Talk:Localization/Archive 1

message: People may type 'L10n': they don't say 'ell-ten-en'.
Also known as customization and even as internationalization, all leading to a tragic removal of local know-how, technology and other achievements.
The number one promoters are software companies gathered under LISALISA
Localization Industry Standards Association - Localization Best ...
The Localization Industry Standards Association Consists of over 200 corporate
clients and their globalization solutions partners -- the LISA provides best ... 
Category: Top/Computers/Software/Globalization
Another fine example is from a report for the European Union
 1 
eContent Localisation Study – FINAL REPORT 
FINAL REPORT 
eContent Localisation 
SPICE-PREP II: 
Export potential and linguistic customisation 
of digital products and services 
Prepared by EPS Ltd and Equipe Consortium 
Ltd 
October 2000 
Contacts: 
Leonie Nicholas, Project Manager 
EPS Ltd. 
26, Rosebery Avenue 
London 
EC1R 4SX 
Tel: +44 20 7837 3345 
Email: leonie@epsltd.com 
Rose Lockwood, Lead Consultant 
Equipe Consortium Ltd. 
(a subsidiary of Berlitz GlobalNet) 
31 Panton Street 
Cambridge 
UK 
Tel: +44 1223 350 340 
Email: rose.lockwood@equipe.co.uk 
1. Management summary: eContent localisation - prospects for Europe ......................................... 4
eContent Localisation Study – FINAL REPORT 
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Introduction....................................................................................................................................... 4 
Headlines............................................................................................................................................ 4 
Positive findings.............................................................................................................................. 4 
Neutral findings............................................................................................................................... 5 
Negative findings ............................................................................................................................. 5 
Opportunities for eContent Localisation.......................................................................................... 5 
What is localisation? .......................................................................................................................... 6 
Web site localisation in Europe: performance of individual countries.......................................... 7 
Drivers for eContent localisation ...................................................................................................... 8 
eContent players - driven to localise................................................................................................ 9 
Barriers to eContent localisation ...................................................................................................... 9 
Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 10 
Overview of recommendations........................................................................................................ 11 
Description of key recommendations.............................................................................................. 11 
Industry ......................................................................................................................................... 11 
Member States............................................................................................................................... 13 
European Union ............................................................................................................................. 14 
Matrix of recommendations ............................................................................................................ 16 
Guide to the matrix of recommendations ....................................................................................... 16 
Matrix of recommendations ............................................................................................................ 17 
2. Measuring the opportunity............................................................................................................ 19 
The web is driving an increase in international business.............................................................. 19 
Advantage of English..................................................................................................................... 20 
Localisation rates in Europe........................................................................................................... 21 
Uneven progress for European e-business ..................................................................................... 22 
Volume of internationalised content and potential for localisation ............................................. 22 
Counting the cost........................................................................................................................... 23 
Two sides to the coin ........................................................................................................................ 24 
New Value Chains and Channels for Localisation Services ......................................................... 25 
Supply: premium on web-related services for localisation............................................................. 25 
Demand: business benefits from localisation................................................................................. 26 
New tools and processes for globalisation services........................................................................ 27 
3. Languages on the web - the European scene ............................................................................... 29 
Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 29 
Aims and objectives ....................................................................................................................... 29 
Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 29 
Aggregated European results.......................................................................................................... 31 
To what degree are European web sites localised? ........................................................................ 31 
Average number of languages available on European web sites.................................................... 33 
European web sites – overall performance..................................................................................... 33 
In which languages is European web content available? ............................................................... 35 
Analysis by type of site..................................................................................................................... 36 
To what degree are consumer/business/public sector sites localised?............................................ 36 
4. Findings by sector ......................................................................................................................... 42 
Commercial publishers .................................................................................................................... 42 
Business drivers ............................................................................................................................. 42 
Process and tools........................................................................................................................... 44 
Supply and demand ........................................................................................................................ 47
eContent Localisation Study – FINAL REPORT 
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Corporate publishers ....................................................................................................................... 48 
Business drivers ............................................................................................................................. 48 
Process and tools........................................................................................................................... 52 
Supply and demand ........................................................................................................................ 53 
Digital entertainment industry........................................................................................................ 54 
Business drivers ............................................................................................................................. 54 
Process and tools........................................................................................................................... 56 
Supply and demand ........................................................................................................................ 58 
Interactive advertising ..................................................................................................................... 59 
Business drivers ............................................................................................................................. 59 
Process and tools........................................................................................................................... 60 
Supply and demand ........................................................................................................................ 61 
Language services............................................................................................................................ 61 
