In this day in age there are so many translation agencies to choose from. It is hard to sift through the long lists of language service providers to see who best fits your enterprise. Let’s look and try to figure out the optimal way to search for a translation service provider.

Consult Your Network, Use Your Resources, Then Start Your Quest.

First and foremost, the most straightforward approach would be to ask around in your network. There could be colleague or even clients who know people they work with. If it works for people in your network, there is a high percentage they are good for you. Prepare some good follow up questions. Is the agency reliable and stable? How satisfied are they with the translation services they have been provided? Is the quality good? You will be able to get a quick assessment from somebody you trust. If you would like to go further, you can go to the company website to research and even arrange to brief meeting with their staff. How they interact with you is another metric you can use to determine the mood and atmosphere of the organization. How they respond to your e-mail or call? Do they take their time with you and give you the attention you deserve as a client? How long did it take for them to respond? Did they seem enthusiastic? Did they ask about your needs? Is this agency willing to meet regularly to discuss your partnership? These questions give you a sense of how they deal with their clients. What would it be like working with this agency? You will be able to get a broad picture of the agency’s level of service.

What Languages Do You Need? What Do They Offer?

The next thing to find out is if they offer the language combinations that fits your budget. There is no reason to research any further if these don’t match your objectives. Most agencies have a price list with a list of languages they handle. Requesting this helps to know what to expect on how much you pay for a service. Please note many agencies need to review the assignment files in question to make a proper estimate. Due to the difficulty of the text and how technical it is can vary the prices of the assignment. Providing the files beforehand gives the agency time to provide an accurate estimate, delivery term, file preparation, advice, and possible discounts using TM software to accommodate repetitions and previously translated segments. Usually, agencies estimate using price per word. Check if translation includes proofreading by a second translator or not. If you’re offered an estimate that seems too good to be true, that agency might be skipping double checks to cut corners. You should clarify and know what you are getting for the price you are paying. The quality of the translation that is delivered is determined by this very detail. Transparency is key to knowing what you get for what you pay for.

What Processes and Procedures Are Utilized for Translation?

This brings us to the next point on how your translation is made. If you have a professional translation agency, they will implement efficient processes and procedures to handle your translation assignment. To ensure you get quality translation the agency should be regularly assessing their translator’s quality of work and proficiency. Criteria should be established for the linguist specialists’ level of education, experience, and technical skills. You should ask if the agency has some sort of vetting system in place. Another question you should ask is whether your agency uses a Translation Management System. TMS enables translation agencies to keep track of each assignment in all the difference languages combinations assigned. Making sure the text received from their client is translated properly. These processes help expedite the translation assignments, ensuring fast completion. Majority of TMS provide clients the opportunity to monitor the status of their assignments. They can view every ongoing and completed task that is during translation process and procedure. Then you would want to ask if the agency has credentials for the process and procedures mentioned. The most common are ISO 17100 and ISO 9001 to ensure measures are taken to provide quality translation services. Ask your agency if they have these qualifications.

What Technologies Are Utilized?

The next thing to ask is what type of technologies do they use to process the translation. What types of CAT (Computer Assisted Translation) tools and QA (Quality Assurance) tools do they use? If they use a CAT tool then your translation quality improves ensuring terminology are unified while saving money on previously translated text and repetitions. QA tools support detection and mitigates mistakes making your translation assignment error free. CAT and QA tools are beneficial for the quality and price of your final product. Ask your agency what tools they use and how they utilize them for your translation projects? If your translation agency utilizes these technologies with TMS integrations mentioned above, it is a good indication that they are keeping up with the latest industry developments and technologies. You want a translation agency that can provide solutions that result in these intelligent processes to maximize translation quality and cost efficiency.

How Long Have You Been Around?

The last thing to look for in a translation provider is to check how long they have been around. It would also be good to know your translation providers financial situation. You don’t want to find out your reliable partner is suddenly discontinuing its services. You want to avoid having to switch between agencies which wastes time and resources. This can be avoided by making the optimal choice in the very beginning. If possible, the best thing is to find a translation provider that can provide the language services you and your colleagues need. For example, you can send all your assignments to the same translation provider. It is also about finding a partner you can build a friendly professional relationship with. The translation process becomes much easier with familiarity and task optimization. The quality and delivery of your final translation is at its best when clients are at close courters with their translation provider. Building this important relationship starts with seamless communication. This is what we at idioma® specialize in. For over 40 years we have provided the quality translation services to our clients being ISO 17100 and ISO 9001 certified, following these processes and procedures with our custom made TMS(TC6), CAT(Doc3) and QA tool(CrossCheck®), we have innovated using the latest technologies providing the support and value our clients deserve. If you are looking for a translation provider or someone dissatisfied with their current one, please take this opportunity to contact us. It is always a pleasure getting to know new clients.

Need a translation quote? Please contact us at info@idioma.com

The language of business – The business of language

GALA 2023 Dublin was on March 12th ~ 15th and it was our first time participating in person. I was fortunate to be representing idioma® from our Tokyo office. The flight from Tokyo to Dublin was about 18 hours being the longest duration I had ever experienced. I arrived late at night pulling my two large suitcases waiting for a taxi in the cold windy rainy weather. It then started snowing accentuating this cold damp climate to the next morning.

The day before the conference I participated in the Wicklow Tour organized by GALA. Other participants from various companies around the world filled the buses and together we were off to see this historical site of Ireland. It was a great opportunity to break the ice with other GALA members. After an hour ride we arrived at Glendalough Gleann da Loch where ruins of a monastery remained.

The stone structures were beautiful dating back hundreds to thousands of years.

The surrounding nature was breathtaking with the cool refreshing air and the warm sun at our backs.

The forest especially the moss that covered the trees and stones reminded me of Japan.

The religious connection between Ireland and Japan was evident and I felt that through the massively tall trees and fuzzy furry moss encapsulating the scenery.

We had a traditional Irish lunch of corn beef and cabbage with apple pie for dessert.

The next stop was to the highest waterfall in Ireland.

Our guide had told us the waterfall usually has no water. On its best day you would only see a trickle coming down. Ironically, many visitors see nothing being an anticlimactic experience. It was our lucky day! Because of the melted snow from the other night the waterfall was at maximum flow. As if a dam had been destroyed the waterfall plunged forth with a godly inertia, an energy to topple any massive structure in its path. It was close to impossible to try and approach this magnanimous waterfall. You would be sprayed and splashed all over with your body drenched as if you had jumped in a pool.

