Alternatives to Winscribe: What is Philips SpeechLive?

Winscribe, the popular digital dictation platform, is approaching its end of life date. If you’re reading this blog, you’re likely an existing user of Winscribe, and are looking for a viable alternative to seamlessly continue your dictation workflow.

In 2022, Nuance announced that they will be discontinuing the cloud-based version of the platform, Winscribe On-Demand, on 30 June 2023. The local server-based version, on the other hand, reaches its end of life on 30 June 2024. One alternative worth considering is Philips SpeechLive. SpeechLive is a comprehensive dictation solution that offers cloud-based flexibility, as well as advanced features for efficient, secure dictation and transcription. 

In today’s blog, we’ll be exploring whether Philips SpeechLive would be the right choice for your business.

What is Winscribe?

So, what made Winscribe so popular? The digital dictation platform enables professionals to record, manage, and transcribe audio files for various legal and business workflows. It’s most commonly used by government agencies, law firms, healthcare facilities, and other professional services firms. If dictation plays a critical role in capturing spoken content for the purpose of documentation, Winscribe is (or was) a viable option.

When, and why, is Winscribe ending?

The cloud-based version ends on 30th June 2023, meaning it will no longer be supported or receive software updates. The local version will end exactly one year later. General service desk support will still be provided after this date, while you migrate to a new platform.

As for why Winscribe is being discontinued, no exact reason has been publicly disclosed, but it’s likely due to the same reasons most digital platforms end up being discontinued; changes in market demand, strategic decisions by Nuance, or shifts in the tech landscape.

What is Philips SpeechLive?

All businesses currently using Winscribe should consider migrating to a new platform as soon as possible- meaning before the end of life date. This will ensure uninterrupted dictation workflows for your business.

One alternative is Philips SpeechLive, which is a comprehensive cloud-based dictation and transcription solution. SpeechLive allows users to record audio via various devices, including web browsers, smartphones, and digital voice recorders. Users can then securely store these recordings in the cloud, allowing for easy access & collaboration. The cloud-based nature of SpeechLive means you can record and store audio wherever you are, as long as you have a suitable device handy (like your phone). The same is true for your dictation documents, which, as with Winscribe, allow you to convert your voice to text automatically.

SpeechLive offers a number of features for managing your dictation files. These include tools for organising, tagging, and sharing your files. Advanced security is also one of the platform’s highlights. These include user authentication, encryption, and data backups. This is ideal for companies dealing with confidential audio files.

The platform offers a user-friendly interface, and can be easily integrated with most document management platforms. Integration with other platforms is just one of the reasons you should be transitioning from Winscribe before the end of life date. If you don’t, you may have to settle for older versions of the platforms you’re using in conjunction with Winscribe.

Are there other alternatives to Winscribe?

While SpeechLive would be suitable for most businesses, there are other options available for other professions, particularly from Olympus, and Nuance themselves.

When it comes to healthcare services, the top choice from Nuance is Dragon Medical One (DMO).The platform boasts 99% accuracy, and offers advanced speech-driven clinical documentation, automatic accent dictation, and audio calibration. Compatible with DMO is WinVoiceWeb, a web-based, end-to-end solution created by Voice Technologies that enhances document creation speed for healthcare professionals.

Alternatives to Winscribe: What is Philips SpeechLive? – Conclusion

With Winscribe approaching its end of life, it's crucial to explore viable alternatives for uninterrupted dictation workflows. Philips SpeechLive is a comprehensive cloud-based solution with advanced features, including secure storage, collaboration, and a user-friendly interface.

While it’s not like Winscribe will immediately stop working when the end of life date arrives, transitioning to a new platform is undoubtedly the best option. At the end of the day, grappling with obsolescent software will be more trouble than it’s worth.

Ready to find your Winscribe replacement? Voice Technologies can guide you through a personalised transition plan, to make sure you’re prepared for Winscribe end of life. If you’re in the legal sector, we can supply you with a free trial of Philips SpeechLive. Just call Martyn Ross on 0141 847 5610, email enquiries@voicetechnologies.co.uk, or fill in our form.