The business of interpretation has been evolving. while interpretation occurs in real time, in the physical, televised, or telephonic presence of the parties for whom the interpreter renders an interpretation, I think, the concepts of Web 2.0 with mobile and internet platforms should contribute to boarder coverage and lowing the management costs.
For example, Skype and other IM services will be covered as well. In addition, Web 2.0 services may reduce the management costs and improve the sales of interpretors.
A professional interpretor may setup an online ordering system, and customers may order services of physical presence, telephonic presence, IM presence or mobile presence (with or without camera). Such approach will reduce middle men. I guess such online ordering systems for interpretation services have been around for years, as I haven't done any research on such subject.
Anyway, the point of this article is, any company which in engaged in machine translation business should engaged in interpretation business as well. The purpose is not to take a big share in the interpretation business, but is to collect the results of human translations in real time in order to improve the statistic base models of machine translation.
I think the materials of human conversations can be more effective in improving the statistical models than the materials of translated articles, as conversations tend to use short, simple and repeated terms and sentences. And machine translation may better serve human conversations.
