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Tokyo (February 6, 2017) - Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) will launch its AiLingual service this spring. As a cloud solution for creating and publishing multilingual job manuals, AiLingual has been planned and developed in collaboration with two start-ups^*1 that specialize in developing business solutions. This open innovation project has been promoted through Konica Minolta Business Innovation Center (BIC) Japan that develops new businesses.

Konica Minolta planned and developed this service with the cooperation of companies that have been improving their workplaces where foreigners are employed, including Matsuya Foods, Co., Ltd. and Pronto Corporation, which operate major restaurant chains. These companies have already produced results such as shorter delivery times, and increased productivity in creating and utilizing their job manuals. Prior to its release, AiLingual was exhibited at the Inbound Business EXPO Japan at Tokyo Big Sight from Wednesday, February 1 to Friday, February 3, 2017.

Value proposition

To improve the quality of business operations, it is essential to create and maintain job manuals, and publish them for employees to help deepen understanding. Translation is required for employees who speak different native languages. Insufficient capability to cope with multilingual translation may pose an obstacle in the recruitment of foreign employees.
AiLingual offers a one-stop service to complete the entire workflow from creating, translating, to publishing job manuals in one or more languages in the cloud, in order to minimize difficulties when communicating with foreign employees.

Main features

AiLingual, a cloud solution, enables users including restaurants, hotels, shops, plants, construction sites, hospitals, and nursing homes to easily create, translate, and publish job manuals. Machine learning capability increases translation accuracy such as appropriate for respective users’ business operations in the course of using AiLingual.

• Crowd Writing: Members can create new job manuals or import and utilize existing job manuals without advanced IT skills. Job manuals can be edited concurrently by all members.
  Members can check the editing history and other members’ activities, request revisions with comments attached, and ask for approval from the chief editor.
• Translation: AiLingual offers automatic translation into 20 languages as a standard feature, and can be simply operated. When accurate translation is required, users can directly send requests to professional translators from the system. Their results are stored in the translation memory. In the course of using AiLingual, the number of translated words and phrases peculiar to respective users increase, resulting in improved accuracy of automatic translation.
• Publishing: A completed job manual can be published for designated groups or members.
  Published job manuals can be viewed on PCs, tablets, and smartphones. It is possible to publish only the latest versions. Viewers can quickly access necessary information using search and bookmark functions. Data regarding access count, “Like”, comments, etc., is provided as feedback to the administrator.

With the brand proposition “Giving Shape to Ideas,” Konica Minolta remains committed to delivering services that offer new value to customers, helping achieve a better society, and serving as a company that is supported and needed in society.

*1AiLingual has been developed through a one-year joint project of development, market validation, and commercialization with two start-ups: Yaraku, Inc., which owns a business translation solution; and LittleSoft Corporation, which owns a workflow solution.
After the commencement of the service, Konica Minolta will continuously plan, develop, and release new services and functions in stages through interaction with customers.

For More Information

• Konica Minolta AiLingual (in Japanese)
• Yaraku, Inc.
• LittleSoft Corporation