May/June 2020
May/June 2020
Post Editing
e found ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic halfway through putting this issue together. And we’ve decided with the advent of the novel coronavirus sweeping the planet, we are suspending print issues for now. Physical mail delivery is difficult to certain parts of the globe in the best of times, and a pandemic will certainly not make it easier. The upside is, we’ll save paper in a time when paper seems to be in high demand — reducing our carbon footprint and making the demand for wood pulp just a little less.
Of course, it felt bittersweet, going over the pages knowing they might be the last to make it to physical prints. I’ve been with the magazine for 12 years, and this is a first for us.
The digital issues go on, however. Given that our issue on AI and machine learning is full of new information and data — from machine translation to chatbots to AI in project management — this seems to be the way the entire world is going. Once you have the infrastructure in place, digital is smart on every level. It’s near-instant, and helps keep social distancing in place when germs are a concern.
So please enjoy this issue, and look for future issues in your email inbox! 
#189 Volume 31 Issue 3 May/June 2020
Editor-in-Chief, Publisher: Donna Parrish
Managing Editor: Katie Botkin
Proofreaders: Eve Ettinger, Bernie Nova
News, Calendar: Kendra Gray
Production: Darlene Dibble, Doug Jones
Cover Photo: Doug Jones
Technical Analyst: Curtis Booker
Assistant: Kathy Alderman
Circulation: Terri Jadick
Special Projects: Bernie Nova
Advertising Director: Kevin Watson
Marketing Director: Marjolein Groot Nibbelink
Finance: Leah Thoreson
Editorial Board
Games: Miguel Á. Bernal-Merino
Standards: David Filip
Business: Aki Ito
Marketing: Nataly Kelly
User Experience: Ultan Ó Broin
Interpreting: Barry Slaughter Olsen
Technology: Jost Zetzsche
Advertising
advertising@multilingual.com
https://multilingual.com/magazine-ads
+1 208-263-8178
Subscriptions, back issues, customer service
subscriptions@multilingual.com
https://multilingual.com/subscription-information
Submissions, letters
editor@multilingual.com
Editorial guidelines are available at
https://multilingual.com/editorial-submissions
Reprints and eprints
reprints@multilingual.com
MultiLingual Computing, Inc.
319 North First Avenue, Suite 2
Sandpoint, Idaho 83864-1495 USA
+1 (208) 263-8178
MultiLingual (ISSN 1523-0309), Copyright © 2020 by MultiLingual Computing, Inc., is published bimonthly: Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep/Oct, Nov/Dec by MultiLingual Computing, Inc., 319 North 1st Avenue, Suite 2, Sandpoint, ID 83864-1495. Business and Editorial Offices: 319 North 1st Avenue, Suite 2, Sandpoint, ID 83864-1495. Accounting and Circulation Offices: 319 North 1st Avenue, Suite 2, Sandpoint, ID 83864-1495. Call (208) 263-8178 to subscribe. Periodicals postage paid at Sandpoint, ID and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MultiLingual, 319 North 1st Avenue, Suite 2, Sandpoint, ID 83864-1495.
Maribel Rodríguez | Language Technology Deployment Manager
Enhancing global communications with AI
AI is evolving by leaps and bounds, as seen in recent advancements in machine translation and language quality tools. And businesses are grappling with how humans and machines will work together in this new landscape.
My mission is to create best-fit combinations of artificial intelligence applications plus human processes that drive our clients’ content life cycles.
![Don’t Rage Against the Machine [SlideShare]](/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ml-may-june-2020-moravia-dont-rage.jpg "Don’t Rage Against the Machine [SlideShare]")
Contents
Focus: Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Focus: Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Dmitry Ulanov
Marco Zappatore & Filip Šanca
Arle Lommel
Kaspars Kaulins
Business
John Yunker
Up Front
News
Columns
About the Cover:
Synchronized robotic devices with monitor screens create a choreography of intelligent movement at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
London Office | 590 Green Lanes – London – N13 5RY – UK
Athens Office | 93 Karagiorga Street, Athens 166 75, Greece
Telephone: +30 210 9628 559
Email: production@eurogreek.com
www.eurogreek.com
Recaps
Featured Reader
Would you introduce yourself?
Wafaa Mohiy, general manager of the Saudisoft Co. Ltd. Egypt office.
Where do you live?
Cairo, Egypt.
How did you get started in this industry?
It has been a long journey. I graduated with a computer science major and worked as a business application software developer for the first three years of my career. It was a good start, but I did not find my passion in developing business applications. I took systems engineering courses and afterwards I specialized in enabling applications/OS to support Arabic languages, as there were not many back then!
News
People
Recent industry hires
- Lionbridge, a provider of localization services, has announced that Corinne Saunders has been hired as managing director, EMEA.
Lionbridge www.lionbridge.com
- XTM International, developers of a translation management system and computer-aided translation tool, has hired Justin Bechtel as business development manager, Monika Voorhis as solutions architect, Sara Basile as product manager and Dave Ruane as digital content and partnership manager.
XTM International https://xtm.cloud
- Iconic Translation Machines Ltd., a language technology software company, has hired Martin Brehhov and Alex Waller as software engineers, and Chao-Hong Liu as a machine translation scientist.
