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.
Traveling to Amsterdam soon? Want to blend in and look like a real kaaskoppen, sipping jenever and munching on Hollandse Nieuwe, or perhaps some Vlaamse friet and satehsaus? Read on for a taste of real Dutch culture from a real Dutch person. Guest author Aart Balk gives you a sense of what you won’t want to miss in the vibrant heart of The Netherlands (aka Holland).
Unless you work at the UN, real-time translation isn’t always easy to find. Mobile translation apps make it easy to take a translator with you wherever you go. Unlike language apps that teach you a foreign language, translator apps can help you have a face-to-face conversation in an unfamiliar tongue, decipher street signs, and decode foreign phrases without having to acquire an entirely new vocabulary.
Calling all localization geeks (and we know you're out there)! Have you got burning questions standing in between you and your multilingual software release or global web launch? Jon Ritzdorf, Acclaro's own in-house localization guru, and self-avowed geek, has made himself available to answer questions about any technical localization issue your heart desires.
Turkey may not be the first place in mind when you think of global expansion, but the country merits serious consideration if you want to establish a presence throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
The country’s future is bright, its people friendly, but there’s an expectation of serious commitment when you bring your company under the moon star (ay yildiz) flag. The Turkish proverb, “Bir kahvenin kirk yil hatiri vardir” (A cup of coffee is remembered for 40 years) speaks to both the social and serious nature of an investment in the region.
In this blog post, we’ll take a brief survey of the business case for Turkey as well as a few cultural guideposts you’ll want to heed when you make the move.
Join us in a celebration of our two-year partnership with NetApp, and learn how Acclaro has helped NetApp with reviews of localized marketing materials for simship in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland, Russia, Israel, Brazil, Korea, Japan, UK, Mexico, Hong Kong, and China.
Do you manage marketing translation and localization projects internally for your company? If your company is new to the concept of going global, you’ve probably encountered a few common problems with communication, project flow, and writing for translation. Don’t worry…with a little effort, you can reduce these hassles.
We’ve put together a few tips that will help you reduce the cost and improve the quality of your translation and localization projects. Integrating these initiatives with your teams can have a profound impact on the reputation of your brand in international markets. Even better, you should see your team’s stress level decrease with improved processes in place.
As Acclaro gets ready to celebrate our 10th anniversary, we're taking a look back at some trends that have changed the way we do business today.
Throughout the history of the translation industry, human translation has always been the best way to get the best quality. Over the past ten years, however, machine translation has matured into a viable solution for more and more industries. Translation is not just cryptography. Language is often a fluid and illogical medium and good translation requires fluent knowledge and careful attention to detail and nuance, something that computers just don't do very well. However, that doesn't mean they aren't trying...or at least, getting better.
Machine translation. It sounds simple, right? Rather than use a human translator, you put the burden on a computer. How hard could it be?
That depends, of course, on how much you value making sense from what you’ve translated. And that depends on what — and how much — you’re translating in the first place.
Machine Translation (MT) is a powerful and evolving solution to the complexities companies face when they must quickly and inexpensively make large amounts of information available to international audiences.
In this six question Q&A we’ll give you the “nuts and bolts” (if you will) about the current state of MT and how it might help you save time and money on your next translation project.
When you’re scanning the globe for a few hundred million new customers, China might naturally come to mind. While China may very well be your next source of international growth, it’s not an easy place for foreign investors and U.S.-based businesses to get a foothold. Global companies stumble time and again attempting to access China’s lucrative market. In this post, we’ve put together seven ways you can make the road to Chinese expansion easier to travel.
Opening up global markets online isn’t merely a matter of buying a domain name in other countries and translating product descriptions. To earn a return that truly justifies an investment in international eCommerce, you’ll want to go beyond the basics of translation.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at ten key factors which have a direct impact on your ability to maximize the lucrative traffic of international buyers. Whether you’re thinking about Brazil, China, Turkey, or beyond, you’ll need to work with a partner who can help you cover these crucial aspects of localizing your shopping cart and customer experience.
Can a zip code get in the way of profits? If you're a business looking to tap into overseas markets, shipping internationally can cause some unexpected headaches. From postal codes that have less than five digits to not knowing the correct customs procedures when shipping to places like Brazil, Saudi Arabia, or Japan, potential pitfalls abound. However, as many major companies in the US are finding out, you can set up your site to make shipping and deliveries abroad simple. All it takes is some research and preparation to embrace markets that are waiting for your products. Read on for our top tips for shipping internationally.
When is a software localization project truly done? Is “satisfactory” in the eyes of your user truly enough to protect and promote your business globally? A savvy translation partner will make sure you’re covered in all aspects of going global with your software, not only with the basics of localization, but also with the devilish details described in today's post.
Complete software localization means taking the time to go beyond code prep, translation, editing, cultural analysis and mission-critical testing. In this post we’ll look at six often neglected aspects of software localization and explain why leaving these areas out of your localization project could be a costly mistake.
If ignored, tetraphobia — literally, fear of the number four — could be deadly for your brand in Asian markets. So what is this common superstition and how can you avoid falling into its trap when expanding your business into China, Japan, Korean, and other East Asian countries? And why are we so brazenly flirting with Fate by posting this on the fourth day of the fourth month? Read on to find out more....
The 2012 Disposable Film Festival, a wonderfully "lo-fi" yet decidedly global short film event, took place recently at San Francisco's gorgeous Castro Theatre. The requirements for consideration are that your film be shot on "anything you might have on you" (according to the submission guidelines), and have a runtime of under ten minutes, Our intrepid in-house cinephile, Stephanie Engelsen, reports on the best of the shortest from around the world.
Pardon us while we toot our own horns for a minute, but we have reason to brag. Our biannual client satisfaction survey was recently released and our clients love us ... they really love us. We are top-of-the-class when it comes to overall satisfaction, and on the honor roll for communication, flexibility, and translation quality. Read on for more info and to view the press release.
The 2012 Website Globalization Report Card is out, and now is a good time to get a view into this year’s best globalized websites. We’ll take a look at the factors driving this year’s ranking as well as the criteria used to judge how well companies are performing on a global scale. The biggest players are doubling down on their international reach, and for good reason.
While Google and Facebook continue the battle for the top spot, others have lost ground to companies aggressively upping their international game. Read our coverage of The Best 25 Global Websites for 2012 and discover who’s on the move.
Are you a retail company looking to go global? Acclaro President Michael Kriz provides some pointers to navigate international cross-channel marketing and create an optimal customer experience…no matter where (or how) your customers interact with you.
Kraft Foods created the name “Mondelez International” for a portion of their international snack business. Unfortunately, part of that name carries a, shall we say, decidedly NSFW meaning for Russian speakers. How did Kraft negotiate the slip-up? Read on to find out.
Acclaro is 10! Break out the non-alcoholic sparkling beverage! (while champagne would be more fitting, 10 year-olds shouldn't imbibe, after all). We are pleased to announce our first decade of providing business translation services to clients across a multitude of industries.
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