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Podcast: What does blockchain have to do with localization? Public
Blockchain is one of those things that everybody talks about, but we don’t really know all the things that are involved. We interviewed two very important, knowledgeable people about this topic. […]
Podcast: Educating the localizers of the future Public
In this episode of Globally Speaking, we hear from Max Troyer, Associate Professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. We’ll hear about the necessary curriculum to educate future localization professionals, new skills that are required, where graduates end up working, typical career paths, and the reasons to consider expanding mentorship in the industry. […]
Podcast: Wrangling your global content Public
In this episode of Globally Speaking, Scott Abel, AKA the Content Wrangler, talks about how content is the lifeblood of an organization. In fact, it’s a strategic advantage and an asset—but many organizations don’t treat it this way. Scott explains that businesses need to think differently about how they create, manage, translate and deliver content […]
Video Game LocalizationExecutive Summary
Game localization services is a USD 330 million market, but there is a far larger market for accompanying services such as testing and game audio localization. […]
University of Texas (Arlington) – a direct connection to language services Public
Keeping in line with our research in educational partnerships with LSPs, our final 2018 spotlight focuses on the University of Texas (Arlington) (UTA) and their partnerships with the language services sector. […]
Podcast: How to understand and embrace AI Public
In this episode of Globally Speaking, hosts Renato Beninatto and Michael Stevens speak with Tripp Parker, a Technical Program Manager for Amazon in the Alexa Health and Wellness team. Tune in to learn about the pros, the cons, and the continued ethics issues surrounding the implementation of AI. […]
Podcast: Tracking Data to Prove ROI Public
In this episode of Globally Speaking, Joel Sahleen, a Globalization Architect at Domo, talks about driving localization for a major BI platform and how the right data can prove ROI. Learn how localization can be similar to the “chicken and egg” scenario and how a “wall of shame” can help resolve localization issues. […]
How can LSPs benefit with educational partnership? Public
Where do project managers go to find the most qualified localization experts in the language services field? Are they looking for hands-on experience or are they interested in those who are brand new but have earned a degree in localization? And just how worthwhile is it, for language services professionals to partner with institutions of […]
Exploring linguistic fillers Public
Linguistic fillers are the utterances we use during speech that do not have a particular meaning. They are often perceived as not serving any purpose, and as a sign of distractedness, or nervousness. However, there are many reasons for using these seemingly useless phrases and utterances. […]
Why the official language debate rages on Public
In some countries, there is only one official language. In others, there are several, and in a few, there is no official language at all – and this is what interests us. What impact does not having an official language have on a nation and its people? […]
Localization PM Infographic Free to preview
The Nimdzi Localization Project Management infograph closely examines the types of localization project managers. We zero in on each type’s level of popularity, language skills, ambition, career advancement goals, and more. Take a look and see where you fit in or who would be the next best fit for your team! […]
Top 7 fears that keep client-side globalization directors up at nightExclusive for Nimdzi Partners
Localization nightmaresTop 7 fears that keep globalization directors up at night Introduction – We wanted to find out what worries language services buyers the most, so we asked one basic question: What keeps you awake at night? We asked this question to over 100 buyers of localization services who work for any number of companies […]
Do you know your ABC’s? The new independent contractor law in California Public
In April of this year, the California Supreme Court abandoned its longstanding common law test used to determine independent contractor (IC) status and instead, adopted the strict ABC test. Several states have also adopted the ABC test, but some states are more relaxed in their application, requiring that only the “A” or the “B” sections […]
TAUS – the quest for an ideal TM / MT configuration Public
By July 2018, the TAUS Quality Dashboard benchmarking database had exceeded 100 million words. It is still small in comparison with TMS databases, but it is slowly becoming a relevant aggregation of translation project metadata from which we can start drawing early conclusions. TAUS Big Data Gets BiggerThe quest for an ideal TM / MT […]
Translation tech goes media Public
Four out of the five fastest-growing language services companies in 2018 are media localization specialists. The media business has seen a boom over the last two years, and traditional translation companies are taking notice. Media localization won’t stay an uncontested insular niche for long. […]
Localization efforts in South Africa Public
Nelson Mandela International Day is a time to reflect on Mandela’s life and legacy and on ways we can take an active role to build international bonds and strengthen global connections. With its 9 indigenous official languages and localization grassroots efforts, South Africa is becoming a global magnet – read on to find out more! […]
Podcast: The Evolution of Tools and Teams in a Growing Loc Program Public