Iconic Translation Machines Ltd. http://iconictranslation.com
- Amplexor, a consulting services and solutions provider, has hired Marie-Laure Vinckx and Manuel Stöckl as managing directors for Germany and Switzerland.
Amplexor www.amplexor.com
- Comunica, a provider of language services, has hired Nicolás Martín Fontana as vendor and sales manager.
Comunica www.comunicatranslations.com
Calendar
May
2020 STC Technical Communication Summit & Expo
May 17-20, 2020, Online
Society for Technical Communication, https://summit.stc.org
June
Game Global Berlin*
June 9-10, 2020, Berlin
Localization World, Ltd., https://gameglobal.events
LocWorld42 Berlin*
June 3-5, 2020, Berlin, Germany
Localization World, Ltd., https://locworld.com
Court Interpreter Training Institute
June 6-July 17, 2020, Online and Tuscon, Arizona USA
National Center for Interpretation, https://nci.arizona.edu/training/citi
TAUS Industry Leaders Forum*
June 9-10, 2020, Amsterdam, Netherlands
TAUS, https://bit.ly/38ALMgM
Translation, Transcreation, Transadaptation and the Science Behind Them*
June 18, 2020, San Jose, California USA
International Multilingual User Group www.meetup.com/IMUG-Silicon-Valley/events/bplhmrybcjbxb
(* = still scheduled at time of print)
Column
World Savvy
Latgalian: New efforts to keep an ancient language alive
John Freivalds
John Freivalds runs an international communications firm and is the Honorary Consul for Latvia in the US State of Minnesota.
When I first became the consul for Latvia in the US State of Minnesota, right on the border with Canada, I felt confident that I knew a lot about Latvia’s regions, culture and language. Latvian is one of the EU’s 23 official languages and many LSPs offer it — there is machine translation and AI software available in Latvian.
But another language in Latvia, Latgalian, long thought to be dying, is seeing a rebirth and provides a case history on how other troubled languages and dialects can survive.
Column
Perspectives
The ethics of machine translation
Jack Welde
Jack Welde is the founder and CEO of Smartling, a New York-based translation technology and services company. He is an experienced CEO, COO and CTO with a comprehensive background in software technology, localization, leadership, user experience and data modeling. He is a combat-decorated Air Force officer and pilot.
The speed at which software and artificial intelligence (AI) is maturing is awe-inducing. One of my favorite examples of real-world AI is Tesla Autopilot. It’s an advanced driver-assistance system that has lane centering, adaptive cruise control, self-parking, automatic lane change and even the ability to navigate autonomously on limited access freeways. But Tesla also recommends that drivers keep their hands on the wheel when using these powerful automation features.
June 3-5, 2020
InterContinental Berlin, Germany
or on your screen
The world’s #1 Localization Conference & Exhibition Series
Engage Global Users
Discover conference and preconference programs, networking events and more at locworld.com/locworld42
Keynote Speaker:
Larry Hochman
Larry Hochman is one of the most popular keynote speakers in the world, having given more than 500 speeches in 72 countries.
Larry is a former European Business Speaker of the Year, as well as one of the world’s most influential advisors on building organizations that deliver an exceptional customer experience.
We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation. Please stay healthy and check our website for the latest details.
Column
Perspectives
The dawn of a new linguistic epoch
Jay Marciano
Writer Jay Marciano has served as Lionbridge’s director of machine translation since 2010. He is also on the board of the Association for Machine Translation in the Americas (AMTA).
Time is a funny thing. It’s hard to believe five years have already elapsed since the promising early results of applying deep learning and artificial neural networks to machine translation (MT). Yet it’s equally hard to believe it’s only been that long — that a radically new method of approaching one of computer science’s oldest challenges, automated translation, could so quickly and completely usurp statistical machine translation.
Since our company started doing post-editing at scale in 2001, we now have hundreds of millions of words that allow us to track trends in MT quality and the amount of changes that professional translators have to make to MT output to create quality translations. The data confirms what readers likely already know: carefully trained neural machine translation (NMT) produces draft translations that require substantially less editing.
Column
Perspectives
Symbolic AI vs. machine learning in natural language processing
Jordi Torras
Jordi Torras founded Inbenta in 2005 to help clients improve online relationships with their customers. The first beta version of the Inbenta Semantic Search Engine was released in 2010.
Since its foundation as an academic discipline in 1955, the AI research field has been divided into different camps: symbolic AI and machine learning. While symbolic AI used to dominate in the first decades, machine learning has been very trendy lately, so let’s try to understand each of these approaches and their main differences when applied to natural language processing (NLP).
Machine learning is an application of AI where statistical models perform specific tasks without using explicit instructions, relying instead on patterns and inference. Machine learning algorithms build mathematical models based on training data in order to make predictions.
Focus
AI in the translation business: Beyond MT
Dmitry Ulanov has been involved in localization since 1998 and risen through the ranks from a project manager to CTO. Now he is focused on automation of operations and also supervising the R&D department. He holds an MS degree and is an accredited internal auditor for ISO 9001 QMS.
