http://www.idiominc.com/http://images.idiominc.com/logo_lg.gifhttp://www.idiominc.com/18070Thoughts on the localization technology industryTue, 24 Jun 2008 10:21:17 -0400Copyright 2008, Idiom Technologies, Inc.Custom PHP Script by Eric Johnsonhttp://www.rssboard.org/rss-specificationenwebmaster@idiominc.comwebmaster@idiominc.comGlobalizationGMSOn-DemandTranslationLocalizationhttp://www.idiominc.com/blog/82/http://www.idiominc.com/blog/82/2008-04-24 12:00:57Andrew Thomasathomas@idiominc.comfree lunch. Both expressions point out the hidden cost of "free." That's what concerns me most about the recent AP News article reporting on Facebook's translation crowdsourcing efforts. ]]>free lunch. Both expressions point out the hidden cost of "free." That's what concerns me most about the recent AP News article reporting on Facebook's translation crowdsourcing efforts. First, there's the obvious quality critique. Translators are trained professionals and bring a certain level of quality to any work they do. Certainly some contributors to Facebook's translations may be trained linguists, but the vast majority is comprised of volunteer amateurs (as evidenced by the Spanish example in the article). This is compounded by the lack of technology being used. Without translation memory (or a trained MT engine) or terminology being leveraged, wildly disparate translations for the same content can occur. Second, there's the project management aspect. When the crowd is responsible for delivering crucial content, in this case the very framework of the website itself, how does the company manage the timing of these deliverables? Essentially Facebook is putting its fate into the hands of their users. Some may find this admirable or even consistent with the ideas of a social network, but considering the ad revenues Facebook generates, it seems fiscally irresponsible. Finally, I really loathe the precedent this sets for localization in general. It's one thing for a cash-strapped startup to ponder this kind of process. It's another thing entirely for a profitable business to forego quality translations. It feels similar to the self-service push in commerce. We all too often buy into the rhetoric of convenience, but really we're just freely doing the company's job for them when we bag our own groceries, check our own luggage, or pump our own gas. I'm not completely negative about community translation (a much better name for these efforts) though. Interestingly enough, it was also a key theme in the recent TAUS meeting in Boston. Adobe gave an overview of their implementation efforts. I think the approach they've taken is much more nuanced and sophisticated. They provide simple style guides and terminology, as well as the Creative Commons legal framework for contributions. Additionally, they focus community translation efforts around additive content that the organization is not dependent on for financial success. They too take a hands-off approach to the translations themselves, providing a supportive framework rather than a controlled process. However, Adobe employees are actively engaged with the community translators. So in my opinion, there is a place for community translation. However it must be approached carefully and conscientiously. Facebook's model is naive and dangerous for one major reason. It strengthens a long standing misconception that we in the localization industry have been fighting for years that anyone, even random Facebook users, can do translation. That's a free lunch our industry can't afford. ]]>enterprisehttp://www.idiominc.com/blog/81/http://www.idiominc.com/blog/81/2008-02-13 08:54:31Andrew Thomasathomas@idiominc.comSDL’s acquisition of Idiom. I’m excited about what the future holds. I firmly believe we will be able to transform globalization. Consider this: a single solution for the whole market place with complete compatibility across the board. Industry-standard Desktop CAT tools integrated with centralized Server TMS that is also integrated with CMS and MT. That is now possible in the very near future. ]]>SDL’s acquisition of Idiom. I’m excited about what the future holds. I firmly believe we will be able to transform globalization. Consider this: a single solution for the whole market place with complete compatibility across the board. Industry-standard Desktop CAT tools integrated with centralized Server TMS that is also integrated with CMS and MT. That is now possible in the very near future. It amazes me that we live in The Communication Age, where anyone can talk to anyone else via text, audio, or video, regardless of where they are in the world. And yet we still can’t communicate if we don’t speak a common language. We may still be a few years (or decades) from anything like Star Trek’s universal translator, but businesses can’t wait for that kind of future technology to solve their globalization woes. They need solutions today. Like it or not, faster and easier communication has brought about global competition. Whoever gets their product out first, wins. Businesses either adapt to this truth or perish, and the only real way to solve this problem is implementing true Global Information Management processes. Our combined GIM technology supports these efforts. We are the only solution provider in a position to deliver this to business today, and it will only get better with time. This is not at the sacrifice of Idiom’s firm commitment to freedom of choice. We recognize all members in the global information lifecycle – content creators, language