In this episode of Globally Speaking, Renato and Michael welcome Julio Leal, Localization Manager at Ciena. We discuss the triggers for implementing CMS and TMS technology and how to get it done. Tune in to hear his experienced perspective. […]
Travel and hospitality localization Public
Travel and tourism equates to big bucks – we are talking about trillions of US dollars to the global economy. With these kinds of stakes, it is no wonder that more and more businesses catering to the travel and tourism industry are investing heavily in localization. […]
Happy American Independence Day(?) Public
In light of recent events in the current political climate and how the United States is choosing to treat immigrant families arriving at the border, perhaps this July 4th Americans should not only focus on their nation’s values but on how the current president’s words affect the reality of those who arrive at America’s metaphorical shores. […]
Podcast: Sympathy for the Traitor: The Art of Literary Translation (Part Two) Public
Pick up where we left off in Part One of this two-part podcast. We talk to Mark Polizzotti, author of “Sympathy for the Traitor”. Join us for the first segment in a two-part series focusing on the special challenges of translating artistic works. […]
Podcast: Sympathy for the Traitor: The Art of Literary Translation (Part One) Public
Is a literary translator a servant of the artist, or is literary translation an art in and of itself? Join us for the first segment in a two-part series focusing on the special challenges of translating artistic works. […]
Finnish language services market study: preliminary findings Public
Nimdzi is excited to partner with the SKY association to perform an in-depth analysis of the language services market in Finland. This is a very interesting market to study, so we decided to publish a sneak peak of what we have found so far. […]
Language technology atlas Free to preview
The Nimdzi Language Technology Atlas consists of an infographic accompanied by a curated spreadsheet with software listings for various translation and interpreting needs. We’ve mapped over 400 different tools, and the list is growing quickly. The language industry is becoming more technical and complex, but Nimdzi is here to help! […]
Artificial Intelligence policing workplace harassment Public
While the use of AI bots might now be classified as “old school” in the tech world, there are some developers who are breathing new life and purpose into how we interact with this technology. One new and exciting area involves the policing of workplace harassment. […]
Six takeaways from LocWorld 37 in Warsaw Public
Welcome to LocWorld 37! If you weren’t able to make it, we have summarized the main takeaways from the event. From the boom in data processing services and the leveraging of AI in localization workflow, to the TMS buying rampage, the gaming industry, startup companies and more, Nimdzi lists the highlights from LocWorld 37. […]
Podcast: Advancing the TAUS Dynamic Quality Framework (DQF) Public
In today’s podcast, we invite TAUS founder, Jaap Van der Meer, who discusses why the Dynamic Quality Framework (DQF) is so important for measuring quality in all aspects of the language industry. It’s an episode you won’t want to miss! […]
Does language affect gender equality? Public
The study of languages reveals a lot more than mere global differences in verbal and written communication. Languages reveal a lot about a people’s belief systems, political ideologies, and perceived social order – languages are a mirror into how communities see the world and how they in turn, see their individual and collective roles within it. […]
How language can influence violence (Memorial Day Reflections) Public
Words have been used throughout the ages to convince citizens of doing the unthinkable, to secure political and economic domination, and to gain national and international power. Our history has been plagued with violent undertones and our language plays a key role in the history and culture of American violence. […]
Podcast: Saving Latin America’s Endangered Languages Public
Languages evolve and languages die. But there are some things that we can do to help protect these endangered languages and the people who speak them. Today’s podcast focuses on the efforts of Cecilia Piaggio who, in collaboration with Latin America Habla, is helping to protect endangered languages of Latin America. […]
Yanny or Laurel… How people perceive sound Public
The debate over “Yanny vs Laurel” involves a recorded human sound that, depending on the recording device and the frequency used during recording, affects how the sound is perceived. For language services, paying attention to voice samples, script localization, audio recording, and post-production are critical in ensuring your listeners hear your intended message […]
Podcast: How Netflix Localizes (Brilliantly!) for Kids in Japan Public
How do you localize for Japanese Netflix users who are too young to know the language’s three different writing systems — hiragana, katakana, and kanji? Yuka Ogasawara, Language Manager for Japanese at Netflix-Tokyo, localizes marketing copies, synopses, and titles of various movies while maintaining a high local language quality for the Japanese market. […]
Neural machine translation quality evaluation Public
There is a new market niche for MT selection and the need for independent evaluation is rising. In this article, we look at human MT evaluation over API as well as automated MT evaluation. We review ONEs, human MT evaluation from One Hour Translation, and Inten.to, an automated MT evaluation/marketplace service. Both are available via API […]
Localization is ruining my gaming experience! Public