Dmitry Ulanov
AI in the translation business: Beyond MT
Dmitry Ulanov
Dmitry Ulanov has been involved in localization since 1998 and risen through the ranks from a project manager to CTO. Now he is focused on automation of operations and also supervising the R&D department. He holds an MS degree and is an accredited internal auditor for ISO 9001 QMS.
here are many areas in the translation business that may benefit from implementation of AI and particularly from machine learning (ML). Since AI is not completely predictable, implementation of any kind of AI also involves new risks. The introduction of AI may produce an unexpected impact or a positive breakthrough.
In linguistics, we have been seeing a continuous evolution of machine translation (MT), the most evident example of ML. We already know what to expect from it, what the benefits are, and how to address the risks. How we manage it also presents a great potential for applying ML to make improvements elsewhere. This includes automated decision-making based on acquired data to either provide human workers with pointers, or to eliminate certain human management in order to resolve bottlenecks in continuous development or continuous translation. We could also use ML for making predictions and bringing to light potential risks (of missing a deadline, losing a client) and maybe to propose corrective measures.
Focus
How AI is transforming the content supply chain…and your job
Jessica Roland
Strategic account director at SDL since 2014, Jessica Roland works with selected enterprise customers to help them reach global audiences and enhance customer experience, increasingly via AI. Prior roles include leading enterprise software globalization teams and international product management.
here are many ways we are seeing AI used today in our customer and partner ecosphere. Localization professionals will be familiar with some of the basic AI building blocks and current applications, but there may be new ideas for AI paths you may want to pursue in the future, whether for your current job or a future one. After all, “AI is going to have as big an impact on our society as electricity,” according to Risto Siilasmaa, chairman of the board at Nokia.
In Figure 1, we show some of the most commonly used AI-related terms and how they fit together. Computer science is depicted as the general study of computers and computing concepts. Although the exact definition of AI is a matter of debate, for this discussion let’s define AI as systems that can perform complex tasks autonomously and adaptively; that is, without constant guidance by a user and with the ability to improve performance by learning from experience. Machine learning is a process by which systems improve their performance in a given task with more and more experience or data. Deep learning is a class of machine learning algorithms that uses multiple layers to calculate high-level outputs from raw inputs. With the increasing power of modern computers, more and more layers are added for greater complexity.
Focus
Multi-engine MT management for global companies
Marco Zappatore
Marco Zappatore, telecommunication engineer, works as adjunct professor of CAT Laboratory at the University of Salento (Italy). His research activities focus on data management, wireless propagation, computer-assisted and machine translation, as well as video game localization.
Filip Šanca
Filip Šanca is a graduate of Charles University in Prague. Having successfully established the academic partner network at Memsource, he is now coordinating the Memsource Certification Program and leading the marketing department.
Marco Zappatore
Marco Zappatore, telecommunication engineer, works as adjunct professor of CAT Laboratory at the University of Salento (Italy). His research activities focus on data management, wireless propagation, computer-assisted and machine translation, as well as video game localization.
Filip Šanca
Filip Šanca is a graduate of Charles University in Prague. Having successfully established the academic partner network at Memsource, he is now coordinating the Memsource Certification Program and leading the marketing department.
achine translation (MT) is a constantly evolving field, where research contributions from natural language processing, computational linguistics, artificial intelligence and computer science merge together with the aim of improving the quality and reliability of automatically translated texts. Several different MT approaches have showcased their advantages and limitations so far, thus motivating the adoption of multi-engine MT (MEMT), where multiple MT systems are queried at the same time in order to provide the best translation alternative.
However, significant costs, scarce automation and the risk of nonoptimized configurations make this promising research area less of a viable solution for global companies. There is a need for MEMT management systems capable of autonomously suggesting the optimal MT engine for the given language pair and domain to a translation company.
Focus
Toward global machine translation
Arvi Hurskainen
Arvi Hurskainen is professor emeritus at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He has been working on rule-based language technology since 1985, specializing in morphologically complex languages such as Swahili and Finnish, and has developed a number of applications in these languages.
achine translation (MT) technology can be divided broadly into two very different approaches. The older technology relies on close integration of human knowledge about language on one hand, and on the calculation speed and power of the computer on the other hand. For a long time, this approach was considered the only feasible one. However, the advent of the internet and the increased power of computers made it possible to develop a very different approach to MT. The development led to various statistical approaches, where machine learning is key. The latest versions of the statistical approaches are known as neural machine translation. While it is difficult to fully understand how this system works, its development has currently usurped almost all resources in the study of machine translation.
The current situation is very unfortunate, because roughly 1% of the world’s languages fulfill even the minimal criteria for statistical or neural machine translation. This trend pushes the majority of languages into a marginal position, because if the language is not computerized, as the customary expression runs, it is not respected.
Focus
Modern tech meets Indian Sign Language
Ribhu
Ribhu
Ribhu is a freelance journalist based in Bangalore. He is fond of traveling and covers tech, arts and culture, environment and wildlife.
ndian Sign Language (ISL), also known as Indo-Pakistani Sign Language (IPSL), is one of the most common sign languages in South Asia, used by millions of speakers in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. However, as is the case with some sign languages, it is difficult to accurately estimate the number of people who practice ISL. The study on sign languages in India meets a massive roadblock in particular, as the actual number of deaf people has not been ascertained. This barrier creates an enormous problem for individuals and organizations who want to have new technologies implemented around the usage of sign languages in public spheres.
