Microsoft integrates Word with Azure Speech Services

At the new product launch conference held by Microsoft yesterday, Surface is the focus, but in addition to hardware, Microsoft also announced new features in the office software series.

Image: Microsoft

Transcribe audio files or record your own while staying in the flow in Word

Microsoft Word now integrates with Microsoft Azure Speech Recognition Service, which converts voice clip content directly into text content for storage. “Once your audio has been uploaded or recorded, Word—leveraging your OneDrive account to securely store the audio files and Azure Speech Services under the hood—displays a written audio transcription in the side panel and allows you to quickly and easily bring relevant snippets or the entire transcript into your document to edit. The transcript itself is automatically separated by speaker and into relevant chunks of content, and the interactive panel allows you to easily jump around the recording to find and verify the perfect quote.”

This feature will be first introduced in the Word for Web version early next year, after which Microsoft gradually integrated this feature into Word Desktop and Word Mobile.

Besides, Microsoft introduces some improvements like Input data directly into your Excel workbooks with your digital pen, Create and reply to comments from anywhere using pen or voice, Listening to customers to improve the ink in PowerPoint experience and New templates for Microsoft Whiteboard.