The trip ended with us visiting Powerscourt a beautiful historical estate. It is surrounded by lakes and gardens you could walk around enjoying the architecture and flowers.

The welcome reception kicked off soon after our bus had arrived at the hotel. Hundreds of people gathered together speaking all at once. I was nervous and slightly intimidated because of not knowing anybody. While I struggled to find my place I was fortunate to meet many people who were genuinely kind and friendly.

The next morning was the Conference Opening & Keynote.

Learn to Decide and Conquer: Decision Making and Removing Biases was the theme of the presentation. David Siegel was the Keynote speaker who discussed his experiences as a CEO and decision making. There were many nuggets of wisdom to take away from his speech.

Next was off to the GALA Soapbox where presenters shared their questions, data, and experiences to tickle our curiosity and minds to spark discussion in the room. I was intrigued and spoke briefly of my experience how QA can be a subjective experience. I also spoke briefly on Brand Value of language in the case of Italian how other cultures would use famous brands to add value to their product lineup.

For example, Parmigiano Reggiano is protected by Italian copyright but how companies such as Kraft use it to promote their version of powdered parmesan cheese. Being from Japan I also mentioned how Kobe beef is used in the same fashion by companies and restaurants worldwide who want to promote their products as the same premium quality beef. The Soapbox session was thought provoking and made me want to learn more about the world around us.

The GALA dinner that night had activity stations around the vicinity to experience the many facets of Irish culture.

It was a night of food, drink, culture, and dance which continued late into the night. Shut your eyes and see.

The second day was another day of learning and reflection. Engaging and networking with many other industry peers. Getting to know one another from different cultural backgrounds stimulates the mind.

The final day consisted of more presentations with thought provoking subjects. Reflections on Identity, Position, and Differentiation in a Crowded Market. SEO localization and We Cannot Have a Race to the Bottom: A Conversation about the Cost/Payment Structure, Swipe Right or Left? Impacts of the Current Economy on M&A.

The Conference Closing & Keynote was presented by Marco Trombetti from Translated. He explained how humans are key to the advancement of AI and Machine translation. No matter how advanced technology will become the human connections are what we live for.

F. Scott Fitzgerald got down on one knee in a fawning motion and loudly exclaimed, “May I kiss the hand that wrote Ulysses?” Joyce replied, “You may, but you should know that hand has done a lot more than write my novel.” Embarrassingly I thought James Joyce was the author of Great Gatsby. Another opportunity to learn something new.

Céad Míle Fáilte

One Hundred Thousand Welcomes

Thank you GALA and its members for providing a wonderful opportunity to connect and learn.

Need a translation quote? Please contact us at info@idioma.com

What is a Native Translator?

Native translators are linguists who learned their native language as a child with in-depth knowledge of their own culture to adapt content from another language fluently into their native language. The term “native” is mostly used to refer to someone that acquired their language as a child, as opposed to having learned it later in life. As they’ve had ample opportunity for exposure to their native language from an early age, they’ve likely achieved full command of the language. Even if they learned another language and have excellent command of it, they’re still not considered a native because it is their own mother tongue. For example, have you ever taken a foreign language class in school? Even if you have an aptitude for languages, learning another language is quite challenging. It takes constant and consistent work. In contrast learning your native language happens naturally from birth, at a time when your brain is primed for language acquisition. In general, people have a deeper and more intuitive understanding of the language they grew up speaking compared to languages they learned later in life. As a native translator if your native language is Japanese, then you would translate into Japanese from another language.

Surprisingly, a native translator does not need to live in the country of their native language while it is preferred. Thanks to the internet daily exposure is possible through media, entertainment, and social networks where they can immerse in their native language. But most important is being a professional. Professional translators are not just native speakers, they are professional linguists. They stay up to date with their native language incorporating any linguistic changes even though they reside elsewhere geographically. The professional translator is more attuned to linguistic nuances because of their work ethic. In today’s global economy, it is not as important for the native translator to reside in a country where the language is spoken. The fact is to be a native language professional.

Why Professional Native Translators?

Professional native translators have an extensive vocabulary, attuned to linguistic trends, and aware of its subtleties being knowledgeable of the ever-developing language. They will avoid using outdated idioms, obsolete words, or locally unrelatable expressions because they use the target language daily being immersed in the culture. This makes them fully aware of the beliefs and values being able to add nuances with proper word choices in such a way that the target translation is fully tailored for the audience which is perfectly faithful to the original language. Proper sentence flow comes more naturally which is what you’ll want your audience to experience being fully aware of the country’s customs, language sensitivities, knowledge of dialects, clichés, cultural references while enhancing understanding. A professional native translator’s unique knowledge allows them to adapt to the local culture more creatively and efficiently while preventing cultural misunderstandings that can seriously affect the image of your brand or company. Many bad translations have existed in the past that have embarrassed, confused, offended, which alienated audiences leaving a negative impression lasting for years. If you hire a professional native translator, you’ll not only increase the effectiveness of your international marketing campaigns, but you’ll also avoid catastrophic mistakes. Professional native translators are less likely to make grammar mistakes or overly complicate their grammar use in their native language. If there isn’t a particular word or phrase that doesn’t translate well, they’ll know the right variant or alternative to use. They will make the right choices depending on the environment and audience. As a result, you will have a translation that communicates brand identity in the right tone with the most relevant language equivalents to capture the audience’s attention properly.

The Professional Native Translator Specialist

A professional native translator is sometimes enough but for best practices clients should demand a professional native translator specialist. A professional native translator specialist is a native linguist of the target language who is professionally trained in the subject matter. A professional native translator specialist’s level of expertise guarantees accurate translations while being mindful with all rules and regulations. They ensure the quality and accuracy of a translation is understood and well-received by the target audience while following protocol. A native translation with specialized knowledge is especially important and helps ensure clarity. For example, in technical translations, the level of accuracy is critical to safely operate products or devices. A professional native translator specialist should be a priority when it concerns safety to prevent product misuse and malpractice. Precautions must be taken to avoid mistranslation errors that could lead to litigation in highly regulated sectors such as legal, finance, and medical industries. For example, a medical service could face legal disputes due to incorrectly translated medical device documentation. Falsely translated instructions can lead to irreversible medical errors, potentially placing lives at risk. A professional native translator specialist should be mandatory when handling translations in specialized sectors.