The 2011 Indian census stated that roughly 1.3 million people in India experience hearing impairment. These numbers are quite different from that of India’s National Association of the Deaf, which puts this number at 18 million, or roughly 1% of India’s population. But even these numbers are low when they are compared to global standards — it has been reported that 5% of the world’s population and 3.5% of Americans experience hearing loss.
Focus
When internationalization isn’t enough
Arle Lommel
Arle Lommel is a senior analyst for Common Sense Advisory (CSA Research).
Arle Lommel
Arle Lommel is a senior analyst for Common Sense Advisory (CSA Research).
n June 2019, Politico reported on the travails of Epic, a leading US maker of digital health software, in adapting its product to the requirements of the Danish health system. The company discovered that translating the user interface was far from enough. Although some of the problems Danish healthcare workers faced were the result of subpar translation, others were more fundamental. For example, a lot of Epic’s functions were around customer billing, but in the Danish single-payer system, these features were irrelevant. Similarly, the system had hard-coded roles for nurses and doctors based on US legal requirements that prevented them from doing their job in Denmark. One physician described the results as “indescribable, total chaos” and Politico reports that the same physician found that “Epic might work in the United States […] but its design was so hard-coded in US medical culture that it couldn’t be disentangled.” After the Danish government spent over $500 million over three years, the system still is not fully functional.
Focus
How multilingual chatbots influence localization
Kaspars Kaulins is a business development director at Tilde, a European language technology innovator and service provider offering translation, localization and custom machine translation.
Kaspars Kaulins
Kaspars Kaulins
Kaspars Kaulins is a business development director at Tilde, a European language technology innovator and service provider offering translation, localization and custom machine translation.
s technology advances, users are becoming more demanding and it is becoming harder to meet instant service expectations from customers. Companies also face the challenge of multilingualism as they are pressured to bridge language barriers and provide content in the customer’s native language. Thankfully, AI and machine learning (ML) have created opportunities for companies to deliver a consistent user experience across languages by using AI-enabled, intelligent virtual assistants. Deep machine learning and language data are two major components that can make or break these human-like interactions. Chatbots not only enable companies to serve their customers 24/7, but also create an exciting and emerging field for the localization industry.
Business
Web globalization lessons from Wikipedia
John Yunker
John Yunker
John Yunker is author of Think Outside the Country: A Guide to Going Global and Succeeding in the Translation Economy (available in both English and Japanese editions). He is cofounder of Byte Level Research and author of the annual Web Globalization Report Card.
Two decades ago, I began studying the globalization of websites. At the time, the practice was — like the internet itself — in its infancy and there were few established best practices. But by talking to the people who managed global websites and managing localization projects myself, I began to learn which practices worked and which did not. This led to the formation of an annual benchmarking report known as the Web Globalization Report Card. Now in its 16th edition, this ranking of the leading global websites highlights those websites that excel across a number of categories, including global reach, consistency and depth of localization.
This year, Wikipedia emerged number one overall. As one of the world’s most-popular websites, Wikipedia relies on the contributions of volunteer writers and editors from around the world in creating and translating billions of words across millions of articles. And while Wikipedia may stand alone in many ways, it exhibits a number of web globalization best practices that any organization can benefit from. There are five key lessons one can take away from Wikipedia’s global success.
buyer’s guide
European Language Industry Association (Elia)
Elia is the European not-for-profit association of language service companies with a mission to accelerate our members’ business success. We do this by creating events and initiatives that anticipate and serve our members’ needs in building strong, sustainable companies, thereby strengthening the wider industry. Elia was founded in 2005 and has since established itself as the leading trade association for the language services industry in Europe.
Elia Brussels, Belgium
Email: info@elia-association.org
Web: http://elia-association.org
Globalization and Localization Association
The Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) is a global, nonprofit trade association for the language industry. As a membership organization, we support our member companies and the language sector by creating communities, championing standards, sharing knowledge and advancing technology.
Globalization and Localization Association
Seattle, WA USA
+1-206-494-4686
Email: info@gala-global.org
Web: www.gala-global.org
LocWorld
LocWorld conferences are dedicated to the language and localization industries. Our constituents are the people responsible for communicating across the boundaries of language and culture in the global marketplace. International product and marketing managers participate in LocWorld from all sectors and all geographies to meet language service and technology providers and to network with their peers. Hands-on practitioners come to share their knowledge and experience and to learn from others. See our website for details on upcoming and past conferences.
Localization World, Ltd.
Sandpoint, ID USA
208-263-8178
Global DTP
Global DTP s.r.o., based in the Czech Republic, offers professional multilingual desktop publishing and media engineering solutions to the localization industry. Over the past 15 years, Global DTP has become one of the leading DTP/multimedia companies. We have been delivering high-quality and cost-effective services for at least eight of the top 20 LSPs and many other companies/agencies. Due to our extensive experience in localization and knowledge of the prepress, media and publishing industries, our team of 20 in-house professionals handles more than 1,000 projects every year. Our core services are multilingual desktop publishing, multimedia and eLearning engineering.
