Software Localisation Services

The concept of localisation is a relatively new term. It appeared in the field of translation in the late nineties, as a result of the growth of software technologies and the expansion of the Internet. Many companies and organisations were pushed to invest in localisation services in order to reach a larger number of customers, and so they contacted translation agencies. When the localisation industry was finally consolidated towards the end of the nineties, some of these translations agencies became specialist software localisers.

But what exactly is localisation? Localisation involves the translation of a product and its capabilities taking into consideration the cultural and linguistic variations that can occur within and between countries and regions. Localised content does not only reflect the intended purpose of a product as per the source text, but also includes the necessary changes and adaptations necessary to make the product in question acceptable and appealing to customers in a foreign market. Localisation experts are knowledgeable about the extent to which linguistic regional variability can affect the success of a marketing campaign, and ultimately, how well a product will be received by the public.

The vast majority of localisation services today focus on three main areas: software localisation services, videogame localisation services, and website localisation services. Recent statistics indicate the enormous growth that the localisation sector is experiencing: it is estimated that, since the nineties, the industry is growing by a staggering 30 per cent every year. Nowadays, the localisation industry is an established multi-million dollar industry.
The main target languages into which products are localised today are Japanese, Spanish, French, German, and Brazilian Portuguese. However, at LinguaVox we have at your disposal a qualified team of software localisers who can translate in more than 150 languages. Although there are still very few specialised translation schools that specialise in localisation, our agency places strong emphasis on training and professional development.
Additionally, our localisation division has a specialised team who can help you with your global content management needs, if you own a multilingual website. We can also guarantee that the software localiser in charge of your translation project will be a proficient user of the most common computer- aided technologies in this field. Our experts regularly work with packages like SDL Trados, Star Transit, Wordfast, Atril Déjà Vu, Across, and many others.