service providers, and translators have choices. We want to support these choices while simultaneously providing an end-to-end solution. Gilbane gets it. However some others do not. ]]>enterprisehttp://www.idiominc.com/blog/80/http://www.idiominc.com/blog/80/2007-12-04 11:28:59Kevin Mosskmoss@idiominc.comenterprisehttp://www.idiominc.com/blog/79/http://www.idiominc.com/blog/79/2007-11-12 09:37:23Peter Reynoldspreynolds@idiominc.comhttp://www.idiominc.com/blog/56/ . Bill and the conference team claim to have this fixed. You no longer have to talk to people in order to find out who they are! ]]>http://www.idiominc.com/blog/56/ . Bill and the conference team claim to have this fixed. You no longer have to talk to people in order to find out who they are! We had our first European conference in Dublin last December and were very surprised at the turnout. This conference is even bigger with a lot of interesting people attending and speaking. One of the great things about this conference is the number of LSPs who are now coming to the conference as experts on Idiom Technology. At each WorldSummit the presentations from LSPs are becoming more and more focused on case studies and practical experience of the technology. There are also a number of joint case studies between partners and customers. It is also great to see presentations on moving from our competitors products to WorldServer. There are two presentations on strategies for moving from other languages technologies to WorldServer on the conference agenda. Hopefully this is the start of a trend. ]]>enterprisehttp://www.idiominc.com/blog/78/http://www.idiominc.com/blog/78/2007-11-06 02:04:59Clove Lynchclynch@idiominc.comhttp://www.atanet.org/conf/2007/) was the event to be at last week. Idiom exhibited, participated in two tool panels and did a presentation on the LISA GMX-V standard (http://www.lisa.org/standards/gmx/). ]]>http://www.atanet.org/conf/2007/) was the event to be at last week. Idiom exhibited, participated in two tool panels and did a presentation on the LISA GMX-V standard (http://www.lisa.org/standards/gmx/). I can remember when technology was viewed warily by many professional translators, but it's safe to say that this is a historical artifact. Technology was front and center in the exhibit area, with a barrage of solutions on display. Our booth as well as most I saw were jammed with new and existing users, and there was a long line at the exhibit area doors every morning before opening time. Technology sessions also figured prominently in the program and were well-attended. Most of the translators and translation companies I spoke with were asking sophisticated, informed questions about current and upcoming features in our technology suite, and how we compared to the competition. The translation profession is technically astute and becoming increasingly fluent in multiple tools. There was universal enthusiasm about the Idiom LSP program (http://www.idiominc.com/partners/lsp/) and about WorldServer™ as a differentiator for our partners. We also got positive feedback on our translator trainings, and distributed over a hundred free WorldServer Desktop Workbench™ Resource Kits. WorldServer customers and Idiom LSP partners can expect to see more and more linguists advertising their experience with Desktop Workbench. ]]>enterprisehttp://www.idiominc.com/blog/76/http://www.idiominc.com/blog/76/2007-10-18 12:56:21Andrew Thomasathomas@idiominc.comlspenterprisetechnology partnerhttp://www.idiominc.com/blog/75/http://www.idiominc.com/blog/75/2007-09-20 20:53:22Andrew Thomasathomas@idiominc.comLocalization Institute 2007 Localization Project Managers Roundtable in Tahoe. The grounds were gorgeous and the air was crisp, cool, and clean. We had some wonderfully open and frank discussions about the localization industry, specifically as it pertains to project managers on both the client and vendor sides. I think the best part about this style of conference though is the amount of face-to-face time you get with each other, learning about how different groups manage their localization process. Interestingly, there was a general consensus among us that localization is picking up steam as an industry. We're more visible than ever before, and increasing numbers of us are entering the localization industry straight out of college. Some of the big themes for this roundup seemed to be a lot of discussions around agile development and translation technology. ]]>Localization Institute 2007 Localization Project Managers Roundtable in Tahoe. The grounds were gorgeous and the air was crisp, cool, and clean. We had some wonderfully open and frank discussions about the localization industry, specifically as it pertains to project managers on both the client and vendor sides. I think the best part about this style of conference though is the amount of face-to-face time you get with each other, learning about how different groups manage their localization process. Interestingly, there was a general consensus among us that localization is picking up steam as an industry. We're more visible than ever before, and increasing numbers of us are entering the localization industry straight out of college. Some of the big themes for this roundup seemed to be a lot of discussions around agile development and translation technology. SDL, Across, and Idiom all presented our various offerings to the group on Sunday. Due to concerns from others (that shall remain nameless), we weren't allowed to sit in on each other's presentations. No