Global DTP s.r.o. Brno,
Czech Republic
+420 3 574 709
Email: info@global-dtp.com
Web: www.global-dtp.com
Hornet Design Studio
Since 2005, Hornet Design Studio has been focusing on delivering quality services in a timely manner. A highly skilled team of professionals is always ready to meet expectations of even the most demanding clients. Looking to achieve that goal, we develop and expand. Therefore we now offer not only DTP but also multimedia, eLearning and voiceover services.
Languages: All
Hornet Design Studio
Bydgoszcz,
Poland
+48525290553
Email: office@hornetdesign.eu
Web: http://hornetdesign.eu
44th Internationalization & Unicode Conference
For over 29 years the Internationalization & Unicode® Conference (IUC) has been the preeminent event highlighting the latest innovations and best practices of global and multilingual software providers. This annual conference is where experts and industry leaders gather to map the future of internationalization, ignite new ideas and present the latest in technologies and best practices for creation, management and testing of global web, and multilingual software solutions. Recent conferences have provided specific advice on designing software for European countries, Latin America, China, India, Japan, Korea, the Middle East and emerging markets. Join us in Santa Clara, October 14-16, 2020, to contribute your ideas!
The Unicode Consortium
Mountainview, CA USA
STAR Group
Multiple Platforms
STAR is a leader in information management, localization, internationalization and globalization services and solutions such as GRIPS (Global Real Time Information Processing Solution), STAR CLM (Corporate Language Management) including Transit (Translation & Localization), TermStar/WebTerm (Terminology Management), STAR MT (Corporate Machine Translation), STAR WebCheck (Online Translation Reviewing) and Mind-Reader (Authoring Assistance). With more than 50 offices in 30 countries and a global network of prequalified freelance translators, STAR provides a unique combination of information management tools and services required to manage all phases of the product information life cycle.
Languages: All
STAR AG (STAR Group headquarters)
Ramsen, Switzerland, +41-52-742-9200
Email: info@star-group.net
Web: www.star-group.net
STAR Group America, LLC Lyndhurst, OH USA
216-691-7827
Email: lyndhurst@star-group.net
Number 1 LSP that you should know
Crestec is a world-class language service provider. CSA Research ranks Crestec as a global top 5 LSP in the technology sector and global top 6 in the manufacturing sector. Headquartered in Japan with a network of over 18 sites in the US, Europe and Asia, we offer a one-stop comprehensive solution for global communications from marketing content creation and technical writing to localization, printing and studio/shooting production.
Languages: Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish
Crestec Long Beach, CA , USA
612-986-3108
Email: aki.ito@crestecusa.com
Europe: Amsterdam
+31 205854640
Email: sales@crestec.nl
Web: https://crestecusa.com
Total Solutions for Your Business
E4NET is a total localization solutions provider including translation, DTP, recording, and specialized in Asian localization covering all major Asian and regional tier 3 languages. We have 20+ years of successful localization production experience with major projects for IBM, Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, HP, LG Electronics, Panasonic and more. E4NET is now providing patent translation services to the Korea Institute of Patent Information and translating life science projects including clinical protocols and reports. We are continuously developing and applying innovative technologies such as machine translation and associated customer services throughout our production process to maximize production/service efficiency. ISO 9001: 2015, ISO 27001 certified.
Languages: 60+
E4NET Co., Ltd. Seoul, South Korea
82-2-3465-8532
Email: l10n@e4net.net
Web: www.e4net.net
EuroGreek Translations Limited
Established in 1986, EuroGreek Translations Limited is Europe’s leading Greek localizer, specializing in medical, technical, financial and legal translations from EN/DE/FR/ES to EL and EL to EN. Our aim is to provide high-quality, turnkey solutions, encompassing a whole range of client needs, from translation to localization, desktop publishing and testing. Our DTP department covers all Latin and Cyrillic alphabet-based languages, in addition to Greek, at very competitive rates. All of EuroGreek’s work is produced in-house by a team of 30 highly qualified specialists and is fully guaranteed for quality and on-time delivery.
Languages: Greek to/from English; French, German, Spanish to Greek
EuroGreek Translations Limited
Athens, Greece
30-210-9628-559
Mobico – by Saltlux Inc.
Mobico is the new brand name of Saltlux’s technical communication services, and is also the name of the predecessor company to Saltlux, established in 1979 as Korea’s first TC business. What started as a small enterprise concentrating on creating Korean manuals and East Asian language translations evolved into a one-stop service provider for all your needs in the world of business today, including multilingual translation, localization, DTP, TW and MTPE. The relentless pursuit of progress and perfection results in the use of state-of-the-art technology and processes, which in turn lead to superior translation quality with shorter turn-around times and therefore to greater customer satisfaction.
Languages: More than 70 languages
Saltlux, Inc. Seoul, South Korea
+82-2-2193-1725
Email: sales@mobico.com
Web: www.mobico.com/en
ORCO S.A. Localization Services
Founded in 1983, ORCO celebrates this year its 35th anniversary. Over the years, ORCO has built a reputation for excellence and gained the trust of leading companies, such as Oracle, IBM and Carrier for the localization of their products. Our core business activities include technical, medical, legal, financial, marketing and other translations, software and multimedia localization, as well as localization consulting. We cover most European languages and our client list includes long-term collaborations with international corporations, government institutions, banks, private enterprises, NGOs and the European Union. ORCO is certified according to ISO 17100 and ISO 9001 quality standards.
