Language services industry

A translation memory (TM) is meant to provide cost and time efficiency as well as higher consistency across translated content. But the quality of a TM is a direct reflection of how well it is managed.

2020 was a big year for language technology. One lesser-known application for AI, dubbed the “digital shield,” is also set to become a more prominent part of the fight against misleading and manipulative content.

Conducted with assistance from a number of Brazilian language service providers and in conjunction with the Nimdzi 100 ranking of top LSPs on the market, this research report aims to provide an overview of the state of the Brazilian language service provider (LSP) landscape in 2020 and beyond.

Evaluating and migrating between translation management systems (TMS) is a lot of work and there are always reasons not to do it. It might be the fear of moving away from a familiar TMS, even if it isn’t fit for purpose, the impact on other teams and external stakeholders, or the prospect of the time, technical work, and costs involved. The number of TMS solutions on the market can also make the decision far from simple and straightforward.

The Nimdzi 100 is one of our flagship publications. It includes a ranking of the top 100 LSPs by revenue, a watchlist of large players that don’t disclose their revenues, and a detailed overview of the size and state of the language services industry. The Nimdzi 100 is widely considered an industry standard and is read by tens of thousands of people in the translation and localization space and beyond. LSPs, localization buyers, investors, savvy job seekers, and analysts will benefit from this free resource.

We recently introduced you to the two- (or five-) second rule, which is essentially the reaction or decision-making time a linguist should spend judging whether to post-edit a segment of machine translation (MT) output or to retranslate it. This rule of thumb aims to help increase the linguist’s productivity when working with MT.

If you’re a driver, you’ve probably heard of the two-second rule. Staying at least two seconds behind any vehicle is considered a rule of thumb for drivers wanting to maintain a safe following distance at any speed. The two seconds don’t represent safe stopping distance but rather safe reaction time.

On June 10, 2020, we published our Nimdzi Language Technology Atlas, the comprehensive resource that maps hundreds of language technology solutions from all around the world. Two months later, after receiving and reviewing feedback from more than three dozen companies who submitted requests to add new tools or change their categorization, we released an update to the infographic on August 27.

On August 21 and 22, 280 participants from 16 countries met for the 11th Translation Forum Russia. The conference has been held annually for over a decade, but for the first time it switched to online. Fortunately, the new format didn’t put a damper on the TFR’s usual heated discussions, provocative presentations, and innovative ideas.

You were at the center of this year’s edition of LocWorldWide. Yes, you. Each and every one of you reading this. Because we are all end users of content in one way or another — source or localized. The focus this year was on global end users and how to engage them. And, of course, the role of localization in this endeavour.