Why Hire Professional Native Translator Specialists with idioma®?

idioma® has a worldwide network of 2,000+ professional native translator specialists in 70+ languages. To ensure optimal quality we incorporate QA into the translation process utilizing CrossCheck® our formal error checker for translated text. idioma® is ISO 17100:2015 certified who only employs professional native translator specialists. ISO 17100:2015 provides requirements for the core processes, resources, and other aspects necessary for the delivery of a quality translation service that meets applicable specifications. Application of ISO 17100:2015 also provides how a translation service provider (TSP) can demonstrate conformity of specified translation services to ISO 17100:2015 and the capability of its processes and resources to deliver a translation service that will meet the client's and other applicable specifications. Applicable specifications can include those of the client, of the TSP itself, and of any relevant industry codes, best-practice guides, or legislation.

Building Trust

At idioma® we dedicate ourselves in establishing and maintaining relationships with our clients. We want to grow with our clients and invest time in building a trustful relationship to reach mutual goals. We believe in sincerity and being open to suggestions. We aspire to be the reliable and trustworthy translation service provider our clients deserve.

A professional native translator specialist has the subject matter expertise to understand the technical details of your document and convey information precisely in their native language. However, finding a trusted translation partner is the first step.

Do you have a trusted translation partner?

Need a translation quote? Please contact us at info@idioma.com

When expanding internationally, businesses of all sizes must rely on foreign language translators to ensure their products, services, and message is communicated clearly, concisely, professionally, and meaningfully. Effective communication is an important factor determining success in a translation project. Demand for multilingual language services increases every year and the challenge is to provide quality translation efficiently and quickly while maintaining information security. How a business approaches their translation projects can affect the quality, reliability, efficiency, security, and time to market of their translated information. There is no one size fits all solution to translation projects.

Your company wants to grow internationally or is growing an international presence and you would like to provide translation for your products and services. Where should you start? It boils down to two choices. Hire in-house translators or outsource your translation project. Which option best fits your company? The basics to a localization strategy are to increase efficiency, reduce cost, sustain quality, and speedy time to market. For the cost of translation, you must consider the labor, time, management, and quality. Let us see what it takes to make the optimal decision.

How Much Does It Cost?

Translation Costs

What are the costs when crafting a translation? First is having a professional linguist translate the text in question. Second is assuring the translation quality is adequate by having a second professional linguist check the quality. But first and foremost is finding those right professional linguists to handle your translation project. Naturally, if you spend a significant amount of time trying to find translators for your project, you are incapable of performing your core duties. There is a huge opportunity cost with finding the right translator. This becomes more of a problem when volumes of content fluctuate constantly and substantially with unpredictable swells. Another common problem is availability. There is a possibility the individual is not even available to complete your translation project. Even if you able to assign to the right person they may rush your project because their cup is full. Being overworked leads to careless mistakes which makes quality suffer increasing cost to correct those mistakes. In a perfect world we can find the perfect candidate with the perfect price. In reality, the search takes some time which increases costs and can lead to stressful situations considering deadlines.

Workflow Management Costs

Handling translation projects are easier said than done when you mention assigning translation projects to multiple translators in multiple languages. There are nightmare cases where promises were not met with deadlines well overdue with unacceptable translations which can’t be delivered to clients. Projects vary in complexity which requires project management, engineering, linguistic support, budget management, project timelines, translation data, and many other issues that come up which must be handled during the localization process. To manage large projects and multiple projects at the same time specialized teams of translators are necessary to complete within the required time frame. Ideally project management should have the help of technology with the proper expertise to optimize the translation process for each project’s specific needs. In a nutshell workflow management of translation projects are not as easy as it seems.

Quality Control Costs

Your company knows your content better than anyone else. But it is tough to ensure quality when hiring translators to work on your translation projects. Sometimes it is difficult to have translators understand and adjust to different types of content. Certain translators may excel at creating marketing content but instead have trouble with a web interface or technical documentation. What level of command do they have in the source and target language? How many years have they been a translator? What kind of linguistic background do they have? Who will review their work? Typically, additional support is necessary for quality assurance (QA). To manage the QA process effectively technology is leveraged to establish a seamless work environment for the linguists. A hybrid system is recommended utilizing software to catch mistakes with an additional layer of QA operators to support the linguist’s verification process. To build an effective QA team is an iterative process which takes time to implement properly.

Setting Up Your In-House Translation Department

You are considering establishing an in-house translation department. Where should you start? Your choice is mainly determined by the size of your company, number of languages required and its stage of growth. While business environment is important what the business can afford becomes priority. To build an in-house team of translators, it’s important to think about the costs. To hire professional translators and install translation technology requires a long-term investment not to mention the learning curve for employees. Consider the volumes of content that need to be translated in multiple languages, project management, quality control and while adapting to a completely new workflow. It can be slow in the beginning trying to manage your new localization team. Also, having in-house professional translators becomes expensive in terms of finding qualified applicants, conducting sufficient training, effective oversight, and supplying them with the necessary resources.

The advantages of having an in-house translation team are complete management of your workflow, sharing internal processes, knowledge of company culture and brand voice. You’ll have full control over the translation management process. However, as projects become larger further investments must be made for hiring, technology, and workflow management becoming increasingly complex. Not to mention projects which may require a particular set of skills such as multilingual copywriting, transcreation, technical knowledge which requires new translators for every language you want to add.

Furthermore, when there isn’t enough work for your in-house translator, you may want to share duties across different departments for work unrelated to translation. This switching between assignments, obligations, and responsibility causes stress and fatigue for the unprepared linguist. The translator becomes an employee pulled in different directions receiving assignments instead of translation projects they should be focused on. Translators with shared responsibilities are rarely efficient. They are likely to develop the skills that lead translation to be completed quickly with quality suffering to compensate for their alternative roles. This is a nature course amongst small and midsize companies that may not have consistent translation projects.

In the end though there is a possibility you find a balance between cost and convenience with your in-house localization team. The problem becomes continuously investing in staff and technology to make sure you’re achieving the quality, accuracy, and reliability in your translation projects. With hard work and perseverance your investment could pay off and you could have an in-house localization team to handle your translation projects.

