Dive Brief:

• A phone app being tested by three unnamed construction firms quickly connects job-site supervisors with live translators who both know multiple dialects of Spanish and can convey "construction Spanish."
• Austin, TX-based Puente Phone (or "Bridge Phone") co-founder Christopher Hastings foresees national demand for a tool to get correct translations across to a huge portion of the workforce.
• The advantage over automated translators, Hastings believes, is that the humans can pick up on workers' dialects and avoid miscommunication to which canned translators fall prey.

Dive Insight:

Knowing how to get construction technical language across accurately is the key for Puente Phone, Hastings believes. If the tests go well, Puente plans to operate in central Texas to start, probably using options of a flat subscription fee or a per-minute charge.