It is sometimes easy to think of IT investment decisions as all being either expensive upgrades of existing hardware and software or even more expensive roll-outs of new equipment. As an example of the old saying that the best inventions are the simplest ones, digital dictation would seem to be the current favourite.
The essential difference between the old and the new versions of dictation equipment is that, in the digital world, the dictation is saved as a file on a PC or laptop and can then be manipulated and sent to a secretary by e-mail for transcription. There are no expensive tapes to pass around and lose behind the desk and, if managed properly, the technology should make the whole process of voice-to-text transition much easier and much faster, bringing savings in time and personnel across the firm. At least that is the theory.