Why Outsource Your Translation Projects?

You are considering outsourcing your translation projects. Where should you start? To outsource your translation to a translation provider it can be managed by your departments where employees are underutilized who become the liaison for your translation projects. Then through them you can simply provide the necessary information to a professional translation provider, and they can help you meet your requirements. Project management, technology, quality control, and workflow management will be handled with care if you find the right translation provider to do the job. An outsource translation provider is likely to have access to technologies and translators who are trained to take advantage of all resources available for speedy deliveries, accuracy, and high-quality translation which fits your expectations. Translation Management Systems (TMS), specialized dictionaries, and reference guides are integrated with the translation process giving you the opportunity to maximize the value for your purchase. Over time, the translation provider will become increasingly knowledgeable about your business, its operation, products, culture, brand, and employees. As the translation provider engages with different departments, they gain a better understanding about the complexities of your business. The culmination of these experiences will enable their translators to provide their service in a more resourceful, efficient, and effective way.

As mentioned before recruiting, training, setting up, monitoring, and growing an effective and efficient translation department takes considerable investment. By outsourcing your translation projects, the translation provider can focus on what matters most. Also, by outsourcing translation projects, your employees are free to perform their regular duties that they have been academically and professionally educated and trained to perform. They will function more efficiently, because they can focus on their primary duties with an uncluttered mind. Freeing these employees to perform their primary duties will allow your entire organization to run more efficiently. While an in-house translator may have acquired specialized knowledge and vocabulary, this same level of knowledge can be handed over to the translation provider in the form of glossaries. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the same level of experience with less cost by outsourcing your translation projects.

Regarding scalability it is difficult as the business grows when translation is managed in-house. Working with an in-house team means the pool of translators available to you is incredibly limited, so if your company decides to expand, it’ll be hard to acquire additional translation resources. You’ll also need to reinvest in new technological tools to help your growing demand in your localization process. By outsourcing scaling can be done freely where structure is a non-issue to recruit and administer a network of translators with different levels and expertise, availability, and translation technology access. If you plan to add new languages to your product or service, it can be especially complicated to assess the quality of the translations without a professional team. By outsourcing your translation projects to a trusted partner is the ability to scale your team up or down without any substantial risk. All in all, outsourcing translation to a translation provider can offer substantial benefits that is difficult to be achieved with an in-house team. By now, you can probably see why outsourcing your translation projects is the smarter way to go. Yes, you could handle the entire localization process yourself—but why bother? Choosing to handle the process in-house is costly, cumbersome, and complex. By choosing to outsource, a trusted partner can work with you to find the optimal solution and grow alongside your company, freeing you to concentrate on your core business. Working with an experienced partner can make all the difference in helping you achieve the maximum ROI on your international efforts.

Outsource your translation projects to idioma®

idioma ® has been a translation provider for 40+ years and has the experience to help you achieve your international interests. We provide our ISO certified translations with professional translators utilizing the latest technologies. We believe communication is key to cultivate long term relationships with our clients. It is not just a matter of outsourcing but being reliable and building trust. Although there is a bias on our part that we recommend outsourcing translation projects because as a translation provider that is our main objective. But weighing the advantages and disadvantages it is safe to say objectively outsourcing works better overall for clients in the short and long term.

As Charlie Munger and Warren Buffet would suggest it is best to stick to your circle of competence.

Need a translation quote? Please contact us at info@idioma.com

Geographic History

Our Tokyo office is currently in Kanda（神田） Nishiki-cho（錦町）. It is close to the Nihon-bashi River near Jimbocho. During the Edo period, many samurai’s residences were in the area, and the Ishiki(一色) a Hatamoto（旗本）high-ranking samurai lived there.

Ishiki Family Emblem

The Ishiki family had two residences in the neighborhood and the area later became known as “Nishiki”（二色）. As you would count One (Ichi（一）), Two (Ni（二）), Three (San（三）) in Japanese, “Nishiki” represented the Ishiki family residences. Today the name is Nishiki(錦) which was derived from Nishiki（二色）having the same pronunciation with the meaning being different.

Yoshimune Tokugawa (8th Shogun of Tokugawa Shogunate)

Nishiki was famous for the Goji-in temple which faced the outer moat of the Edo Castle. In 1717, the temple was destroyed by fire without a single structure left. Yoshimune Tokugawa (great-grandson of Ieyasu Tokugawa) did not allow reconstruction of the temple and the site became Goji-in-gahara (a fire extinguishing ground).

Choensai Eishin “Falconer”

This vast vacant lot was kept as a fire preventative ground to prevent future fires from spreading to the Edo Castle. It also became a famous falconry ground for the shogun, then later became a park open to the public.

First University in Japan

The birthplace of the University of Tokyo

At the beginning of the Meiji Restoration Kanda Nishiki changed from open land to the center of education. The Goji-in-gahara (a fire extinguishing ground) became the birthplace of the first Japanese universities. The University of Tokyo, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Gakushuin University, and Hitotsubashi University were established.

Local used bookstore “Wonder” in Jinbocho

Kanda Nishki became the academic epicenter and as a result, many bookstores opened in the vicinity. This was the birth of the Jimbocho bookstore district, which is one of the biggest book districts in the world. There are up to 200 bookstores within a 15-minute walk radius. Books of any subject can be found not only in Japanese but in many languages such as English, French, German, Spanish, and Russian.

The Birthplace of Japanese Baseball

The birthplace of Japanese baseball

While Kanda Nishiki flourished as the epicenter of education during the Meiji Restoration a new sport was being introduced to the Japanese people. Horace Wilson an American veteran of the U.S. Civil War is given credit for bringing baseball to Japan. Wilson was born in Gorham, Maine. A native of Maine, he volunteered to serve in the Union army during the Civil War and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant with Company I of the 12th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment against the Confederates in Louisiana.

Horace Wilson (1834-1927)

After the Civil War, he was hired by the Japanese government as a foreign adviser to assist in the modernization of the Japanese education system during the Meiji Restoration. He became an English professor at Kaisei Gakko(later to become the University of Tokyo). Wilson decided his students needed more physical exercise and introduced them to baseball. Not knowing he would become the father of Japanese baseball.

