How to Select a Multilingual Website Management System

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As the Internet matures and worldwide audiences access the Internet, companies and webmasters alike face challenging decisions when considering the translation of their Web resources into foreign languages. This is no longer a future challenge because it is estimated that more than 50% of Internet users are now non-English speakers. Translating content in two other languages represents a large investment because language translation is expensive. Some believe that translating content using computer translation software is economical and adequate to reach non-English speakers. This might be true for noncritical and non-formal communications, but it is certainly not an alternative for companies that are trying to reach global audiences to sell their products and services. Technology can certainly play a part in improving translation efficiency and reducing the cost of translations. The question then is, what is the best way to use technology to assist in the translation of a Web content. First, it is important to understand the complexity of large translation projects when dealing with multiple languages. Imagine, for instance, that you need to translate 1000 pages into 10 different languages. You might also need to regularly update and modify parts of those pages or whole sections. Every time you ad content or make a change, an order needs to be issued to 10 different translators in 10 different proofreaders. Once the transitions come back the text needs to be placed in the proper text string. If you make 10 changes this involves a hundred steps to implement the change in 10 languages. The good news is that a class of software called Multilingual Website Management Systems (MWMS) available. These tools are designed to ease workloads, reduce translation costs and provide greater efficiencies in the long run. These systems are sometimes integrated with translation database software to increase consistency, speed, and to reduce redundant translations and they an important competitive edge to companies that use this technology. MWMS software usually is designed to detect changes in the source language, in most cases English. It then identifies the changes and initiates the appropriate workflow process and it might even estimate your transition costs up front. Selecting the right tool is perhaps the most important single step in the translation of the Web resources. We have identified the 10 critical items that you must evaluate when selecting the right tool. 1. Make sure that the MWMS software uses file extensions that are compatible with your current content management system. 2. If you're planning to translate your text into non-Latin script languages, make sure that the tool supports a shame in middle eastern scripts. 3. Tools that have translation management database software will save you time and money. They help you identify sentences in sections that have been previously translated. 4. Verify that the tool has powerful image file handling capabilities. 5. Tools that offer versatile text formatting options will let you customize the look of your content. 6. Some of these tools have workflows that are predetermined and hard to customize. Look for options that let you change and customize your workflow. 7. Ask for translation process monitoring features. 8. As with any other piece of software, the tool should comply with your firm's security requirements. 9. Understand the training time and costs involved for implementation in your organization. 10 . Tools that include a billing module will enable you to estimate transition costs before incurred.

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