Abstract: Systems and methods for regulated voice conferencing are provided. A system for regulated voice conferencing includes multiple communication devices connected to a network. The communications devices are operative to receive audio inputs from and deliver audio outputs to users of the devices to conduct a regulated, voice conference using a half-duplex communication mode. Each communication device includes a messenger application and a speech-to-text recognition (STTR) application. The messenger application is operative to capture the audio inputs, encode the audio inputs, and transmit the encoded audio inputs over a network, and to receive encoded audio inputs over the network and convert the received encoded audio inputs to the audio outputs. The STTR application is operative to convert the audio signals into text signals corresponding to the audio signals, to transmit the text signals over the network, and to receive text signals over the network.

Abstract: A system and method for near-real-time messaging is provided. Users may transmit and receive recorded audio inputs in near-real-time using communications devices that are connectible to a network. The system and method also provides for optional speech-to-text translations and transmission of such text translations between communications devices.