Kaisei Gakko (1873)

Wilson returned to the United States in 1877 and lived in San Francisco. He died in 1927 at age 84. Wilson was posthumously inducted in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame by the special committee in 2003. The full story of Horace’s family and their adventure to Japan is here.

40+ Years of Translation Service

idioma® Tokyo office is only a few minutes away from Jinbocho station.

If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by for a coffee break!

Need help on your translation project? Contact us at info@idioma.com

Translation Memory Alignment (TMA) is a method by matching same text (sentences, phrases, words) using alignment tools. It creates a database of text segments in two different languages. TMA allows for clients to provide two files (source and target languages) representing the same text and align the sentences matching them to generate a translation memory (TM). These aligned bilingual memories allow clients to reuse identical and similar text segments that have previously been translated, to aid human translators in translation projects. A TM is invaluable when translating and localizing great volumes of content. A term or sentence once translated doesn’t need to be translated again. It is automatically substituted in a new document. The translation process using TM preserves the linguistic consistency of corporate documents across platforms and versions. This proves to be invaluable in translating content that includes many repetitions like technical specifications, financial statements, and legal terminology. With TM as a base, translation of documents goes much faster. Instead of starting from scratch with translation, TMA allows you to build a repository of translation segments that are saved and can be utilized immediately.

Here are some reasons why clients order TMA services:

-Translations were done manually not using a TM system.

-Translations were done by a translator or an LSP who did not deliver a TM.

-Translations were done by a translator or an LSP but the quality was bad.

-Translations were done but final changes were made during the DTP process. There was no TM for the finalized version.

Most CAT tools offer their own alignment feature, but there are other specialized tools in the market. The TMA process is completed using an alignment tool.

What is the TMA process?

The TMA process begins with two files – one with the source text, the other with the corresponding target text in a different language. To create a leverageable TM, you first need to pool as many of your original files and translated equivalents as possible. Then, these 5 steps are applied to create your TM resource:

1. Segment Extraction

All text segments (basically sentences) are extracted from the source and target files to create a bilingual database with original text and the corresponding translated text.

2. Segment Alignment

All segments are aligned using software solutions to pair segments in the source and target files based on their placement, content, etc. The process is highly automated and enables very fast processing, much faster than humans and with high precision.

3. Human Editing

A native linguist reviews the results of the paired segments to ensure they really match. Confirmation or corrections are made at this step.

4. TM Creation

Lastly, redundant segments that have no matches in neither source or target are deleted, and then the bilingual text segments are exported to .tmx format or any other format you may require (e.g. .xliff, .csv, etc.).

When your translated material is not available in TM format, typically TMA is done to create files like .xliff and .tmx - both of which are .xml files amongst the most popular in the industry.

With TMA it is possible to create a reliable TM. As the linguist works on a new translation using this TM, it is standard to apply penalties to any TM matches. A certain percentage is deducted automatically, for example if the penalty is set at 1%, any 100% matches become 99% matches. This information is provided as a reference to the linguist as "aligned". These 99% matches are rechecked to confirm the content and if necessary corrected during the translation process to ensure quality results.

How can you improve TMA results?

If you have the proper preparations, you will be able to improve your alignment accuracy following these points below:

-Make sure source and target files have the same file format.

For example, a PDF file and a Word file have different information imbedded within the files. This difference makes it difficult to match segments automatically. Source and target file formats should match to ensure the alignment process has the best accuracy.

-Make sure the source and target files are the same version.

A source file is often updated including extra information or has deleted text because it was redundant, after the previous translation was done. The content of the source and target file should match for maximum efficiency. If both files do not match completely, the alignment process becomes more complex. Also, layout differences contribute to poor alignment results.

-Make sure your TMA project is performed by a native linguist.

To increase accuracy, the linguist can check each segment to approve the automatic matches or fix incorrect matches creating a reliable TM. Including a native linguist in TMA helps to ensure the alignment is 100% correct. This careful step is especially helpful when dealing with documents that misaligned during the TMA process.

-Make sure to use a TMA tool that generates a quality report.

A TMA tool with internal algorithms can indicate how accurate an alignment was. It can measure automatically how many of the segments have matched accurately. This quality report helps identify broken segments, orphan segments, and unnecessary segments for the linguist to fix or delete as necessary.

Not all TMA are created equal.

Why use TMA?

TMA helps build a repository of bilingual segments which are then saved as a Translation Memory (TM). TM can provide consistency in translation, lower cost, increase productivity, and preserve the previous translation of your documents. This TM can be saved and utilized whenever necessary for your translation projects. There are many benefits to have a TM for your translation projects. idioma® offers TMA in 70+ languages. We can provide TMA and translation services as a package with our professional native linguists. Starting from scratch is OK but if you have previously translated documents, you can leverage them to create amazing results for your future translation projects.

Need help with TMA? Need a translation quote?

If you have any questions, please leave us a message or contact us at info@idioma.com.

Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE) is the process whereby humans edit machine translated text. Translators are commonly called a post-editor who handle this language editing process. Post-editing involves the correction of machine translation output to ensure that it meets a level of quality negotiated in advance between the client and the post-editor. The concept of post-editing is linked to pre-editing. In the process of translating a text via machine translation, the best results are gained by pre-editing the source text. Pre-editing is the process where a human edits a document before applying machine translation. Pre-editing should facilitate the process of machine translation by checking spelling and grammar, avoiding complex or ambiguous syntactic structure, and verifying term consistency. The main goal of pre-editing is by adapting the source document to improve the raw output of machine translation to reduce the post-editing workload. By applying the principles of controlled language, it increases the accuracy and quality of MTPE. Ideally after post-editing is finished the text should be verified to ensure quality, free of mistakes.

MTPE is developing as the optimal solution for various industries and business translation projects. Practically all computer assisted translation (CAT) tools now support post-editing of machine translated output. In recent years, MTPE comes with a variety of tools that make the life of post-editors easier. The first of these is translation memory (TM), which is a database of previously translated segments. If a segment stored in the translation memory (TM) appears in the source text again, the MT will automatically fill in the corresponding target segment for the post-editor to review. Another distinct feature is the term base, which is a manually entered list of bilingual terms for a specific industry or subject. These term bases are especially great for post-editors to assist them in the translation process. Also, in cases where multiple post-editors are working on a project it enables them to keep certain terms consistent throughout multiple translations. Another useful feature is a Quality Assurance (QA) tool, which helps spot any errors or inaccuracies that may have been overlooked in the post-editing process. QA tools are meant to ensure that the translation output is high-quality. Last but not least is data privacy protection. It’s best to opt for a customized MT engine—built using data provided by the proprietor company—instead of using commercial public MT engines.

