One popular misconception about the world of translation is the degree to which machine translation (MT) will one day transform linguists into the next class of panhandlers disrupted by the miracles of modern technology. While automated translation tools online have made significant gains in the arena of basic communication, they remain impractical for the gold standard messages business rely on to build brand, differentiate their voice, and connect with customers.
There are, however, situations where MT can offer significant time and cost savings over pure human translation. If your translation agency has recommended you consider MT, you’ve probably brought them a sizable project that meets specific criteria. How sizable? Try more than a million words.
So what can you do to further smooth the way for your big translation project? In this post we’ll talk about some simple preparations you can make to feed the machine.
Explosive app growth has become a worldwide phenomenon, with countries from Brazil to China, Japan to the UK experiencing surges in mobile app revenues and downloads. Want to make sure your app doesn't get lost in the shuffle? It's time for app store optimization (ASO), a rapidly evolving practice that allows your app to stand head and shoulders above the rest.
Read on for our ASO localization tips and leverage your mobile app across global markets.
Simplicity can save you both time and money, especially when it comes to a software localization project. Looking for a few simple ways to keep the process streamlined and efficient? Think concatenation will solve all your problems or that you have enough room in your current design for translated text? Read on to see what simple steps can save your next project’s budget.
September signals the end of Summer and the start of classes, and for companies who follow Agile software development methodologies, this post welcomes you back to school, too. It’s time to become a student of localizing for global releases in an Agile development cycle.
So if you’ll pardon our extended metaphor, sprint your way onto Acclaro’s big yellow school bus and we’ll teach you seven simple lessons to help you ace your first big test when it comes to localizing releases within an Agile development environment.
After all, no one wants to be held back a grade while their competitors graduate to a wider global customer base.
Where software is concerned, agile development has a lot going for it: quick and frequent releases, adaptability to changing conditions, increased efficiencies for error correction, and more team involvement. However, hiccups in the process need to be addressed quickly by team members, no matter where in the world they may be. When you’ve got multilingual software to consider, you will want to make sure the process is as smooth as possible. Today’s post, and our newsletter article, cover some things to think about if you’re agile — and global.
If the idea of launching your software in multiple languages sounds mind-bogglingly complex, you’re right, it is. But like any project which seems daunting at the outset, a little mental metaphor for the steps involved can help package those complexities into something more manageable, and give you the clarity and motivation to get started.
In that spirit, this post dissects the software localization process to that most humble of domestic improvement projects: repainting a room. True, you won’t find yourself translating strings and cleaning code while you’re taping off the molding in your study, but three major steps in a painting project can help shed light on the major moves in a software localization launch.
So put on your overalls and let’s get ready to refresh your software with in a brand new (international!) color.
Everyone needs a little help sometimes. That’s why no software product release is complete without user assistance and support documentation. And any software release that includes multiple markets in multiple languages will, of course, require technical translation of the help section. User assistance documentation translation is usually is the last step before product release, yet this final stage of the release process is complex enough to warrant a process of its own, which can be costly and time consuming if you don’t plan for it. Here are some of our best tips for smoothing the process.
The goals of software localization are pretty clear cut: If you really want to capture the minds of consumers in new international markets, you must speak the language. For over a decade, Acclaro has done exactly that, helping brands large and small localize their software for markets across the globe.
But what’s really under the hood of a smooth-running software localization machine? Quite a bit! To make sure it all works together in perfect synchronicity, we bring an array of tools and talent to each project.
Curious about the nuts and bolts of software localization? Read on, and let our localization mechanics give you the executive tour.
The only thing that evolves as fast as the technology we use every day is the jargon used to describe it. The phrases “cloud computing” and “in the cloud” are employed on a daily basis by CEOs, CIOs, project managers, and advertising execs to describe a variety of technology and productivity situations in our network-obsessed culture. Like many others, you may have a general sense what “the cloud” is, but what, exactly, do these phrases really describe? And how does the cloud operate for international businesses?
Even if you haven’t invested in a cloud computing solution for your own business, global or otherwise, you’re probably already accustomed to cloud-based services. Whether synchronizing your eBook reading or streaming your music collection through Spotify or Rdio, you’re already relying on the tenets of cloud computing. In this post we’ll define that nebulous nimbus phrase, take a look at some of the pros and cons of building a business dependent upon it, and shed a little light on cloud computing in other countries.
The devil is in the details in any language, and when it comes to ensuring your brand communicates as clearly in Japanese as it does in English, the style guide is your translator’s best friend.