According to the Entertainment Software Association, the US gaming industry earned over USD 30 billion in 2016. With these high stakes, it would seem very reasonable to assume that localization would play an important role in order to reach a global audience. However, some Nintendo gamers are concerned that localization creates censorship […]
Cross-cultural communication Public
When communication faux pas occur, it can lead to misinformed opinions and negative cultural stereotypes. Cultural awareness in the social sphere and workplace are becoming increasingly more complex, but increasingly necessary. Even a basic understanding of cultural diversity goes a long way. How do companies within the language services industry improve cross-cultural communication? […]
Podcast: Localization tactics to strategy Public
In today’s podcast, we discuss Box, an enterprise content management platform that solves simple and complex challenges, including sharing and accessing files with advanced security far beyond traditional methods. Listen as we speak to Hanna Kanabiajeuskaja about the many benefits that Box has to offer localization professionals […]
Get localization right the first time Public
Localization is your ticket to reaching a wider audience, but it requires attention to detail and investment. In a recent Google survey, almost 175,000 Internet users were asked whether or not translation was a problem when they shopped online. 41 percent said that not having content translated or poorly translated content posed a significant problem […]
Podcast: Localization in Japan Public
Japan – the world’s third largest economy – is often considered to be the toughest global localization market. However, Japan offers countless opportunities for companies and LSPs that understand how Japanese localization differs from standard practices in Europe, the Americas, and other Asian countries. Join us for a guided tour of the Japanese localization market […]
No need to localize Public
Companies that deal exclusively in the English language should still invest in localization. Languages are dynamic – they must be flexible enough to change as our societies change. Here are just a few reasons why more and more companies invest in localization even if their products and services are offered exclusively in English […]
Global payment gateways series: Part 3 – Customer Expectations Exclusive for Nimdzi Partners
Payment gateways that not only allow for a variety of payment options but that allow customers to pay in familiar currencies are very popular among the nearly 2 billion online shoppers worldwide. But shoppers want more. Does your ecommerce site make the grade? Let’s look at the top 5 customer concerns when shopping online […]
Is it enough to just be a native speaker? Public
It is a common misconception to think that simply hiring a native speaker will solve all of your translation and localization challenges. Successful translators require the ability to apply highly-complex linguistic structures to effectively communicate with a larger audience, not just with native speakers. Not so easy when we put it that way, is it? […]
Podcast: Show me the money – best practices in getting paid Public
Translation and localization services are a labor of love but we also need to get paid – and paid well. One translator has mastered the art of getting paid quickly while avoiding wasteful transaction costs. Eve Lindemuth Bodeux is a localization consultant who provides localization, translation, transcreation, and project management services for product adaptations around […]
AI Meets Localization Public
AI – at least in theory – has been around for centuries. AI is currently being explored and tested for its efficacy in several professional fields, including the music industry, health and wellness, social media platforms, and more. The looming question of course is quite obvious – is this technology something to fear or embrace? […]
What about English website translations? Public
With global online users now making up almost half of the world’s population, and only roughly 18 percent of the world’s population speaking English, it stands to reason that more and more online content is now catering to languages other than English – but are these non-English websites just not translating into English at all? […]
Global payment gateways series: Part 2 – Types of payment gateways Exclusive for Nimdzi Partners
In this report, we look at customer payment method preferences including the top 5 global payment gateways, global ecommerce trends, online shopping cart abandonment, and merchant and customer concerns. Does your ecommerce store provide the user experience your customers expect, or will they abandon their shopping cart at the checkout window? […]
Did someone say, Glocalism? Public
What is glocalism? Open-access markets means a greater merchant responsibility to offer products and services that are relevant in other locales. Each corner of the globe has a unique history and culture, and from those unique experiences spring unique values and perceptions. This impacts on customer online preferences and purchasing habits. Have you gone glocal? […]
Global payment gateways series: Part 1 – Basics Exclusive for Nimdzi Partners
In this Insight Report, we look at the benefits to choosing the right payment gateway for your business. We compare the different payment gateway options and examine some of the most widely-used global payment gateways. Learn more about the global growth market and the advantages and disadvantages when it comes to payment gateways […]
How LSPs choose the best translators Public
We surveyed over 100 LSP project managers about what matters most to them when choosing a translator. Time and time again, PMs pointed to quality, speed, and transparency as their top concerns. How does your team measure up? […]
