A lesson in global success for Indian business"

Localisation vs. Translation

Today, success lies in our ability to turn critical information into a profitable tool while staying ahead of the competition. With the Internet playing a major role in how people live, work and play, it is interesting to note that more than 63% of the online population now accesses the Internet in a language other than English. This figure will continue to grow to 75% by 2005" (Global Reach).

The web presents unique opportunities for companies entering the global market. Over the next two years, it is expected that global online sales will balloon as more and more customers go online. Studies show that up to 4 times more users are likely to transact with a site that communicates in their own language.

It is pertinent to mention that Indias exports (2002 - Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India) of US $ 43,559.93 million, Western Europe trade stood at US $ 10,530.35, Asia and Oceania stood at US $ 16,727.60 million, Americas stood at US $ 10,076.21million. This confirms the fact that over 60% Indias of export trade is in Europe and Asia.

Furthermore, Europe accounts for over 40% of the world's Internet users, increasing the diversity of languages on the Net" (Jupiter Research). Any company considering international presence and brand positioning must consider localisation and translation into some of the key languages - German, Spanish, Japanese, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Hindi and English.

In order to achieve a desired objective, collaborating with a global business expert while determining the need to localise and translate the web presence is the way forward today:

Why Localise?

Widen your market by reaching your customers in their own language and culture. Create a low-cost global platform for advertising, marketing, sales distribution and support.

Localisation vs. Translation

Localisation is the process of altering or customizing text for use in an intended geographical area. It not only applies to manuals, screens, help texts and error messages but also includes non-linguistic skills such as:
-   Programming: screen dialog boxes and field lengths may have to be altered; delimiters for figures replaced; icons and colours adapted.
-   Content: colour, size and shape of object such as coins, notes, taxis, telephone and mailboxes etc. vary from country to country.

Multilingual content management adds a complexity to this process that can cause delays and increase costs if not handled properly. This process requires businesses to consider the services of experienced translators, testers and programmers.

Translation is the process of converting text from one language to another. Having your site set-up in multiple languages at the same time saves time and money in the long run. Quality translation guarantees the consistency of your message and creates loyalty in foreign customers.

The end result of measuring a companys global success would lie in observing new revenue opportunities, better customer service and building of a brand name along with cost reduction to the end users for products or services.

Rohit Srivastava
W3 Internet Services (http://www.w3internet.com)
Anexiom Inc. (http://www.anexiom.com)