is a perfect
example of our resilience. Adding Inuktitut to Microsoft Translator
is a great accomplishment and it shows how collaboration with
Microsoft makes a positive and lasting difference in the future of
our language. Let's take the time to celebrate this significant
milestone, knowing that it is a strong step on the path to the
continued revitalization of Inuktut," said the Honourable
Margaret Nakashuk, Minister of Culture and Heritage, Government of
Nunavut.
The Government of Nunavut is
working proactively to ensure the vitality of Inuktitut and adding
it to Microsoft Translator is just a part of this effort. The
Government of Nunavut worked
closely with Microsoft to get the language data needed to create
the new translation model. Inuktitut speakers also volunteered
their time and expertise to validate and test the translations.
Every two weeks, one of the world's 7,000 languages dies
with its last speaker. It is predicted that between 50 and 90
per cent of endangered languages will disappear by next
century.
The Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
of Canada assert that "Indigenous
languages are a fundamental and valued element of Canadian culture
and society, and there is an urgency to preserve them." Working to
preserve Indigenous languages is an important step on the road to
reconciliation.
The launch of Inuktitut in Translator coincides with Uqauasirmut
Quviasuutiqarniq, an annual celebration of Inuktut language in
Nunavut, taking place this
February. Eighty per cent of Nunavut's 39,000 residents are of Inuit
descent.
"It is an honour and a privilege to work with the Government of
Nunavut on such an important
project," said Kevin Peesker,
President, Microsoft Canada. "Language is deeply connected to
culture and identity. We believe technology can help protect our
heritage and preserve language. That is why we are proud to
collaborate with the Government of Nunavut and learn from Inuktitut speakers to
add Inuktitut text translation to Microsoft Translator."
The Government of Nunavut also
recently deployed Microsoft Teams to many of its 5,200-plus
employees and additional support workers, providing new ways to
connect virtually across Nunavut's
vast territory. Nunavut is also
exploring the potential of leveraging Teams to deliver programs and
services across the territory.
While businesses and governments around the world had to quickly
pivot to digital solutions to meet the demands of the global
pandemic, the Government of Nunavut has long understood the challenges of
delivering services to residents in remote locations. There is
little transportation infrastructure connecting Nunavut's 25 communities, some of which are
north of the Arctic Circle; Canada's northernmost territory is accessible
only by air and, in the summer, by boat.
Security was a key consideration for Nunavut in choosing Teams after being hit by a
major ransomware attack last year that took down everything from
Nunavut's phone systems to its
servers. Microsoft was among the firms that jumped in to help with
the restoration of these systems. After the attack, officials
weighed rebuilding old systems versus moving forward in the cloud
and ultimately chose the cloud.
"Our collaboration with Microsoft allowed us to advance our
information technology infrastructure by leaps and bounds," said
Dean Wells, corporate chief
information officer for the Government of Nunavut. Wells went on to say, "Microsoft is a
partner of ours now, and an extension of our family," after
Microsoft's support to recover from the ransomware attack and help
with territory-wide deployment of Teams.
The addition of Microsoft Teams has allowed government employees
and residents to access skills training, and other essential
services, potentially saving Nunavut millions of dollars in travel
costs.
One government employee, Adam Guimond-Pishuktie, a records
analyst, is using Teams to learn Inuktitut, so he can better
communicate with friends and elders, saying, "We have Teams
meetings every week, and it helps a lot. You can try to learn it
online and try to understand the grammar yourself. But it's a lot
harder, you're not understanding how to pronounce words. On Teams,
the teachers are very helpful with that."
"Organizations of all types have turned to Teams in the pandemic
to help employees connect and collaborate. Seeing how the
Government of Nunavut is using
Teams to deliver services to residents who are remote not just
because of COVID, but because of vast distances between communities
may be among the most transformative in the post-pandemic world."
said Peesker.
For more information on Microsoft Translator please
visit microsoft.com/translator; to learn more about Microsoft
Teams, please visit https://aka.ms/workunplugged.
ABOUT MICROSOFT CANADA
Established in 1985, Microsoft
Canada Inc. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation
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SOURCE Microsoft Canada Inc.