Languages: Greek and European languages
ORCO S.A Athens, Greece
+30-210-723-6001
Email: info@orco.gr
Web: www.orco.gr
RWS Moravia
RWS Moravia is a leading globalization solutions provider, enabling companies in the IT, consumer electronics, retail, media and entertainment, and travel and hospitality industries to enter global markets with high-quality multilingual products and services. RWS Moravia’s solutions include localization, testing, content creation, machine translation implementations, technology consulting and global digital marketing services. Our customers include eight of Fortune’s Top 20 Most Admired Companies, and all of the “Fab 5 Tech Stock” companies from 2017. Our global headquarters is in Brno, Czech Republic, and we have local offices in Europe, the United States, Japan, China and Latin America. To learn more, please visit us at www.rws.com/moravia.
Languages: over 250
RWS Moravia
USA HQ: Thousand Oaks, CA USA
+1-805-262-0055
Europe HQ: Brno, Czech Republic
+420-545-552-222
A creative approach to localization
At Spark, we fuse creativity with technology to provide a localization+ service. Helping brands like Microsoft, Disney and Netflix to develop and deliver consistent global branding and hyperlocal content creation from marketing activation to packaging. Providing creative expertise across the entire consumer journey, continuous workflow solutions and seamless integration into business systems: making a real difference to your localization needs.
Languages: 120+
Spark – Brighter Thinking
Europe: London, UK
4+44 (0)207 602 9119
Email: hello@sparkbrighterthinking.com
Web: www.sparkbrighterthinking.com
Vistatec
We have been helping some of the world’s most iconic brands to optimize their global commercial potential since 1997. Vistatec is one of the world’s most innovative, progressive and successful localization solutions providers. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with offices in Mountain View, California, USA. Think Global.
Languages: All
Vistatec
Europe: Dublin, Ireland, 353-1-416-8000
North America: Mountain View, CA USA
408-898-2364
Email: info@vistatec.com
Web: www.vistatec.com
Joint National Committee for Languages
The Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS) represent the interests of over 140 member organizations, associations and companies in virtually all aspects of the language enterprise — education PreK-20, research, training, assessment, translation, interpreting and localization — to the US government. The mission of JNCL-NCLIS is to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to learn English and at least one other language.
Joint National Committee for Languages – National Council for Languages and International Studies
Garrett Park, MD USA, 202-580-8684
Email: info@languagepolicy.org
Web: http://languagepolicy.org
Translation Commons
Translation Commons is a nonprofit US public charity powered by translators. We are a volunteer-based online community aiming to help our language community thrive and bridge all the sectors within our industry. We facilitate cross-functional collaboration among the diverse sectors and stakeholders within the language industry and instigate transparency, trust and free knowledge. Our mission is to offer free access to tools and all other available resources, to facilitate community-driven projects, to empower linguists and to share educational and language assets.
Translation Commons Las Vegas, NV USA
(310) 405-4991
Email: krista@translationcommons.org
Web: www.translationcommons.org
Translators without Borders
Originally founded in 1993 in France as Traducteurs sans Frontières by Lori Thicke and Ros Smith-Thomas to link the world’s translators to vetted NGOs that focus on health and education, Translators without Borders (TWB) is a US nonprofit organization that aims to close the language gaps that hinder critical humanitarian efforts worldwide. TWB recognizes that the effectiveness of any aid program depends on delivering information in the language of the affected population.
Languages: 190 language pairs
Translators without Borders
CT USA
Consoltec
Multiple Platforms
Consoltec offers FlowFit-TMS, a web-based translation management system that helps you simplify and optimize your projects, while reducing your administrative costs. FlowFit can also be used for many other project types. FlowFit provides fully customizable web portals for clients, providers and project management. Get an accurate overview of your teams’ workload in real time and select the best available providers. Manage your clients, contacts and internal/external providers effectively with the new CRM features. Use Timesheet to track the time spent on projects and tasks. Connect seamlessly to your favorite CAT tools (memoQ, SDL Studio, LogiTerm) and get comprehensive reports that provide enhanced insight on production, productivity, costs and translation memory efficiency.
Consoltec Montreal, Québec, Canada
(+1) 514 312-2485
Email:
info@consoltec.ca
Web:
www.consoltec.ca
Localize
Localize offers a full-featured, cloud-based content and translation management system that features advanced translation workflows, allowing content managers and translators to propose, review, and publish translations with ease. For companies without in-house translators, we provide access to high-quality, on-demand translations through our network of professional translators. Our easy to install plugin fits neatly into your existing technology stack. The technology powering the Localize Platform was built from the ground up to minimize the need for engineers in the localization process. This reduces costs by enabling nontechnical personnel to manage the localization workflow. Getting started is easy. Start your free trial today!
Languages: All
Localize Kingston, NY, USA
(415) 651-7030
Email:
sales@localizejs.com
Web:
https://localizejs.com
Memsource
Memsource is a leading cloud-based translation management system that enables global companies, translation agencies and translators to collaborate in one secure, online location. Internationally recognized for providing an easy-to-use, yet powerful CAT tool combined with a TMS, Memsource processes two billion words per month from over 200,000 users around the world. Manage your translation projects in real-time in an intelligent platform that accepts over 50 file types and offers REST API, out-of-the-box CMS connectors and powerful workflow automation to save time and money. Join localization professionals from around the world who rely on Memsource to streamline their translation process. To start your free 30-day trial, visit www.memsource.com.
