As a result of the Israeli start-ups’ partnership, Kaltura's video and audio has experienced new heights; customers in the education and corporate industries have enjoyed advanced, accurate captions and searchable video capabilities thanks to Verbit, the world's leading transcription and captioning company. The partnership offers Verbit's functionalities, such as Adaptive Automatic Speech Recognition, to all Kaltura customers.

Verbit is changing the game for captioning

Verbit's transcription and captioning platform leverages a unique hybrid model of Artificial Intelligence (AI) – specifically Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) – and a network of 35,000 human transcribers to achieve over 99% accuracy and turnaround times 10x faster than the industry standard. Verbit's leading AI technology transcribes speakers regardless of accent, detects domain-specific terms and filters out background noises and echoes. Verbit meets ADA, FCC, and privacy compliance standards, which is especially important for industries such as legal agencies that must ensure confidentiality. The partnership with Kaltura, a leading, innovative video provider, relays a strong vote of confidence in Verbit’s technology.

As we all know, COVID-19 prompted a quick and massive shift to virtual events, online learning, and remote work, which dramatically increased the need for professional digital transcription and captioning solutions. Such solutions are meant to improve comprehension, while also meeting accessibility needs and regulations. The expectations that all video and audio content be accessible and actionable will only grow, not just because the pandemic seems like it won't ever cease, but also because we have simply become more accustomed to the convenience of having a portion of our lives take place in a virtual world.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic has moved our in-person lectures to virtual ones, accurate transcriptions and captions have never been of greater importance," said Mark Nichols, Senior Director of Universal Design and Accessible Technologies at Virginia Tech, which utilizes Kaltura for its remote classes. "Even when the pandemic is behind us, accurate captions will remain vital, ensuring that all lectures are accessible, inclusive and engaging for students."

Verbit has over 470 employees based in Tel Aviv, New York, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Palo Alto, Canada, and Kyiv and employs over 600 captioners and more than 35,000 transcribers globally. Verbit was founded in 2016 by Tom Livne, the current CEO, and Eric Shellef. It has raised over $500 million so far.