Orange County Fire and Rescue's purchase of SpeechGuard makes them the 400th agency to benefit from handheld speech-to-speech communication

NEW YORK, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- For almost 20 years as developers and manufacturers of linguistic products, Ectaco has benefited millions of people worldwide to overcome language barriers. Due to enhanced interest and efforts of law enforcement agencies around the country, many have turned to Ectaco's SpeechGuard as an effective communication tool. The handheld speech-to-speech device was initially requested by the Department of Defense to be developed for translation use by the military. It has subsequently become used by many including law enforcement and Homeland Security agencies throughout the United States.

In support of nationwide security efforts and bridging language barrier gaps, Ectaco does its part to contribute. With the rapid growth of non-English speaking communities spreading across the nation, professionals that serve and protect have had to be more resourceful with their communication. "When an ethnic population is on the rise within a locality, it's very common for them to purchase devices or software from us to learn English while their law enforcement officials have simultaneous interest in SpeechGuard," notes Ectaco CEO David Lubinitsky.

The handheld and pocket sized SpeechGuard is very easy to operate and takes 15-20 minutes of handling to get familiarized with its use. Users can speak a command, phrase, or question into SpeechGuard and be instantly understood in numerous languages based on the modification. Modifications include PD-5 (Law Enforcement), GI-5 (Military), HS-5 (Homeland Security), and MD-5 (Medical). "We receive purchase orders from agencies that initially contacted us up to 2 or 3 years ago," adds Mr. Lubinitsky. "Not being able to effectively speak with people in need and finally get such a handy tool has proven to be very rewarding for them. It's a win-win arrangement for all parties involved."

http://www.speechguard.com/

ECTACO, Inc., is a New York based company specializing in multilingual global communications, with more than 19 years of experience, 18 offices and millions of satisfied customers

CONTACT: Tim Houston, 718-728-1728, timothy.houston@ectacoinc.com

SOURCE ECTACO, Inc.