Languages: All
Memsource Prague, Czech Republic
+420 221 490 441
Email:
info@memsource.com
Web:
www.memsource.com
Plunet BusinessManager
Multiple Platforms
Plunet develops and markets the business and workflow management software Plunet BusinessManager — one of the world’s leading management solutions for the translation and localization industry. Plunet BusinessManager provides a high degree of automation and flexibility for professional language service providers and translation departments. Using a web-based platform, Plunet integrates translation software, financial accounting and quality management systems. Various functions and extensions of Plunet BusinessManager can be adapted to individual needs within a configurable system. Basic functions include quote, order and invoice management, comprehensive financial reports, flexible job and workflow management as well as deadline, document and customer relationship management.
Plunet GmbH Berlin, Germany
+49 (0)30-322-971-340
Email: info@plunet.com
Web: www.plunet.com
Smartcat
At Smartcat we believe the translation industry should be better for everyone. We connect linguists, companies and agencies to streamline the translation of any content into every language on demand. Our platform helps you build and manage translation teams, and puts your translation process on autopilot from content creation to payments. The unique features of Smartcat are our marketplace, where you can find translators for any language with one click; our CAT tool, translation using an AI-assisted platform, a team management with full control of your team, suppliers and content and payment automation: pay vendors easily across the globe. You can start experiencing the next generation of translation technologies and boost your translation business efficiency from day one.
Languages: All
Smartcat Cambridge, MA USA
Email:
support@smartcat.ai
Web:
www.smartcat.ai
Smartling
Smartling Translation Cloud is the leading translation management platform and language services provider to localize content across devices and platforms. Smartling’s data-driven approach and visual context capabilities uniquely positions brands for efficiency. Seamlessly connect your CMS, code repository, and marketing automation tools to Smartling’s TMS via prebuilt integrations, web proxy, or REST APIs. No matter the content type, Smartling automation tools help you do more with less. Smartling is the platform of choice for B2B and B2C brands, including InterContinental Hotels Group, GoPro, Shopify, Slack, and SurveyMonkey. The company is headquartered in New York, with offices in Dublin and London. For more information, please visit Smartling.com.
Smartling
New York, NY USA
1-866-707-6278
Wordbee Translator
Web-based
Wordbee is the leading choice for enterprises and language service providers that need to save money and make their company run more efficiently. Wordbee has the most complete feature set of any cloud solution: project management, portal, business analytics, reporting, invoicing and a user-friendly translation editor. Tasks such as project and workflow setup, job assignment, deadline calculation, multiple phase kick-offs and cost management can all be automated in the collaborative translation platform. Also, the Beebox connects CMSs, DMSs or any propriety database source with the TMS of the translation vendor or internal translation team.
Languages: All
Wordbee Soleuvre, Luxembourg
+352 2877 1204
Email:
info@wordbee.com
Web:
www.wordbee.com
Translation Services into Italian
ASTW is an Italian language service provider that offers translation services into Italian. ASTW has historically gained extensive experience in patent translations and is now the provider of numerous international intellectual property consultancy firms. The other specializations include translations in the life science, legal and technical fields. ASTW also offers (light and full) post-editing services for pre-translated texts through machine translation in many areas. Other services include technical writing and medical writing services in English and Italian.
ASTW Genova, Italy
+390100980766
Email: info@a-stw.com
Web: www.a-stw.com/en/contact-us
birotranslations
Founded in 1992, birotranslations specializes in life science, legal, technical, IT and automotive translations into all East European languages (Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Ukrainian). We have a long-term partnership with the world’s top 100 MLVs and many end-clients all around the globe. With our experienced project managers, extensive network of expert linguists and usage of the latest CAT tool technology, your projects will be delivered on time, within budget and with the highest standards of quality. For more information, please contact Mr. Matic Berginc (details below).
Languages: Eastern European languages
birotranslations Ljubljana, Slovenia
+386 590 43 557
Email: projects@birotranslations.com
Web: www.birotranslations.com
GlobalWay Co., Ltd.
As an industry-leading localization company in Korea, GlobalWay has been providing incomparable professional localization services with exceptional quality to partners all around the globe since 2003. We are here to offer language solutions including translation, voiceover, testing, DTP, and engineering services. Our highly qualified in-house linguists in each field of expertise, experienced engineers, and project managers will add value to your growing business. GlobalWay and its long-term global partners are ready to support you on the road to success. Are you looking for a reliable partner? Our doors are wide open for you. Should you need more information, please feel free to contact us.
Languages: 50+ more languages including Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, German, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian.
GlobalWay Co., Ltd. Seoul, South Korea
+82-2-3453-4924
Email: sales@globalway.co.kr
Web: www.globalway.co.kr
Your Partner in Asia and Beyond!
