The growth of the internet created a demand for localized websites. But, software applications and supporting electronic documents were the first “localized” products.

According to research firm IDC, 48% of worldwide software revenues are generated in markets outside of North America. But, are online gamers in Japan living out their virtual lives in English? Do accountants in Brazil keep their books in U.S. dollars? Penetrating these new markets requires adapting a software product to the linguistic, cultural, and technical requirements of the local market. By adapting products for international markets, companies are maximizing their revenue capture.

But, this process is labor intensive and often requires a significant amount of time from the development teams. For example, most of these products have extensive documents, with instructions on the assembly, use, maintenance, and repair of the products. And, they are being delivered to diverse markets with different cultural and linguistic contexts.

Preparing for New Markets
Localization is the preparation of locale-specific versions of a software application, electronic document, internet resource, or digital collection. It consists of the translation of material into the language and culture of the target market. Internationalization is an engineering process that precedes localization. Internationalized code is written to ensure that the date/times, currency, numbers, page formats, fonts, user interface, etc., all work in the new local market. Its aim is to make subsequent localization and translation more efficient.

The problem is that many companies do not understand how to prepare their products, documents, and interfaces for distribution in other markets. To localize an application goes beyond translating textual content into the language of its users. The complexities of localization and properly adapting the “look and feel” of the product to the local market are numerous and include text-expansion, or dialog resizing, correct text selection, and translation accuracy.

It also involves other factors that help ensure that the software meets the varying requirements of users from different locations worldwide. Components such as the user interface, packaging, and graphics are also examined to ensure that that product will be accepted and used by the target audience.

More on the Gaming Industry
Going back to our gaming fanatic in Japan, how is a video game localized for a new market? The major types of software localization in relation to gaming are:

• Linguistic and cultural. The translation of language and cultural references is done so as to maintain the feel of the game but make it more appealing for the local player.
• Legal issues. Age ratings may differ depending on the country of release. They are controlled by national or international bodies like PEGI (for Europe), ESRB (for US and Canada), or CERO (for Japan).
• Graphics and music. Some games may exhibit different characters, or the same ones with a slightly different appearance, in order to facilitate a player’s identification with their avatar. Music may also vary according to national trends or the preferences of major fan communities.
• Special hardware. Digital games may include special hardware, such as the control pads that are associated with consoles, as opposed to applications that rely on the mouse and keyboard alone. Console controllers lack enough buttons to compete with the detailed game control that is available to PC users.

Vendor Selection
As you move forward in the software localization process, a great partner resource can be a language or translation agency that can consult on the local nuances of the language in multiple locations and any specifics related to currencies, font sizing, data fields, and more. Working with software internationalization and localization experts enable you to:

• Quickly and easily add new languages and cultures and reach more markets
• Realize faster time-to-market globally with simultaneous release of software in all target markets
• Increase revenues through broader market reach with products customized to the local consumers
• Gain the maximum return on localization investment by using the most up-to-date industry tools
• Resolve many localization problems before any translation takes place with pseudo-translation
• Understand the privacy policies and local market regulations and laws

The release of localized software products at the same time (simship), or shortly after the release of the original version, has become a standard in the software industry. Not sure about which language(s) and locations to start with, or for more information about professional translation and software localization into 100+ languages, contact us.