At Powers, when localizing a product we work with your product team to make it technically, linguistically and culturally appropriate to the target market. Do you have questions about how different file types are managed or how the process for online content localization differs from document localization? We’ve prepared some material that covers the gamut from general purpose information about software and website localization to very specific information about Powers’s experience, technology capabilities and processes.

 

Website Localization
Powers Translations provide specialist website localization services. Many people see localization as simply providing an exact translation of the website content. It is simply not as straightforward as that.
Our localization experts will examine your existing website (if you have one) and identify those areas which need localizing. Of particular interest are:
The content - if it is in French for example, does the vocabulary need to be specific to the regions where it is spoken? In other words, do you need it localized for France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada or all regions? 
Graphical elements - some graphical elements on a website may have language-specific content. We can assist in getting this changed. 
Currencies - do your products need to show local currency conversions? 
Form feedbacks - some of your clients will want to communicate with you in their own language. Likewise, you will need to respond in their language. We can make this happen seamlessly. 
Alert messages - feedback forms usually have alert messages to tell you if you have provided insufficient or incorrect information. We will identify these alert messages and provide foreign language equivalents. 
Search engine optimization - a very important area if you want your website to be noticed in foreign language search engines. Our experts will suggest foreign language alternatives to the key phrases you are targeting and will also check your page to see that it is correctly configured to identify the language and character set in use.

Software Localization
The globalization of the economy, the booming of multilingual internet subscribers and web content, as well as the increasing importance of e-commerce expansion are driving the growth of software translation and software localization. Languages play a vital role here. But in the same way a software application written in English will look odd to a Chinese user, a English programme needs to address the Chinese and the other Asian pacific markets. Disregarding slight changes in language, dialects and other cultural differences will inevitably dash all your good hopes (and investment) in software translation and software localization.
At Powers Translations we believe that software is meant to serve the users (and not the other way round), so we rely on experienced professionals capable of adapting your applications as if they had been produced exclusively in your target markets. 
How is the process for software localization different from general document translation?
Layered on top of the standard procedures for quality assurance for print documentation are additional considerations for software localization.

Additional project management pre-project is required as the project manager works with clients to assess project scope:
Has a previous version been localized? If so, we need to access it.
Will there be version updates? If so, a glossary should already exist or should be created.
What level of change orders is anticipated? How will new strings be communicated mid-project?
What is the bug database? Is the QA testing group in-house and has the project gone through internationalization testing so that it is localization ready?
What is the test strategy for the localized product?

Powers can offer auxiliary testing services depending on this needs assessment.

How does Powers handle changes in scope or change requests?
The project manager and the client work out a customized strategy pre-project weighing relative significance of the opposing factors, time to market and cost efficiency based on:
● Required multilingual release date
● The level of engineering changes/new strings anticipated
● Localization cost sensitivity

 

The best possible plan will be devised. Typically the plan includes 1) client and Powers points of contact for change orders, 2) how change orders will be uploaded and 3) frequency/batching of change orders.

 

For more straightforward information, Please contact us by phone or send us an e-mail with all or your questions! Technical Sales Consultant will be happy to provide you with all the assistance you need to begin localizing your product.