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Localization

Content operations Localization

Replatforming with localization in mind

A wise woman recently said, “replatforming structured content is annoying and expensive.” This is doubly so when it comes to localization.

Replatforming nearly always involves content change—the new system may store content differently or require a different format or structure. Although the changes may affect your existing localization process, some of these changes may be for the better.

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Content strategy Localization

Managing multiple languages in the authoring process

Employees are (and should be) hired for their knowledge and skill, not necessarily their multilingual skills. In a global organization with many offices worldwide, the result is a diverse team with content developers and contributors that speak many different languages. Collaborating on content development—especially on the same document—can be difficult if employees do not speak the same language fluently (or at all).

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Localization Opinion

Is Google Translate good enough?

Machine translation continues to evolve. With artificial intelligence in the mix, machine translations seem almost human. Google Translate is one of the top players in this market, supplying everything from basic text translation to browser-embedded (Chrome) translation to a robust translation API. But even with all of these options, is Google Translate good enough?

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Localization

Localization strategy: improving time to market

This post is part of a series on the value proposition of localization strategies.

You can make localization “better” by taking a look at localization value. Quality and cost are important value factors, but improved time to market returns the greatest value.

Improving time to market for localized products and content is no easy task. It’s not as simple as adding more translators to the effort; that may cause more problems (and more delays). Improving time to market involves moving localization up the project chain, and to do so effectively requires a localization strategy.

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Localization

Making localization “better”

This post is the first in a series about the value proposition of localization strategies. You can also see a presentation on this topic at LavaCon this October.

Localization issues are a primary reason companies seek help with a new content strategy. One of the most common questions we hear is, “How do we make our localization process better?”

When we’re asked this question, we turn the question around. What is wrong with your current localization process? What would you like to improve? How do you define “better?”

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Localization

Localization testing: it’s not just translation

It takes considerable planning and effort to run a successful localization project, from following best practices to evaluating vendors to finding and fixing the weakest link in the localization chain. But the localization process does not end when you receive the translations. Localization testing is necessary for ensuring that your content and products are ready for a distributed global release.

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Localization

Localization: are you the weakest link?

There is an old proverb that says, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” While many of the links in the chain could be quite strong, it only takes one weak link to break the chain. There is one process chain in particular where this proverb rings true: localization. However, more often than not, little or nothing is done to identify and strengthen the weakest link in that process.

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Localization Opinion

Localization, scalability, and consistency

When companies need to change the way they’re producing content, localization and scalability can be two of the biggest motivating factors. If your company’s content is not consistent, you may face significant challenges with translating it into new languages or distributing it via new platforms. A content strategy that embraces consistency and emphasizes planning for the future will help your company navigate these changes more smoothly.

Things have changed since we wrote this! Check out the latest post here with new insights from our team.

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Localization

Localization best practices (premium)

Localization—the process of adapting content to a specific locale—is a critical requirement for global companies. It’s often treated as a necessary evil, but this is shortsighted. The quality of localization efforts affects the company’s bottom line.

More than ever, products and services are sought, purchased, and consumed in multiple language markets. Proper localization practices are critical to drive sales, and they can save you time and money in production.

This article describes best practices for efficient, effective localization.

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