What are the advantages of MTPE?

MTPE is used as a business strategy for translation with three main factors: time, cost, and quality. The delivery term for a project, the budget available, and the desired level of quality are all variables that influence a manager’s decision for their MTPE projects. MTPE combined with the post-editor’s experience and fine-tuning of data, it can offer companies these advantages:

-Reduce time spent by increasing translation efficiency resulting in quicker deliveries

-Reduce translation cost

-Increase consistency in translation comparable to purely human translation

-Large volumes handled in less time while maintaining adequate quality

-Accelerate distribution of multilingual products (time-to-market)

To ensure these advantages, MTPE needs to be continuously optimized to guarantee all the benefits mentioned above. For MTPE to work, a coherent translation process needs to be integrated professionally applying equally fundamental and interdependent factors. We recommend that you choose MTPE knowing and accepting the balance between time, cost, and quality. MTPE is advantageous if you want to translate high volumes of documents in a short period of time, but you may sacrifice on the overall quality of your translation. You must decide what to prioritize. You must choose but choose wisely.

What are the best practices for MTPE?

Here are some of the best practices for MTPE:

-Pre-editing is recommended where linguists check the source text before it is machine translated. Linguists should make sure the source text is error-free of spelling and grammar mistakes, consistent with terminology, and comprehensible throughout the document.

-Provide your MT engine with relevant term bases and glossaries. MTPE is more efficient with industry-specific terminology and reference data. This is especially the case for technical translations and other niche fields. The results of data-driven neural machine translation are much easier to edit. This helps the post-editor immensely.

-Post-editors should be educated not to under-edit or over-edit. Under-editing, or insufficient editing, runs the risk of ending up with an inadequate translation. Post-editors must make sure no information in the source text is left out in the translation. By contrast, over-editing like making preferential or stylistic edits that aren’t necessary, risks deviating from the source text. Additionally, the translation shouldn’t include information absent in the source text. It is okay if the output of MTPE feels less natural than human translation considering it delivers the original meaning properly. If the translation is correct overall and the meaning is comprehensible it’s best to leave it there.

-Utilize a Translation Management System (TMS) for better consistency. Using a TMS for post-editing provides a process of analysis that involves all relevant parties such as the pre-editor of the source text, the post-editor, and the manager. Feedback can be funneled through a TMS such as comments on the quality of machine translation, common mistakes, and frequent mistakes. This can be used to improve the accuracy of MT and make post editing projects efficient. Setting up a system for this type of review and feedback enables clients to improve their custom MT engine over time, which leads to improvements for the future.

What is ISO 18587:2017?

ISO 18587:2017provides requirements for the process of full, human post-editing of machine translation output and post-editors' competences. ISO 18587:2017 is intended to be used by LSPs, their clients, and post-editors. It is only applicable to content processed by MT systems.

In 2017, ISO 18587:2017 requirements were published and became visible proof to the certification of the post-editing standard. It demonstrates standardized quality processes, comprehensively transparent project procedures, including personal consultation, adjustment of the processes and the highest level of data protection. LSPs must apply the same high-quality standards to MTPE projects as they do to regular specialized translations. Post-editing is defined as light and full post-editing in the context of the European Commission Translation Service.

The first approach light post-editing is where MTPE only focuses on the essentials such as grammar, spelling, and translation accuracy. Light post-editing aims at making the output simply understandable. Light post-editing implies minimal intervention by the post-editor, with the aim of ensuring quality is "good enough" and "understandable"; the expectation is that the client will use it for inbound purposes only, often when the text is needed urgently, or has a short delivery term.

The second approach is full post-editing, where the editor will focus not only on the essentials but also take the time at making it stylistically appropriate and consistent throughout, additionally focusing on details like whether all expressions are localized. The expectation of full post-editing is the outcome will be a translation that is understandable, stylistically appropriate, used for assimilation and dissemination, and for inbound and outbound purposes. The quality is expected to be publishable and equivalent to that of a human translation. Full post-editing involves a greater level of intervention to achieve a degree of quality which needs to be negotiated between client and post-editor.

idioma® offers its ISO 18587:2017 certified MTPE service to many of its clients. We provide a customized neural machine translation engine to increase the quality of MT output which requires less post-editing effort. We use our translation management system (TMS) and computer-assisted translation (CAT) tool where post-editing entries, speed and linguistic quality assessment results of the post-edited texts can be compared. This tracking and measuring mechanism built in our MTPE environment increases efficiency and improves quality. To satisfy our clients requests we incorporate the best guidelines for MTPE while carefully evaluating the clients’ necessities to execute an optimal solution. We thoroughly explain the cost and benefits involved when deciding together with our clients on MTPE. With the proper tools, practices, and mindset in place, post-editing can be an alternative to traditional translation. idioma® ensures the highest standards with its MTPE translation services.

If you have any questions about MTPE or would like a translation quote, please contact us at info@idioma.com.

A translation management system (TMS) is a type of software for automating the human language translation process. TMS are designed to support and coordinate translation projects. This includes project management, workflow management, translation memory (TM) management, invoicing, data storage and other various features to assist project managers, translators, and enterprises. The idea of a TMS is to automate all repeatable and non-essential work that can be done, leaving only the creative work of translation and review to be done by the translators. When translating a large amount of content, it becomes difficult to manage the many different languages and dialects. A TMS helps businesses organize and manage translations allowing all parties to work collaboratively. A TMS helps coordinate and streamline translation projects to all participants as if they are working together in the same office. It allows enterprises to centralize the management of localization workflows. This involves several collaborators enabling them to work simultaneously without geographical restrictions. Most translation projects require multiple translators from different locations around the world. A TMS greatly simplifies the complexity that comes with coordinating translation projects.

Why use a TMS?

