1. A computer-implemented method performed by a client device, the method comprising: (A) receiving a request from a requester to apply automatic speech recognition to an audio signal; (B) providing the audio signal to a first automatic speech recognition engine in the client device; (C) receiving first speech recognition results from the first automatic speech recognition engine; (D) determining whether a second automatic speech recognition engine, in a server device, is accessible to the client device; (E) if the second automatic speech recognition engine is determined not to be accessible to the client device, then providing the first speech recognition results to the requester in response to the request.