With our headquarters in Korea, our production offices in Vietnam and China, and our sales office in the US, we are in an excellent position to be your Asian language localization partner. For localizing projects from English or German into Asian languages, such as Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian and Burmese, you can trust our professional translation services for IT, software, marketing/transcreation and technical projects. Since our establishment in 1990, we have been at the forefront of the localization industry as one of the Asia Top Ten and the No. 1 LSP in Korea (by CSA Research). ISO17100 certified since 2014.
Languages: More than 54 languages including Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian.
Hansem, Inc.
Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
+82-31-226-5042
Email: info@hansem.com
Web: https://hansem.com/en
iDISC Information Technologies
iDISC, established in 1987, is an ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified language and software company based in Barcelona with branches and teams in Mexico, Brazil, USA, Argentina, Bolivia and Guatemala. We have dedicated teams for web content, software localization and translation of technical, business, automotive, biomedical and marketing documents. Our software development engineers and translation teams provide high-quality and on-time production solutions that are cost-efficient, flexible and scalable.
Languages: Spanish (all variants), Portuguese (all variants), Catalan, Basque, Galician, Valencian, K’iche’, Quechua, Aymara, Guarani
iDISC Information Technologies, S.L. Barcelona, Spain
34-93-778-73-00
Email: info@idisc.com
Web: www.idisc.com
Medical Translations Only
MediLingua is one of the few medical translation specialists in Europe. We only do medical. We provide all European languages and the major languages of Asia and Africa, as well as translation-related services to manufacturers of devices, instruments, in vitro diagnostics and software; pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; medical publishers; national and international medical organizations; and other customers in the medical sector. Projects include the translation of documentation for medical devices, surgical instruments, hospital equipment and medical software; medical information for patients, medical students and physicians; scientific articles; press releases; product launches; clinical trial documentation; medical news; and articles from medical journals.
Languages: 45, including all EU languages
MediLingua Medical Translations BV
Leiden, Netherlands
+31-71-5680862
Email: info@medilingua.com
Web: www.medilingua.com
Rheinschrift Language Services
Outstanding localization requires world-class experience. Rheinschrift gives your business a native voice in the German-speaking world. We offer more than 20 years’ experience providing translations and localizations for software and hardware manufacturers as well as for the sectors of business, technology, legal matters and medicine/medical applications. Our services also range from glossaries, post-editing, project management and desktop publishing services to many other related services. Rely on Rheinschrift to deliver the most competent translations and meet your deadline, whatever it takes.
Languages: German to/from major European languages
Rheinschrift Language Services Cologne, Germany
+49 (0)221-80-19-28-0
Email: contact@rheinschrift.de
Web: www.rheinschrift.de
Translated.
Professional translation services made easy. Crafted by expert humans, powered by technology, efficiently delivered. We have delivered 1.2 million translations in 150 languages to 134,091 clients in 40 macro-domains since 1999, powering the globalization strategy of the most demanding clients. We work hard to make translation services more effective, by enhancing our production processes with great technologies and talented people. A perfect example is T-Rank™, the system that instantly matches your content with the most qualified translator for the job. We offer a wide range of linguistic services that cover all your future needs: Google Ads translation, software localization, subtitling, and APIs to integrate human translation. We open up language to everyone.
Languages: 150 languages and 40 areas of expertise.
Translated Rome, Italy
+390690254001
memoQ
memoQ is a technology provider that has been delivering premium solutions to the translation industry since 2004. For almost 15 years, memoQ has been dedicated to delivering innovation through diverse developments that today help hundreds of thousands of freelance translators, translation companies and enterprises worldwide. Having simplicity and more effective translation processes in mind, memoQ combines ease of use, collaboration, interoperability and leveraging in one single tool. Discover a new world with memoQ, and let our team help optimize your translation processes and make your business more successful.
Languages: All
memoQ Budapest, Hungary
+3618088313
Email: sales@memoq.com
Web: www.memoq.com
SDL plc
SDL is the global innovator in language translation technology, translation services and content management. Over the past 25 years we’ve helped companies deliver transformative business results by enabling powerful, nuanced digital experiences with customers around the world. SDL is the leading provider of translation software to the translation industry and SDL Trados Studio is recognized globally as the preferred computer-assisted translation tool of government, commercial enterprises, language service providers and freelance translators.
Languages: All
SDL plc
Maidenhead, United Kingdom
+44-1628-417227
Advertiser Index
Column
Takeaway
Howie Berman
Howie Berman is executive director for ACTFL, with 18 years of experience working with nonprofit membership organizations. He serves on the executive committees of the Trust for Insuring Educators (TIE) and the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL).
The US proposed budget and language skills
The need for multilingual individuals is growing at a rapid pace in our workforce, in the public sector and, most importantly, in our classrooms — be they virtual or in-person. We are living in a more interconnected and interdependent world — a world where knowing a second (or even third) language is critical to being successful in a 21st-century global economy.
According to a 2019 survey by ACTFL, nearly one in four US employers acknowledged losing or being unable to pursue a business opportunity over a singular lack of language skills.
Statistics like these indicate an alarming trend. As the world language skills gap in the US economy continues to grow, the number of qualified teachers continues to fall. The language education profession is facing incredible challenges when it comes to teacher recruitment and retention. As of 2018, 44 states and Washington, D.C. currently report shortages of qualified language teachers.
Thanks for reading our May/June 2020 issue!
