Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 1 Reinhard Schäler, ADAPT Localisation Consultants Ltd. New Media Localisation

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 2 Overview u Background u Findings u Recommendations

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 3 Background EU’s IST Programme From Language Engineering (LE) to Human Language Technologies (HLT) A mandate (by industry) for the European Commission (EC)  CALL Centres  Advanced Communications  E-Commerce  Localisation

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 4 The LingLink Study Interviews - research - feedback LISA GA Madrid Executive round table review and validation of preliminary results SLIG ‘98 Micro study phase and review Presentation / Publication Launch of IST Programme August ‘98 8 October ‘98 December ‘98 Identify business areas that are promising for LE R&D over the next five years, to pave the way for calls for proposals in the Fifth Framework Programme.

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 5 The study A strategic assessment of the localisation industry –not a market survey Needs and potential –in relation to HLT and the IST Programme Focus –digital content and multimedia applications Client –European Commission Source –analysis of 3rd party research and –interviews with industry leaders

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 6 The localisation industry is the catalyst for the inclusive, multilingual information society. “Any language that is not captured in this electronic world will soon become obsolete.” David Brooks, Director International Product Strategy, Microsoft

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 7 Human Language Technologies (HLT) Multilingual Software = Multilingual Information Society Preservation of linguistic diversity cultural heritage Development of business growth competitive advantage Inclusion of all countries and sections of society in the Global Village Political focusBusiness focus

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 8 Report overview Clarification of concepts Aspects of localisation origins main players business models and trends rationale A tidal wave of change Recommendations

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 9 Concepts If one day software applications were truly internationalised, localisation could be reduced to a simple, straighforward translation job. Localisation fixes problems. A business strategy addressing issues such as world-wide marketing, sales and support.

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 10 Aspects of localisation origins main players business models and trends rationale What we see is just the tip of the iceberg.

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 11 The world-wide IT Market Source: NSD

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 12 Who is localising? Everyone is localising nowadays - a simple translation is not good enough anymore. Pictograms and textual representations are coming more to the fore. Software companies are the pioneers, but everyone will have to come this way eventually. Geoffrey Kingscott (1998)

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 13 The business of computing (hardware, software, services), communications (telephony, cable, satellite), and content (publishing, entertainment, advertising) are collapsing to create a new industry sector. This new media industry is the engine of the new economy and will be critical to leading a successful transition. The rise of this new sector and the transformation of corresponding markets is forcing every company to rethink its very existence... Don Tapscott

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 14 MediaTelecomComputer transport network operators enduser technologies hardware/software Convergence Media Telecommunications Computer Media Industry content production content packaging Source:The content challenge

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 15 L10N IT Framework for convergence Multilingual aspects of convergence

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 16 Vectors of scalability and growth Localisation Vectors of scalability and growth Content Europe Documents Manuals Asia Global CD-ROM Online Pure Internet-based General Technical Any Content Idea: Roger Jeantry, IC Geography / Languages Medium of delivery

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 17 Localisation The provision of services and technologies for the management of multilinguality across the global information flow.

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 18 Recommendations Strategic Tactical

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 19 Recommendations Strategic

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 20 The problem with collaborative EC-funded R&D Industry does not always see the relevance and pay-off Universities and researchers are not market driven European citizens have not noticed what is going on...

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 21 The underlying reason ? Collaborative mission critical and core technologies are highly confidential EC bureaucracies cannot respond adequately to fast changing needs and requirements Funded European R&D Heterogenous consortia spend much time on achieving consensus, high overheads, many projects-low budgets Changes are imperative.

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 22 A solution: building the R&D support infrastructure HLT in Europe Business and EC-funded HLT Driving innovation & providing an infrastructure Linguistic resources Workflow Climate Education & training Core product development Leading edge technologies Competitive advantage Buy-in The inclusive information society

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 23 Solution: building an R&D support infrastructure HLT and Localisation European Linguistic Resources Workflows Climatic change Training and education

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 24 Recommendations Tactical

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 25 Action Processes and workflows Cultural issues Working globally Tools access & adaptation Linguistic resources Internationalisation Standards and formats Voice translation Internet Electronic content

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 26 The future use of translation technology Value of informationType of information High Medium Low Either mission critical or creative To be read or referenced Accuracy and presentation Brochures, user interface etc. Mass volume of material Better than gisting: it has to be accurate Manuals, EC laws and regulations CADCAM documents Non-mission critical Information glot, gisting market ‘Article on Picasso written in Japanese’ Information that wants to be translated ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Move 1: Tools moving to higher value translation. Move 2: More information that wants to be translated.

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 27 Web Localisation Contents Volume Variety Dynamism Strategy Pricing Branding Channels Tools Currency Tax Management Multilingual search engines Translation Culture Europe’s leading edge

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 28 …the need to handle, control and translate large amounts of text into a variety of languages within a time limit, within a tight budget and according to strict quality guidelines as well as the need to adapt - not just to translate - products to the culture and locale of the target market. IT provides the framework for the convergence of these activities. The localisation industry provides the framework for the convergence of the multilingual aspects of these activities. Localisation is becoming the catalyst for electronic multilingual production and publishing. On the background of these developments, the concept of localisation is being redefined as the provision of services and technologies for the management of multilinguality “across the global information flow”. Timely and cost-effective delivery of high quality digital content to the global market place has become a major growth area for the localisation industry, which has opened this relatively narrow industry to a wider range of players. Conclusions    

Localisation Consultants Ltd. Adapt 29 Contacts WEB SITES LRC HLT Central Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd., Roebuck Castle UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4, IRELAND Tel , Fax Reinhard Schäler