Internationalization Vs Localization

By Author: Com Translation
Total Articles: 7
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The activities of a translation company mainly revolve around translating matter from one language to another without distorting the meanings from their relevant context. Simple though this may sound, a well-executed project of a translation company involves a culmination of terminology research, editing and proof reading as well.

With growing needs of enterprises to expand across multiple geographical locations, often crossing the linguistic barrier, it becomes essential to add a local touch to their portfolio of services. Companies that convey local knowledge and awareness in the way they interact with prospective customers are able to effectively blend into the local markets of a region. In such cases, mere translation of the range of services and products offered does not suffice, and this is where localization is needed. In localization, many other activities also come into play. These are converting of translated documents into various formats, development of software and online help and manuals, testing and multilingual support for projects. A team of qualified and experienced multi lingual experts can efficiently ...
... complete a localization project from start to finish because they bring together the complementary skills needed for its execution.

With several products finding their way in hands of customers all over the globe, manufacturers have to keep up with the challenge of finding the right translation company to partner with. Language engineering is a multidimensional field and it requires a practical and fair understanding of the concepts of internalization, localization and globalization.

Internationalization is the process wherein a product is generalized such that it can be developed in multiple languages without major changes in the design approach and document creation. Usually internalization is a precursor to the localization phase. During internationalization, care is taken to ensure that the text which may require translation is separated from the source code and placed in separate files. Also internalization requires capability to support character sets and font of a particular language. Internationalization is not applicable only for software products. It also applies for website content, online help and other documentation.

Globalization is needed after internationalization and requires support from sales and marketing functions as well.

Localization involves making changes to a product to suit the particular location or language where and in which it is likely to be used. A good translation company does localization projects comprising of translation, desktop publishing, testing. Since a product that has been localized well contributes in a major way to the success of the product in a market and its acceptance by local users, only the services of a reputable translation company should be availed. Accurate translation is required to correctly describe the features and characteristics of a product. Appropriate and well balanced mix of translation tools, technology and manual translation ensures the best quality of services at a fair price.

As a leading player in the field of translation, localization and internationalization, we welcome any opportunity to serve you. If you are interested in discussing your requirements related to internalization, localization or translation, please contact us today for a quick translation quote.
ComTranslations is a reliable translation service provider providing a comprehensive range of multilingual translation solutions in over 140 languages.