The traditional way for managing translation projects were spreadsheets and email. This method works but a translation project manager has limited capacity. As the number of translation projects continue to grow while considering factors such as larger volume, tighter deadlines, and detailed specifications creates a layer of complexity for translation project managers adding to its difficulty. If managed manually, complex translation workflows become time-consuming and lead to an increased number of errors. Managing every task while communicating to multiple parties becomes burdensome. Traditionally when organizations reached this point, they would hire more staff to cope with the outgrowth. In the long run though this increases costs making a TMS a viable option to consider. A TMS is a system designed to manage these workflows to concentrate on localization and translation of language assets. It greatly aids the management of translated assets at scale. With a TMS, organizations can boost productivity and reduce costs by centralizing linguistic assets, automating processes and monitoring workflows.

For example, every participant in the workflow receives a notification of a new translation project, and a unique number is assigned to every project so that every task is traceable. Project managers, translators and enterprises work together communicating through the system. All tasks are tracked and monitored within the system making it easy to manage translation projects. After the translation project is finished and approved, the translation memory (TM) is stored for later reuse. Deliveries of the translated materials are typically done through a TMS directly to enterprises for publishing. Translation management systems increase productivity and efficiency of business administration, process management, and data management.

What are the benefits of a TMS?

Management of translation assets and content updates

When an organization produces content in multiple languages, linguistic data needs to be properly stored, managed, and shared. A TMS enables the consolidation and management of assets (translation memories, term bases, etc.) in a single system. The difficulty with management is that more content means more translation. The task of managing a translation project becomes labor intensive when the volume of text increases. A TMS removes repetitive manual labor involved in translation management. A TMS automates much of the translation process to enable scalability, no matter how much content needs to be translated.

Automation

Translators and project managers carry out repetitive, time-consuming tasks daily. A TMS enables customized workflows and the automation of tasks that saves valuable time. It can help with handling and exchange of multiple files making document management easier. To automate further many of the TMS available have integrations for common content management systems, eCommerce solutions, and help desks. These centralized integrations make deployment of new language translations effortless.

Workflow assessment

Project tracking is an important feature to any project manager. Translation progress can be monitored in real time, and alert users as translations finish. Translation workflow is displayed from start to finish with all tasks included in the translation project. A TMS centralizes all tasks and crucial information assisting project managers with translation progress and delivery term assessment. Translation management systems allow for custom workflows and automation procedures targeted to each of your clients’ needs and personalities.

Collaboration

A TMS provides efficient real-time communication and collaboration for translators and enterprises working on the same project. A TMS can prioritize valued content. While CAT tools increase efficiency and convenience of the translation process, TMS go a step further to allow users to maintain brand identity by helping to ensure the translated content is contextualized. A TMS gives more visibility to organizations with quality reports and statistics on each translation project to create better products. Some TMS have integrated analytics and reporting, allowing clients to see the direct ROI impact of localization efforts.

How to choose a TMS?

What you choose depends on what you want from a TMS such as:

-Large volume of content that needs to be managed

-Multiple languages and regions that need to be managed

-Multiple platforms that require translation (e.g., manuals, websites, smartphone apps)

-Multiple parties collaborating on a translation project

-Requirements regarding brand vision, identity, and style

Considering the number of translations, languages, regions, locations, collaborators, and guidelines regarding your brand, you should decide from a low-cost solution to a high end comprehensive TMS with extensive features.

Choose a TMS which fits best to your budget and organizational needs.

TMS + idioma®

At idioma® we realized the importance of TMS early on. In 1997 we developed our TMS called the Traffic Control System (TC). Currently, TC6 (version 6) is our TMS, which operates in our cloud-hosted servers where our project managers can manage translation projects and communicate with our translators and clients from anywhere at any time. TC6 helps our project managers to easily manage large scale to small custom translation projects ensuring that every task is attended to with the greatest care. TC6 enables our project managers to manage timelines and requirements fitted to the client's needs and objectives.

At idioma® we analyze each client’s requirements to customize the best solution for their translation projects.

If you have any questions about TMS or would like a translation quote, please contact us at info@idioma.com.

What is Technical Translation?

Technical translation is specialized translation involving the translation of documents (owner's manuals, user guides, etc.), which relate to various technological fields. The texts typically consist of scientific and technological information. Technical translation requires a high level of subject knowledge and mastery of the relevant terminology and writing conventions. Having knowledge of both the linguistic features and aesthetic features of translation applies directly to the field of technical translation. Though technical translation is only one subset of the different types of professional translation, it is the largest subset as far as output is concerned. Currently, more than 90% of all professionally translated work is done by technical translators. This highlights the importance and significance of the field.

Terminology & Meaning

Technical documents often contain terminology with specific meanings. It’s essential that the correct terminology is used consistently throughout. The terminology required for technical translation is complex. Effective technical translation takes more than knowing the correct meaning of the terms in the target language. A technical translator must understand cultural nuances in the target language to communicate the information in the right tone, as well as being accurate. This is extremely important. For example, what may be the right way to give instructions in one language may come across rude in another. Sometimes accuracy means more than simply communicating the idea correctly. A simple error in terminology like this could result in a company’s failure to acquire a new target market. To prevent these errors a technical translator must understand the nuances of the market while being an expert in the required industry.

From Globalization to Specific Cultures

Technical translation involves understanding how globalization has influenced different cultures across the world. As technology advanced it created easier and faster means of communication where the world became a global community. The need to communicate with people from multiple language backgrounds have grown and continue to. The technical translator must be culturally diverse with varying languages, influences, and media preferences to be professionals in the field of technical communication. As technology makes intercultural and international communication easier, the technical translator must understand intercultural relations as it relates to ethics. A professional must avoid stereotyping and ethnocentrism in technical communication and translation. Ambiguous language not only shows problems with a universal writing style for technical translation, but also reiterates how culture plays an important role in proper technical translation. Technical translators must avoid assumptions about a culture and allow their own knowledge base to consider more diverse populations creating more effective cross-cultural communication not only when working with risky environments, but in general communication as well.

Why is Technical Translation Important?

As every marketing professional knows, the way your customers see your brand is everything. By making the effort to have technical documents accurately translated, it shows a level of respect and care for your customers that will only be reciprocated. Brands have spent time and effort cultivating themselves in their home country. They want to be certain that their brand image is translated properly. A professional technical translator ensures this happens, guaranteeing that the brand image is communicated meaningfully with careful accuracy. We at idioma® have been technical translation experts for 40+ years. We will continue to be a bridge for better communication across international borders.

