Localization Services

Localization services are vitally necessary to any market expansion project, especially if there is a difference in language and culture. Your company and your products can be placed before the target as well as broader audience through localization, which ensure smooth and trouble free acceptance displaying an international image of your company. Localization ensures cultural acceptability by removing the barriers of language and any offensive graphics, symbols, colors, geographic significance, etc.

What is Localization and How is it Different from Translation?
Localization is a more complex cultural communication concept. While translation refers to the conversion of words and content into another written language, localization means the process of combining technology and language to make a product that can cross cultural and language barriers. It is the process of combining graphics, images, symbolic representations of language and culture, with translated words. Localization conveys to viewers both the substance and cultural meaning of communicated messages.

Besides translation of text, localization covers a wider area , which includes the translation of the following:

• Cultural, content, technical issues
• Icons
• Time displays
• Calendar Formatting
• Local conventions
• Numbers and currency
• Measurement systems
• Legal conventions
• Character encodings & fonts
• Currency conversions

Importance of Localization
In this advanced age of technology, instant communication is very essential to capture and retain a customer's business. Customers the world over whether residing in Los Angeles, Tokyo, India, China, London are similar and it is very important to adapt to each area's customs, cultures and markets. Localization, also known as internationalization or globalization, enables any product to become localize. It helps a particular product or service to a particular language, culture, and the desired local "look-and-feel." An internationalized or globalized product is therefore easier to localize. Whether scientific, commercial or legal, localization ensures that your message gets the focused treatment.

Process of Localization
The localization process undertaken by translation companies are as follows:

• Your source materials and web site content are analyzed, examined by experienced localization engineers who assess the requirements and establishes activities to be performed.
  
  
• The job passes over to the translators. The software or web site is translated using the latest localization and memory tools by a team of translators, who follows instructions, translates the project, and delivers feedback and checklist.
  
  
• From the translator, the job is passed over to the Proofreaders who proofreads the project.
  
  
• Engineering and testing of the software or web site are done at the next step. Engineers and domain experts integrates translation and the process includes resizing the user interface, assigning hot-keys and either compiling or publishing the translated text. Any translated text and new graphics are incorporated into the final help and documentation.
  
  
• The product then passes through rigorous quality assurance to final delivery.

Types of Localization

• Website Localization/Translation
• Software Localization/Translation