The Evolution of Localization
BERT ESSELINK
Solution Architect, Lionbridge
Abstract. The evolution of the localization industry since the 1980s has
been marked by a move from in-house localization to internationalization,
along with marked changes in the nature of the tools used. However, the
turn of the century has introduced a new view. The distinction between
content and software is no longer clear, and typical software localization
projects are being supplanted by new types of localization projects,
focusing on programming and publishing. At the same time, open standards
allow translation vendors to focus on translation. Core translation
skills and domain expertise thus now seem to be newly appreciated. This
could bring together two worlds: software localization, with a strong
focus on technical complexity for translators, and content localization,
with a strong focus on technical simplicity for translators. The localization
industry may now have to face new challenges in the future, and
rapidly adapt its processes, quality standards and resourcing approach.*
Introduction
It seems like ancient history to me sometimes, but I entered the world of
localization just over ten years ago. In 1993 I joined International Software
Products in Amsterdam, a small and specialized localization vendor that still
exists under the same name. I had recently graduated as a technical
translator, using an article on the launch of Windows 3.1 as my thesis
subject. The seemingly incompatible marriage of language and technology
has intrigued me ever since. Still, this is the core characteristic of what today
we have come to know as “localization”.
In a nutshell, localization revolves around combining language and
technology to produce a product that can cross cultural and language
barriers. No more, no less.
In this article, I will explore the fundamentals of localization: what it is,
where it started, how it progressed, what it is today and what it may be