#Japan #Tokyo #AI Translation #Pocketalk #Kong

Partnership for Innovation in AI Translation

In a groundbreaking collaboration, Pocketalk Inc., renowned for its advanced AI translation technologies, has adopted the Kong API management platform as the foundational backbone for its upcoming AI interpretation system, dubbed Prism Language Systems. This new system, characterized by its ability to process diverse input data—such as audio, text, and images—aims to deliver real-time translations across multiple languages, significantly enhancing communication capabilities in varied environments.

Leveraging Kong for Enhanced Security and Efficiency

The integration of Kong’s platform is a strategic move designed to support enterprise-level API management and facilitate multi-cloud collaborations. As Pocketalk endeavors to strengthen its business offerings, particularly for corporate clients (B2B), the need for a robust API infrastructure that ensures secure and efficient interactions with various external partners and products has become paramount.
By using Kong, Pocketalk is implementing a comprehensive API framework capable of handling access control, authentication, authorization, logging, and traceability in a unified manner, marking a significant leap towards enterprise-grade performance.

Background and Challenges

Traditionally, Pocketalk's development model has focused on swift and agile methodologies suitable for individual consumers, with a mantra of “develop quickly, test efficiently, and release immediately.” However, as services target corporate clients, the necessity for stricter security protocols and operational governance emerged. Several challenges became evident with the new AI translation platform:

• - Inconsistent Security Policies: Different services required individual management of authentication and authorization, leading to a lack of cohesive security measures.
• - Tight Coupling of Frontend and Backend Systems: The integration between the AI engine and services posed difficulties in switching and adapting.
• - Scattered Management of Protocols and Logs: Control over IP management and logging was decentralized, increasing the burden of maintenance.

To address these challenges, Pocketalk recognized the need for standardizing communication pathways and enhancing security, leading to the decision to transition to a new architecture that incorporates Backend for Frontends (BFF), Kong API Gateway, and backend systems.

Why Choose Kong?

Initially, Pocketalk evaluated various API management services based on building on the Google Cloud environment. However, concerns regarding vendor lock-in for future multi-cloud expansions prompted a reevaluation. The overarching reasons for selecting Kong included:
1. Integration with Google Cloud Marketplace: Pocketalk had existing agreements in place, facilitating a faster onboarding process for Kong without the need for extensive approvals.
2. Multi-Cloud Compatibility: Kong's open architecture allows for flexibility in cloud deployment, enabling future integrations with platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and on-premises solutions.
3. Enterprise-Level Security and Compliance: Offering compliance with stringent requirements, Kong supports FIPS 140-2 and meets the needs of government entities and companies that handle sensitive data.
4. Flexible and Scalable Authentication: Kong supports diverse protocols, catering to varying requirements from different client organizations, and offers the potential for future custom plugin development.
5. Performance Optimized for Real-Time Communication: Utilizing WebSocket capabilities for low latency and high throughput performance, Kong enhances the efficacy of the AI translation services.
6. High-Quality Technical Support from Kong Japan: With support from Kong Japan engineers from the proof of concept phase, Pocketalk has built a strong collaborative relationship, bolstering operational design.

Future Outlook and Collaboration

As Pocketalk progresses, it aims to establish a secure enterprise-level AI translation platform tailored for corporate customers, accelerating its global outreach.

• - Strengthening Global Expansion through Multi-Region Support: Notably, the U.S. market houses about 20% of households utilizing languages other than English daily, necessitating improved translation accuracy across diverse languages, such as English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.
• - Balancing AI Translation with Ethical Quality Standards: Pocketalk is committed to developing high-precision AI translation services alongside features like automatic profanity masking and in-house terminology management systems, ensuring both advanced technology and governance.
• - Integration with the AI Gateway: Anticipation is high for Kong’s AI Gateway and its Model Context Protocol (MCP), paving the way for secure and controlled AI agent integrations in the future.

Voices from Leadership

Genko Tsunetoh, Chief Product Officer at Pocketalk, states:
"Our vision is to create a world where everyone is welcome to the conversation. We continuously innovate our AI translation technology to cater to sectors such as hospitals, schools, and government organizations. Kong’s API platform is ideal in terms of security, scalability, and speed. Through our partnership with Kong, we aim to provide reliable AI translation services globally."

Taiki Arizumi, CEO of Kong, expresses:
"We are very honored to support a company like Pocketalk that harmonizes global user experience with security. Kong continues to proudly assist Pocketalk in their transformational journey and the establishment of a new communication foundation in the AI era."

About Kong

Kong is a leading enterprise in API management, recognized globally for its excellence in the field. The company operates under its mission to help businesses become “API First,” equipping them with a unified platform for the entire API lifecycle—from development to management—enhancing productivity while optimizing digital experiences and accelerating innovation.
For more detailed information, please visit the Kong website or follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X. For inquiries, please reach out via email at [email protected].