Software localization

Localization is a key competitive advantage in the target national marketplace.

The launch of any software programme on the international market is senseless without localization. High quality, understandable translation is mandatory, but alone this is not enough. Local users expect culture-specific menu items, commands, and program features. For example: date and time in local format, correct list sorting, appropriate use of the right currencies and measurement formats, etc. In highly competitive markets, localization is essential in ensuring customer satisfaction and, therefore, an integral part of success. Experienced localization professionals from ABBYY Language Services will make your product available for the local audience.

Localization - what is different from pure translation?

Software Localization is the modification of a product to include support for the cultural norms of a target country, including the specific language required in that country.
Localization covers the following issues:

Translation of user interface, online help and documentation
Adjusting the programme to become locale-sensitive and to behave according to local expectations (e.g. sorting, formatting of numbers, dates, time, and currencies)
Adding or removing certain functionality in accordance to local market needs
Ensuring that the language, layout, iconography and color schemes used in the application are appropriate to the local culture
Building, testing and debugging the localized version

Thus, localization is much more than simply the translation of a product's user interface.
Software localization unites linguistics and software development. ABBYY Language Services is experienced in both.

Please contact us for further inquiries.
ABBYY Language Services provides a full range of software localization services. We are ready to undertake localizability testing as well as translation and localization testing issues. Our services include:

I. Localizability Testing

This stage ensures the technical potential to adapt the product for local market needs. Testing identifies places where localization can either create end-user problems, or break your software, including:

hard-coded strings, space limitations, concatenation problems and fonts.
support for non-ASCII characters in foreign languages, including double-byte - in GUI and in input fields.
programme behavior according to local expectations (e.g. sorting, formatting of numbers, dates, time, and currencies)
build/run problems on the target OS.

We will prepare a comprehensive report on the testing performed and recommendations on how to make your software localizable.

II. Translation and adaptation

This stage includes the following actions:

Creating a glossary to maintain consistency of terminology and style.
Processing knowledge of existing translation memories.
Translation of interface messages.
Translation, editing and proofreading of help system and documents.
Taking localized screen shots
Recompilation of localized software.

Upon completion of the translation the entire Translation Memory that has been created will be provided to you for free. Further maintenance of the translation (e.g., handing updates or translating new versions of the software) will use accumulated TM, significantly reducing costs.

III. Quality Assurance

A strong team of skilled testers and editors at ABBYY Language Services ensures a high quality of localization. A localized product runs two levels of quality assurance:

Linguistic testing - native testers oversee all UI and ensure that the translations, layout, iconography and color schemes used in the application are appropriate and of a high quality.
Functional regression testing - re-running your usual functionality tests on the localized version.