worries. People seemed to like what I covered, showing the latest and greatest in WorldServer 9. Later that evening after dinner, we had an ice breaker session, getting to know each other better. Monday focused heavily around what a TMS should be, and how organizations can leverage systems like ours to help in the overall globalization supply chain. It's funny, people often cite Trados as a de facto standard, but in that room, I'd say at least a third of the attendees, and possibly as much as half, were interacting with WorldServer in some way (as a current customer or LSP partner). We've certainly come a long way, and this was further validation of that. Wrapping up on Tuesday, we covered agile development practices, and what they mean to localization groups. Essentially, it's the same old story. The sooner localization can be exposed in the development process, the better, and this currently trendy method of software development is no exception. It was also generally agreed that web applications lend themselves to agile development, where as traditional shrink wrap software might not have as much to gain. Next we discussed best QA practices, and tried to get consensus on what quality really meant. Certainly everyone cares about quality, but achieving it is easier said than done. I heard there was a session on MT after lunch, but I had to leave to make the long drive back home. If you're a project manager in the localization industry, and you find this sort of informal information exchange interesting, I strongly urge you to think about attending next year. ]]>enterprisehttp://www.idiominc.com/blog/74/http://www.idiominc.com/blog/74/2007-09-17 11:29:35Peter Reynoldspreynolds@idiominc.comelection to the GALA board , I did a lot of thinking about why I want to be on this and what I could contribute. GALA is important because it has over 200 of the most significant companies within our industry as its members. It is the leading industry association for localization and translation. I think it is in a unique position to lead and promote the industry. GALA members should expect their organization to promote their companies and offer them opportunities through networking, collaboration and education. ]]>election to the GALA board , I did a lot of thinking about why I want to be on this and what I could contribute. GALA is important because it has over 200 of the most significant companies within our industry as its members. It is the leading industry association for localization and translation. I think it is in a unique position to lead and promote the industry. GALA members should expect their organization to promote their companies and offer them opportunities through networking, collaboration and education. There are a number of actions I think GALA should take to further promote our industry and work for its members:

• Promoting the industry and GALA members outside our traditional sphere is very important. We should identify and seek out the best events and new communication channels with the aim of developing new markets for our industry.
• GALA should facilitate exchange of knowledge and expertise both within and outside our industry. Collaborating with MBA and other University programs as well as MBA alumni associations and management organizations would effectively improve the profile of our industry and educate decision makers.
• There are a number of different organizations within our industry who represent regional or special interests. GALA should take the lead in working with other organizations in promoting the localization and translation industry.
• I think it is important that GALA members have greater access to knowledge about emerging standards and provide an input into their development. The development of technical standards such as XLIFF and TMX and process standards such as EN 15038 and ASTMS F2575-06 are good examples of collaboration within the industry to improve quality, effectiveness and general perception.
• I believe it is important that we continue to work towards increasing the number of companies within GALA but focus even more on activating members on global, regional and special interest basis.

I think these are pragmatic and measurable goals and I am enthusiastic about helping GALA achieve them. ]]>enterprisehttp://www.idiominc.com/blog/73/http://www.idiominc.com/blog/73/2007-07-12 16:20:29Bill Rabkinbrabkin@idiominc.comGilbane Group are conducting a poll on the growth in the number of languages into which organizations translate, from 2000 to today, and looking ahead into the next few years. The survey contains only 5 questions, and it should take you no more than 30 seconds to answer them. Won't you please help Gilbane Group collect as much data as possible on this trend? To respond, please go to the survey (opens in a new window). And be sure to visit the Gilbane Group Globalization blog. Thanks ]]>Gilbane Group are conducting a poll on the growth in the number of languages into which organizations translate, from 2000 to today, and looking ahead into the next few years. The survey contains only 5 questions, and it should take you no more than 30 seconds to answer them. Won't you please help Gilbane Group collect as much data as possible on this trend? To respond, please go to the survey (opens in a new window). And be sure to visit the Gilbane Group Globalization blog. Thanks! ]]>enterprisehttp://www.idiominc.com/blog/72/http://www.idiominc.com/blog/72/2007-07-11 13:55:12Steve Billingssbillings@idiominc.comenterprise