As technologies have rapidly penetrated our lives we wanted to ensure that the Baltic languages were not left behind.
For over 35 years DekSoft has been supporting the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuaniuan languages - from fonts, keyboard drivers, spellcheckers, grammar checkers, dictionaries and text utilities for Windows and Macintosh to a range of language, music and culture apps for iPhones, iPads and Android mobile devices.
In the beginning of the computer and Internet revolution we helped our Baltic users to navigate through the slew of de-facto computing standards and writing systems. With the inclusion of the Baltic languages in the Unicode standard back in the 1990s users today can purchase a computer or mobile device and begin to write in Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian without installing additional software.
But there is one last thing before we can close this chapter - speech recognition which will become even more important as we talk and interact with our devices in our daily lives. Today only the larger languages have speech recognition built-in - we look forward to the day when Apple, Google and Microsoft and other major technology players will add the Baltic languages as well.
A timeline of our products, services and initiatives
Active participation in forums on terminology and Baltic computing standards. Popular BEMTools utility was created to convert texts between multiple code tables including the Microsoft cp1257 and Apple CE standards.
First Latvian grammar software for IBM PC and Macintosh computers.
Co-founder of the Rīga Macintosh user club in the University of Latvia
The Baltic Express Mail service provided a cost effective, speedy and reliable mail delivery service from Australia and USA to the Baltics. The service delivered mail to more than 30 destinations in the Baltic States - all within 4-36 hours.
Apple publishes new Apple CE standard for the Baltic States. The code table includes English, Czech, Estonian, German, Hungarian, Latgalian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovakian and Slovenian languages.
Released Baltic fonts and keyboard driver software for Macintosh computers. Baltic Utilities supported the new Apple CE standard.
The first monthly electronic newsletter with a focus on the emerging Latvian Internet space. Over 30 issues were published and sent to over 20,000 users worldwide.
Utility to display namesdays and other important events (Windows & Macintosh)
Popular Web browser patch utility to enable Macintosh computers to display Latvian, Estonian & Lithuanian web pages
Latvian hyphenation software used by major publishing houses.
A joint initiative between LatBits and Sveiks.com, Latvians Online (both English and Latvian) included commentary, news, book and music reviews, discussion forums, events and a marketplace and was the largest website bringing Latvians together worldwide.
Latvian font and handwriting driver of PalmPilot devices.
Website showcasing products which included Latvian in their user interfaces, eg. software, navigation, home appliances, electronic devices, mobile phones, cameras
A selection of less known Latvian words and expressions from the Vārdene book series published by Prof. Janīna Kursīte. Released for iPhones and iPads.
Setup Melbourne Latvian school with iPads and education Apps to supplement the Latvian learning program
Released Latvian Nouns & Latvian Verbs Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android
Digitalisation of the Melbourne Latvian library catalogue (19000 publications). iPad software solution was created to search and locate books & magazines.
Latvian Cemetery (Fawkner) digitalisation and management solution for iPad.
Latvian verb trainer for iPhone, iPad and Android. Developed in conjunction with LVA.
Based on the same trivia quiz game created by a group of Melbourne Latvians in the 1980s. Became a hugely popular App in Latvia. Works with iPhones, iPads and Android devices.
Develop prototype of Latvian online learning tool (age 13+) for presentation to the Parliamentary Committee for Education & the Foreign Ministry of Latvia.
Latvian folksong lyrics and melodies App for iPhone, iPad and Android.
Russian Verbs App released for iPhone & iPad.
Estonian Verbs App released for iPhone and iPad.
Latvian Apps website provides a directory of all of our currently available Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.
Open source algorithm for declensions in the Latvian language.
Latgalian Verbs App released for iPhone, iPad and Android.
Latvian Verbs App Redesigned
Is this the dawn of e-services?
Finding iPhone, iPad and Android Latvian Apps
Latvian vocabulary-building made incredibly fun
Latvian school and the iPad
There's a Latvian app for that
Conference offers a promising future for Latvian IT
Latvians start to tweet
Apple brings iPhone to Latvia
Apple re-emerges in the Baltics
Six years on and Microsoft goes fully Latvian
The digital world come to Latvia
In search for that Latvian word
Planning a move online? Get a domain name
Seeing gobbledygook instead of Latvian?
The all-in-one Baltic digital lifestyle