Creating and maintaining a style guide is a worthwhile investment in your brand’s future. Clarity, consistency, and maintaining an on-brand voice depend in part on access to a central reference for translators as they bring your company’s products and service to life in new markets.
Sure, with infinite monkeys, typewriters, and time you’ll produce a Shakespeare play or two, but can you really gamble your international client base on the idea? In this post, we’ll take a look at why a style guide makes a big difference in localization projects.
Localized software, like its English counterpart, benefits from pre-launch testing to ensure a smooth release. You may need to look beyond your English testing scope, however, as different languages present their own testing challenges, and there may be code-level variables that need to be adjusted for specific global markets. In today's post, we will cover the most common types of testing we offer and why they're important.
Left to right, right to left — what difference does it make? When it comes to translating bidirectional languages, it can be a pretty big one. And if you want to expand your software business into the Middle East, Malaysia or Indonesia, it helps to understand the differences. Unlike English, bidirectional (or BiDi) languages like Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu and Farsi read from right to left instead of left to right. Although it might seem easy enough to just switch directions for your Arabic or Hebrew translation, bidirectional languages can present some technical challenges. Here are some things to think about before you get started on a bidirectional translation project.
Are you launching your next global app for Android? Android currently holds the lion’s share of global markets, with a whopping 59% of global operating system share and a healthy lead in device share. (Google revealed earlier this year that there are currently one million Android device activations and fifteen billion Google Play app downloads per day!)
One of the well-known downsides to Android is how fragmented its market is, being that it’s multi-carrier, multi-OS, multi-device, multi-screen resolution, etc. However, you can alleviate some of these challenges with a little preparation.
As you begin to craft a localization strategy for going global with your application, let’s take a look at four Android-specific tips that can help you plot your course.
Despite Europe's economic woes, unemployment remains low in Germany and consumer confidence is on the rise. Germany is the powerful motor driving Europe’s economy forward. If you’re looking for strong purchasing power and 80+ million new customers, this Western European market is not to be overlooked.
To truly connect with German customers and get beyond winging it with your “Genglish,” you’ll want to invest early on in translation for this market. Among your top priorities will naturally be client-facing communications, such as your corporate website, marketing materials and product information.
Attention to detail will definitely pay off as you continually build and refine your German branding. In this post we’ll take a look at five pointers to help you develop your strategy and go to task.
If you're considering creating a mobile app but aren't sure if a global audience will respond, let us reassure you: they will. Mobile apps are hot, and especially so outside the US. In fact, a majority of the fastest-growing mobile markets are found beyond American soil, and mobile app localization has moved from nice-to-have to an absolute must.
However, localization of mobile apps requires some unique considerations, such as the screen size and how much "real estate" it will afford, how much your content will expand or contract in translation, fonts, styles, images, and the various operating systems on which your app will be displayed.
But fear not. Read on for our tips on how to tackle mobile app localization with confidence.
Our resident globalization architect and localization geek, Jon Ritzdorf (see his Geek2Geek webpage) answers your localization and translation questions. Read on for the most recent Q&A about externalizing strings using a grep tool or Lingoport's Globalyzer, and what Jon has to say about internationalization.
In celebration of Acclaro's tenth anniversary, we are taking a look back at how our industry has changed over the past decade. In this post, we cover a topic that is near and dear to anyone involved in the localization industry: websites. The last ten years saw some pretty phenomenal changes in the development of global websites, perhaps more so than any other medium we work with. Curious to know more? Acclaro's own Localization Geek, Jon Ritzdorf, explains.
In this cost-savings blog series, we offer tips from our in-house localization experts on how to shave dollars off of your translation budget. Software localization can be especially unruly when it comes to managing costs. This post reviews four ways to set yourself up for serious savings and keep your software localization project on track with your finances.
Around the world, the growing field of mobile health, known as mHealth, is using simple wireless devices to keep people healthy and help doctors and public health workers work effectively with patients near and far. Wireless health can also help spread accurate information about public health crises like a tuberculosis outbreak almost as quickly as the spread of the disease itself.
In the developed world, people use mobile health apps for everything from quitting smoking to monitoring calorie intake. But mHealth is particularly effective in the developing world, where mobile devices are much more common than computers or TVs. While most trends in global health start with governments, mobile health is being driven primarily by the private sector. This new industry of health-related mobile apps presents challenges and opportunities for developers and users alike.
2012 marks Acclaro’s 10th anniversary and we’re taking a look back at how the translation industry has changed over the past decade. This month, we’re all about software. Mobile devices, in particular, have changed the way software is developed and presented, and our localization and testing procedures change too, as more and more companies offer software to global users. Read on to find out more about the changes we’ve seen and how we’ve adapted.
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