Localization Trends to Watch in 2018
Feb 20, 2018
As the new year gathers speed and we are pulled into the fast-paced flow of 2018 here are some trends that we feel will impact translation buyers and the localization industry in 2018.
Size Matters - Localization Industry Changes
The past tidal wave of mergers and acquisitions will continue as large technology companies like Apple and Google extend their activity further into the localization arena. As global markets continue to expand exponentially and client-side localization systems become increasingly mature corporate translation buyers are looking for larger localization partners with a wide range of capabilities and expanded global footprint.
Translation Tools and Technology
As speed to market continues to be a primary driver of innovation in the localization industry, automation and technology are a primary focus. Neural MT is quickly moving from “early adopter” to mainstream status and post-editing tools driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning will support acceptance by linguists. Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools are quickly incorporating Adaptive Machine Translation with more granular match suggestions. This introduces more post-editing into the standard translation process, reducing costs and allowing translators to work faster. Text-to-speech, voice recognition and automated interpreting solutions will revolutionize localized audio output.
Digital Content Rules!
The demand for localization of digital content will continue to increase at a rapid speed. Dynamic website and social media content will require localization into an increasing number of local languages. This includes multilingual videos, eLearning content and localized apps.
Language Requirements are in Flux
Translation buyers should see an increase in the selection of supported languages in 2018. The increased localization of apps and digital content means a greater focus on smaller local markets in Africa and Asia with more customized translation or transcreation. Regulatory changes in Europe will impact most medical device companies as they prepare for the new EU medical device regulations (MDR and IVDR) taking effect in 2020: this requires that labeling, packaging, and instructions for use be translated into a potential total of 32 standard languages. Geopolitical changes are also impacting language in 2018, as seen in Kazakhstan, where Cyrillic script is being replaced by the Latin alphabet to distance the country from Russia.
How Can OminLingua help?
OmniLingua’s recent acquisition by Ingenuiti increases our size, expands our capabilities in eLearning and software development and extends our global reach with Asian operations. Our new internal software development team allows us to respond to your needs more quickly with specialized automated solutions, such as our tools for multimedia and responsive content reviews (desktop, tablet, mobile) and our clinical trial portal specialized for medical safety reports. We interact regularly with our pool of long-term linguists, providing information and training to ensure they stay up-to-date with the newest MT and translation tool developments: even our teams of Xhosa, Zulu and Sesotho translators are using the newest tools to localize clinical study apps.
We look forward to talking with you about your localization challenges in 2018!
