MT and TM technologies in localization industry: the challenge of integration

MT Summit VII Sept. 1999 MT and TM Technologies in Localization Industry: The Challenge of Integration Nikolai Puntikov STAR SPB (Russia) Ltd. P.O.Box 703. St.Petersburg 199053 Russian Federation E-mail: Nick@star.spb.ru Abstract The objective of this paper is to clarify certain technological aspects of the localization busi- ness process. An introduction to the Transla- tion Memory (TM) technology is provided, followed by an analysis of how TM and Ma- chine Translation (MT), when used together, can increase productivity in software locali- zation workflow applications. A special section is devoted to the issue of standard exchange mechanisms to represent translation memory data so that they can be shared among users of different TM and MT tools. 1. Introduction: Localization Indus- try Software manufacturing is a field where internation- alization is such a crucial factor in the success of a product that the localization process often begins while the product is still in its development stage. Ac- tivities in the localization business process include: • Translation of documentation and help files • Localization of user interfaces • Verification, validation and software testing • Maintenance of terminology • Desktop publishing • Document management and version control • Workflow management A common setup accepted in the localization indus- try often implies three levels of the business model: (1) A software publisher is responsible for author- ing and preparing language-dependent resources with the aim of making the localization process as quick as possible. (2) For the purpose of localization, the publisher looks for a service provider to outsource work for as many languages as the provider can han- dle. In many cases, this also includes compila- tion and testing of the localized software. (3) Finally, service providers are no more mere translation agencies. They are international networks that tie together translators and vali- dators spread all over the world. The Localization Industry Standards Association (LISA) was founded in 1990 in Switzerland as private, non-profit organization. LISA defines its mission as “promoting the localization industry and providing a mechanism and services to enable companies to ex- change and share information on the development of processes, tools, technologies and business models connected with localization, internationalization and related topics” ([LISA99]). LISA’s current membership of 130 leading players from all around the world includes software publish- ers, hardware manufacturers, localization service ven- dors, and an increasing number of companies from vertical business sectors. One thing is certain in the world of localization – with the modern requirements to the time-to-market and quality factors, no localization would be possible without appropriate productivity tools. The focus of this paper is on tools used by service providers for the purpose of translation, verification, validation, and terminology management. All major developers of commercial tools are LISA members. According to the 1997 and 1998 Localiza- tion Industry Surveys ([LISA99]), all localization service providers use either commercial or proprietary tools. In this paper, I will discuss how translation workflow is organized in a typical localization com- pany; define a suitable role for an MT system in …

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