Global payment gateways series: Introduction Public
What are the most popular global payment gateways? Do some countries prefer one gateway to another? How do I meet my customers’ needs and secure their privacy? What are the associated charges with each payment gateway? Are all gateways PCI DSS compliant? This Insight Report has all the answers and more […]
Podcast: What kind of acronym is TGTOTTC? Public
What is most important to every language company? What are the roles people play? How is technology changing the language industry — and what aspects of the translation business will never change? Learn more as we discuss the entertaining new book by Renato Beninatto and Tucker Johnson, The General Theory of the Translation Company […]
The rise of the second screen – the way the world consumes content is evolving Public
Today’s content is force-fed to us through multiple distribution channels – television, computers, radio, mobile phones, electronic games and more. Despite what cynics say, our attention spans are not getting shorter – they are simply more fragmented. Read on to learn about the top countries with multi-screen audiences and the frequency of multi-screen use […]
What language service buyers wantExclusive for Nimdzi Partners
Nimdzi asked over 100 language service buyers with the biggest budgets how they decide which LSPs to work with. This report will help LSPs prioritize the areas that matter to top buyers. For Language Service Buyers, it will help you benchmark your own vendor selection process against what others in the industry are doing […]
Gig Economy – P2P sites driving change for multimedia localization Public
It isn’t just for Uber drivers and AirBnB landlords. The gig economy is something that is reaching in to all other industries, and localization is no exception. In the 2017 Global Voice-Over Industry Trends and Influencers, we analyze how the rise of P2P (Pay to Play) sites for multilingual voice-overs are disrupting the established supply chain […]
Podcast: The logic of localizing African languages Public
Africa’s technology and trade are expected to grow at an accelerated pace over the next decade and the population is projected to double by 2050. What are the challenges and opportunities that localization providers face as a new generation of Africans increasingly demands localized content? Join us for this fascinating conversation with Manuela Noske […]
Television to streaming – emerging markets faster to pick up “disruptive” technologies Public
African and Asian emerging markets do not have as much access to the internet or to new technologies. However, this is not necessarily a long-term disadvantage for these markets as we progress further into the 21st Century. In fact, we can expect to see emerging markets adopt new “disruptive” technology much quicker than mature markets […]
The 2017 global voice-over market Exclusive for Nimdzi Partners
Multimedia localization is perhaps not the hot topic these days. It may no longer have the “newness” of neural MT, or the mystery of transcreation. Multimedia localization has been around for a while. However, this by no means gives us permission to overlook this crucial aspect of localization […]
Evolution of an art form – don’t take your eyes off multimedia localization Public
Full-service multimedia localization is a service into which LSPs are reaching. In fact, it has been happening already for years. But we don’t talk about this critical component of language services nearly as much as we should. Perhaps multimedia just isn’t seen as a sexy topic, but we believe it should be […]
Is process standardization the right strategy for LSPs? Public
It is often not enough for LSPs to offer a solid service – they need to be able to adapt that service to fit the specific needs of their customers. Of course, at the lowest possible cost. Read on to learn about the pros and cons to both LSP standardization and flexibility […]
How IKEA Does It – Lessons in localizationExclusive for Nimdzi Partners
Just how does IKEA do it? In this report, we focus on IKEA’s centralization and localization processes and localization budget, as well as the structure and processes for their successful project management, quality control, vendor management, and technology […]
How Netflix Does It – Lessons in localization Exclusive for Nimdzi Partners
Netflix is trudging straight toward world domination. They have found a formula that seems to work for them for international expansion, and upper management has made international expansion a priority. Having just received USD 1.6 billion in funding, there is no chance that Netflix will slow down now. So how do they do it? […]
Like fish in a pond – Employee churn in localization Public
The language business is like a pond of murky water. Often we can’t see past the end of our nose. We’ve no idea how big our pond is but we do know that it’s teeming with schools of fish who all know each other! Take a trip with us into the language services “pond.” […]
The Jell-O Effect Public
We’re the kind of guys who like to learn something new each day. Recently, we read about an interesting concept – the Jell-O effect. And now we’re sharing it with you, the altruists that we are. Who knows? It just might help you to better understand one of the many facets of the localization business […]
The General Theory of the Translation Company – First Chapter Public
Welcome to the language services industry! We have fun here and we hope you will too. And why wouldn’t you? This is by far the most fascinating industry in the world. We have dedicated decades of our lives to localization. It is not just a job, but also a passion and a way of life […]