New Media Localisation Reinhard Schäler ADAPT Localisation Consultants

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

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

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

The Ling. Link Study 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. August ‘ 98 8 October ‘ 98 December ‘ 98 Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. • 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 4

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 3 rd party research and – interviews with industry leaders Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everyone is localising nowadays a simple translation is not good enough anymore. Who is localising? 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) Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. 12

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 Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. 13

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

IT Framework for convergence L 10 N Multilingual aspects of convergence Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. 15

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

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

Strategic Recommendations Tactical Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. 18

Strategic Recommendations Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. 19

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

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. Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. 21

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

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

Recommendations Tactical Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. 24

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

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

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

Conclusions …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. Timely and cost-effective delivery of IT provides the framework for the convergence of these activities. The high quality digital content to the localisation industry provides the global market place has become a framework for the convergence of the major growth area for the localisation multilingual aspects of these activities. industry, which has opened this Localisation is becoming the catalyst relatively narrow industry to a wider for electronic multilingual production range of players. and publishing. Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. 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”. 28

Contacts Reinhard Schäler Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. , Roebuck Castle UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4, IRELAND Tel +353 -1 -7067898, Fax +353 -1 -2830669 email Reinhard. Schaler@ul. ie WEB SITES LRC http: //lrc. ucd. ie HLT Central http: //www. linglink. lu/ Adapt Localisation Consultants Ltd. 29