ARC303 Planning a Global Release: Many Countries, Many Languages, One Process Houman PournassehRuss Rolfe Program ManagerProgram Manager Global Platform Technology & Services Microsoft Corporation *

Agenda Goals for international software development International “to do”s in a worldwide product development model: EnvisionPlanDevelopStabilizeDeploySummaryResources

International Users Need: Define formatting for date, time, numbers, … Select a User Interface (UI) language Solutions for their local needs

Challenges of Internationalization Historical: Per-language approach to development Technical: Monolingual technologies poorly adapted for internationalization Attitude: Cultural challenge Seen as a side task for localization Overlooked ROI *

Vision: Create a single world-wide binary that: Meets international users needs Language, cultural and market specific Reduces development effort and cost No separate source code No special environment to create bits Eases support and maintenance pain Unified support fixes Language neutral administration and deployment Allows the ability to simultaneously- ship or add pluggable language packs *

Internationalization World-ReadinessLocalization GlobalizationLocalizability The High-Level View MarketCustomization Customizability

Product Cycle Model Microsoft Solutions Framework Vision/Scope Approved Scope Complete Deploy Stabilize Develop Release Readiness Approved Deployment Complete PlanPlan Envision Development phases Goals and deliverables

cost of fix envision plan development stabilization releasesupport How to reach goals Shipping Quality International Software Desired Goals Impact as little as possible: Functional requirements ScheduleBudget Coding and technology Customer’s acceptance Typical time to start internationalization The right time to start

Team Structure and Goals Delivering the solution Approving the release Deployment & ongoing operations Working with customers to create vision Every team member has internationalization responsibility Test Product Management Program Management Development Release Management Localization *

Envisioning Internationalization Identify target markets, cultures, and languages Cultural study Define global functionality Language study Define per-language requirements Which languages to support Which languages to localize Local market study Define analysis for Return On Investment Define market specific functionality Expose possible legal & geopolitical issues Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy *

Envisioning Internationalization (cont’d) Project staffing Identify in-country partners Resource for studies Possible Internationalization testing Localization review Start looking for localization vendors Basic features: any language, anywhere Localization based on pluggable UI Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy

Planning Internationalization Functional specifications Define language-specific features Identify market-specific features Address per-country legal & geopolitical issues Utilize platform’s Globalization Services Plan for localizability UI prototypes: build for localization Pluggable resources, per-language layout Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy

Planning Internationalization (cont’d) Detailed master test plan Cover global functionality and localizability Define language-neutral test tools Define pseudo-localization tool Prepare globalized test suites Localization plan Define tier-levels and languages for each tier Define pilot languages Define the level of translation for each language User interface & content User assistance Documentation Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy *

Develop World-Readiness Developers: implement the specs Development is based on global requirements Use Globalization Services Follow world-ready best practices in: EncodingFonts EncodingFonts InputComplex Scripts Complex ScriptsComplex Scripts Locale and Cultural Awareness Locale and Cultural Awareness Multilingual User interface Multilingual User interface LocalizabilityMirroring LocalizabilityMirroring CustomizabilityGeopolitical Compliance Geopolitical ComplianceGeopolitical Compliance Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy

Develop World-Readiness (cont’d) PMs: Analyze interfaces for worldwide usage Analyze interfaces for worldwide usage Localization owners: Plan for translation Start localization pilots after Visual Freeze Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy *

Stabilize Testing for world-readiness Run globalized test Goal: verify that functionality is global Any language, any culture, in every scenario Coverage Multilingual text handling Processing of multiple scripts Proper handling of encodings Cultural awareness Following the locale or user’s settings Sustaining environment changes Market-specific code: just another feature Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy *

Stabilize Types of test to globalize Specification-basedModel-based Code coverage Performance Hardware and application compatibility Usability Functionality (spec-driven) test Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy

Localize Product Cycle Model Development phases Goals and deliverables Vision/ScopeApproved ScopeComplete Deploy Stabilize Develop Release Readiness Approved DeploymentComplete PlanPlan Envision

Localization Task Adapt the product’s language and culture for a given market Key players Localization PM, localization engineers, localizers Exit criteria Localized beta build or release candidate Localized beta build or release candidate Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy

Localization Team Localization PM: Coordinates between development and localization team Monitors coding practices to ensure localizability Drives to visual freeze as soon as feasible Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy

Localization Team (cont’d) Localization engineers: Manage terminology database Prepare localizability and localization guidelines Ensure enough information available for localizers Verify localization is correct and guidelines followed Localizers: Have technical knowledge as well as language Translate text Localize UI layout, graphics and multimedia Adapt the build process Redesign packaging Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy *

Stabilize Testing for world-readiness II Test localizability See or foresee the results of localization Does not break functionality Done without actual translation Pseudo-Localization Testing localization Linguistically correct Cosmetically acceptable Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy *

Major Processes of World-Ready Development

Deploy Release to the world International Beta releases May be possible for pilot languages Reaching local markets may some times be more important than localization Simultaneously ship all languages Good for business Recovers possible lost revenue Sim-ship tiered languages Resource dependent Envision Plan Develop Stabilize Deploy

Globalized Product Cycle Tasks Design to the globalized specifications Focus on the language-neutrality of the code Develop localizable code Run globalized functional test Verify localizability; localize afterwards Run Beta program internationally Ship all features for language support simultaneously Develop common support and maintenance plan Deploy Stabilize Develop PlanPlan Envision *

Resources General guidelines on internationalization: General guidelines on internationalization: General questions: General questions: Developing International Software: (available at the Tech-Ed bookstore) *

Resources Microsoft Solutions Framework: fault.asp?url=/technet/itsolutions/tandp/ innsol/default.asp fault.asp?url=/technet/itsolutions/tandp/ innsol/default.asp Testing Software for World-Readiness: dev/wrtesting.mspx dev/wrtesting.mspx

Resources Tech-Ed 2005 Break-out Sessions ASP.NET 2.0: Going Global Gets Easier! New Localization Features in ASP.NET 2.0 WEB326 Deploying Office 2003 in a Multilingual Environment DSK345 Deploying Windows XP in a Multilingual Environment DSK350 Databases for the World: Best Practices for Search in Multilingual Data Sets Using SQL Server Collation for Sorting and Indexing DBA319 Microsoft Business Solutions–Axapta: A Truly Global Business Application BAP347 TitleCode Supporting East Asian Languages in Global Exchange Deployments MSG369.NET Framework: Think Global! Custom Cultures and International Data DEV323 Databases for the World: Designing Multilingual Databases Using SQL Server 2005 DAT290

Resources Houman and Russ Available today from 5 - 6pm, Architecture Cabana Dr. International’s Clinic Booth in the Community Cabana International Experts available all week long

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