Language services have expanded far beyond translation.............................................................. 61 
Who’s in the market? ..................................................................................................................... 63 
The role of technology ................................................................................................................... 64 
5. Conclusions and recommendations.............................................................................................. 68 
Headlines.......................................................................................................................................... 68 
Positive findings............................................................................................................................ 68 
Neutral findings............................................................................................................................. 68 
Negative findings ........................................................................................................................... 68 
Conclusions of the study .................................................................................................................. 69 
What drives eContent localisation?................................................................................................ 69 
Barriers to exploitation................................................................................................................... 72 
Recommendations for action........................................................................................................... 75 
Overview of recommendations........................................................................................................ 75 
1. Awareness .................................................................................................................................... 76 
1A. Wide dissemination of the eContent localisation study........................................................... 76 
1B. Multilingual eContent Europe portal ....................................................................................... 76 
2. Content......................................................................................................................................... 77 
2A. Multilingual access to Public Sector information.................................................................... 77 
2B. Trading links with emerging digital language markets............................................................ 77 
2C. Tax concessions for localisation of cultural resources............................................................. 78 
2D. Favourable IPR environment................................................................................................... 78 
3. People ........................................................................................................................................... 78 
3A. Education and training for eContent localisation .................................................................... 78 
3B. Combining computer science and language training ............................................................... 79 
4. Knowledge.................................................................................................................................... 79 
4A. Documenting best practice ...................................................................................................... 79 
4B. Disseminating best practice ..................................................................................................... 80 
4C. Enabling access to standard language components ................................................................. 80 
4D. Providing access to eContent localisation expertise................................................................ 81 
5. Tools and resources...................................................................................................................... 81 
5A. Basic linguistic research.......................................................................................................... 81 
5B. Language technology applications........................................................................................... 82 
6. Monitor ........................................................................................................................................ 82 
6A. Monitoring approved initiatives .............................................................................................. 82 
6B. Benchmarking progress ........................................................................................................... 82 
Matrix of recommendations ............................................................................................................ 83 
6. Companies consulted in preparing this study............................................................................. 86
eContent Localisation Study – FINAL REPORT 
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1. Management summary: eContent localisation - prospects for Europe 
Introduction 
Developing and managing “eContent” – the information that is published on 
any internet platform – has become a strategic challenge for businesses 
worldwide. Any business with a web site has become, de facto, an eContent 
publisher. 
Within the global and multilingual internet trading environment, there is 
increasing pressure on eContent publishers of all types to adapt content for 
international markets. Localisation – translation and cultural adaptation 
for local markets – is proving to be a key driver of the expansion of business 
on the web. Moreover, eContent localisation will be equally, if not more, 
important for the expansion of content-based services on new wireless 
internet networks. For many eContent publishers, localisation will be the 
key that unlocks a vast expansion of commercial opportunity, both across 
the multilingual EU, and further into markets worldwide. 
On the whole, Europe is not doing badly in the localisation stakes. 
European business probably has more localised eContent than any other 
region, but this has not translated into the commercial vitality that is 
potentially available in EU commerce. 
These are changing times. US dominance of e-business is now reaching a 
watershed. Growth in English-language markets for all areas of e-business 
is slowing in relation to growth in other language markets, and this is a 
golden opportunity for Europe’s “new economy”. All global e-business will, 
eventually, need to localise, and while the depth and breadth of European 
localisation is still too shallow and too narrow, EU integration has been a 
boost to first-generation localisation throughout the Union. eContent 
localisation for all types of businesses will strengthen the single market. It 
will also guarantee European business a stake in the next generation of the 
digital economy. 
Headlines 
Positive findings 
  Localisation will be the key to huge market opportunities for 
e-businesses 
  eContent localisation is already established in Europe, where web sites 
with customised content in several languages were found to be 
relatively common 
  European B2B eContent leads the USA in localisation 
  European content owners have deep publishing roots and vast 
experience of information markets 
  Europe has rich content assets in many languages, available for 
exploitation for many different purposes 
  The cultural and linguistic diversity of the EU can be leveraged as a 
centre for world-class localisation expertise
eContent Localisation Study – FINAL REPORT 
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  Localisation services are a potential source of new skills and 
employment growth in all sectors related to eContent publishing 
Neutral findings 
  The single market needs localisation of eContent to support continued 
integration 
  New industry structures (consolidation, strategic partnerships, 
convergence across sectors) are changing traditional publishing 
business models 
  Channels to digital markets for European content assets are evolving 
quickly 
  Full-scale eContent localisation will require a multilingual content 
infrastructure, including multilingual metadata, glossaries and 
thesauri 
Negative findings 
  New-economy businesses will be disadvantaged, both in Europe and in 
global markets, without eContent localisation 
  Cross-border markets for consumer e-commerce are poorly developed 
  The European online information market has been slow to address 
localisation issues 
  Multilingual eContent publishing processes are poorly developed 
  European localisation suppliers trail US developers in some technology 
areas; several new market entrants have appeared on the scene in the 
last 12 months – all in the USA 
  There are poor links between localisation suppliers and European 
eContent publishers 
Opportunities for eContent localisation 
There is a close link between business use of the internet and business 
internationalisation. This link has been forged by the export activities of 
US companies using the web as a commerce or marketing platform, 
exploiting the advantages of the English language. 
To meet this challenge, European eContent publishers in some segments 
have made a good start on the localisation of their content. Localisation is 
a necessary step for internationalisation of e-businesses in Europe, and 
without it development of a European digital economy will be stunted, and 
access to wider world markets will be limited.
Apogr 21:14, 4 Feb 2004 (UTC)