Microsoft is opening up its machine translation service to third-party developers. The Redmond company is offering a variety of Live Search Translator Tools designed to enable web content developers to seamlessly integrate translation functionality into their Internet-based applications and websites. “Microsoft Translator has launched a set of tools for web developers and others to start using. These include AJAX, HTTP and SOAP interfaces, and a simple to adopt web page widget,” revealed Paul Booth, product manager.

The Redmond company emphasized that machine translation was the answer for breaking down communication barriers in an increasingly connected world. In this context, although still imperfect, machine translation technology can manage to bring people together. All it takes is for website owners to take advantage of the Microsoft Translator API via either AJAX, HTTP, or SOAP.

“Microsoft’s Translator API can be easily implemented using the Web Widget, AJAX, HTTP, and SOAP interfaces. It is possible for the SOAP and HTTP methods to be invoked from a rich client (WPF or Win Forms) application, for example a plug-in for Live Messenger,” the Redmond company stated.

Devs can turn to the AJAX API in order to perform translations of blocks of text on certain websites asynchronously, without reloading the entire page. Furthermore, the AJAX interface is customizable, and as such can be tailored to specific websites.

“SOAP is a great API for the Microsoft Translator since it is capable of returning simplified information to a third party, therefore enabling the following example. The SOAP interface supports client application scenarios and a rich .NET service client programming model. Developers can use their development technology of choice with this interface,” the software giant added.

Unlike the AJAX API, the HTTP API does require the entire webpage to be reloaded before the translation is produced. With this application programming interface developers can allow users not only to perform translations but also detect and identify a specific language.

At the same time, developers do not have to tackle the APIs head on, as the Redmond company is offering the Microsoft Translator web page widget. Still, the widget actually leverages the AJAX API, but Microsoft has simplified the integration model into third-party websites to the maximum.

“If you can paste a small snippet of code into your page, you will be able to display the widget to your audience. No need to know programming intricacies, or how to call a javascript API. No need to write or install server side plug-ins for your specific software. It provides a simple interface to anyone that visits the web page to select and translate content into a different language,” a member of the MSR-MT team stated.