Need an expert technical translator? Contact us at info@idioma.com

Neural machine translation (NMT) uses machine learning and an artificial neural network to perform language translation. It predicts the likelihood of a sequence of words, typically modeling entire sentences in a single integrated model.
Let's deep dive into NMT and how it can streamline translation processes.

How neural machine translation works

Neural machine translation (NMT) automatically converts source text in one language to target text in another language.

Unlike traditional statistical machine translation (SMT) models, NMT only requires a fraction of the memory. Furthermore, unlike conventional translation systems, all parts of the neural translation model are trained jointly (end-to-end) to maximize the translation performance.

With the power of Neural Machine Translation (NMT) and available public translation platforms, users can generate instant translations with little to no customization. To increase accuracy the terminology can be tailored based on the context, category, style, and target audiences.

Neural machine translation vs. professional human translation

We believe that NMT is an unconditional part of today's translation process. NMT combined with translation memories is the most helpful tool for professional translators to increase efficiency and output. It's basically impossible to scale the translation business without NMT nowadays.

Professional translators are tasked with NMT post-editing to make sure the translation is natural and fits the context accurately for target audiences. To control translation quality effectively, translators can rely on mandatory QA checks and QA operators. Quality output is achieved through this collaboration of artificial intelligence, language professionals, and QA procedures, resulting in a hybrid translation process.

Neural machine translation for everybody?

NMT is broadly available to the public using cloud services on platforms, servers, or via software integration using an API. Users can utilize independent or open-source machine translation systems to build their very own NMT system. If a corpus of source and target texts in two languages are provided a neural language model can be established.

In combination with CAT tools users can provide live translation suggestions to professional translators while improving suggestion quality learning from the sentences previously chosen.

Data is key. It is essential to create an effective NMT network.

Public machine translation platforms and why NOT use them

We strongly advise our clients to use an on-site machine translation engine. Public machine translation (MT) platforms are often open and shared, and the translations are not always kept confidential.

For example, the NMT platform of idioma® runs inside our corporate network with no external access. Our cloud solution uses data encryption to avoid data leakage and we can guarantee the data never reach the public.

Currently, NMT is the most advanced translation solution. It can produce adequate translations fast and, with the help of professional translators, it can generate quality output. Free public MT engines are practical but have their limits. We believe that to use public NMT platforms in a satisfactory manner, the next level of development, adaptation, and security is necessary.

Neural machine translation solution at idioma®

Our IT developers built a flexible NMT service based on idioma®'s 40 years of experience in the translation industry.

We provide many options integrated with our NMT solution:

• Data selection: manually or automatically choose appropriate data to feed the solution from your corpora or our corpora to best fit your translation projects.
• Data cleaning: edit or remove data to increase the quality and efficiency of your NMT
• Neural domain adaptation: tuning neural networks to individually fit specific translation content
• Terminology management: terminology, DNT, and tag control.
  

Neural Machine Translation (NMT) is moving faster than ever before. And we aim to provide our clients and partners with the latest techniques and solutions available.

Do you have any questions on NMT or would like a translation quote?
Please contact us at info@idioma.com.

Quality assurance (QA) is a way of preventing mistakes, defects, and avoiding problems when delivering services to customers. It is the systematic measurement, comparison with a standard, monitoring of processes and an associated feedback loop that confers error prevention. ISO 9000 defines QA as "part of quality management focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled".

Translation without QA is risky

Quality assurance for translation comprises administrative and procedural activities implemented in a quality system so that requirements and goals for the service will be fulfilled. If QA is not implemented properly mistakes made in the process are left in your translation. It is like having your final product with defects.

These defects are published and shared to your audience such as existing and potential customers. A poor translation can have a negative impact on your product, become an embarrassment to your brand, and decrease your sales. Misuse with a poor translation could lead to an accident becoming a product liability lawsuit.

QA in your translation process

As a given, to be ISO 9001:2016 and ISO 17100:2015 certified are critically important for QA. We at idioma® are certified with both and adhere to its practices and procedures.

To further the QA process, we have developed CrossCheck® a comprehensive QA software that checks for errors while our translator’s work. CrossCheck® functions from beginning to end of the translation process to check for potential errors and fix actual mistakes. CrossCheck® is integrated to our CAT tool iQube to systematically manage the QA process.

What is CrossCheck®

CrossCheck® is our QA software which detects any text with possible mistakes during the translation, verification, and our custom in-house checking process.

If actual mistakes are found, we categorize them and create error statistics to provide structured feedback to everyone. This maintains our high level of competence and encourages translators to learn and improve from their work. Translators can improve the accuracy, terminology, language use, and consistency in their translations.

We believe QA is a key component for every translation project to deliver the best translations.

Need to improve your QA process? You can access CrossCheck® or download the Trados Studio plug-in. If you have any questions, please leave us a message or contact us at info@idioma.com.

Computer-aided translation (CAT) is the use of software to assist human translators during the translation process. The translation is created by a human, and certain aspects of the process are facilitated by software - specifically the actual translation process itself...

How CAT tools work

Most CAT tools can translate a variety of source file formats in a single editing environment, integrate translation memories, and combine various utilities to increase the translation process productivity. CAT tools extract text from documents and present them as segments. These segments are worked on by a translator and stored in a database, known as translation memory (TM). TM benefits translators because they can reuse translations done before.

A CAT tool is nor a human translator, neither a machine translation tool.
It is a database-driven software program that facilitates translations to assist human translators during the translation process. The user controls the tool and is responsible for reviewing the translated output. The effectiveness of the CAT tool really depends on the skill of the translator using it. To fully utilize a CAT tool's functionality takes experience.

In recent years, with the breakthrough in AI technology, CAT tools can incorporate machine translation (MT) to generate draft translations. This enables the translator to focus on post-editing (PE) instead of translating from scratch. Machine translation (MT) can be added optionally with human intervention (e.g. pre-editing and post-editing). CAT tools are a convenient way to increase efficiency, consistency, reduce errors, and increase processing speed, especially for large-scale projects.

CAT tools that proved through experience

At idioma® we developed our own cloud-hosted translation platform called iQube.

All our expert translators work in iQube that is tightly integrated with our QA software CrossCheck®. All translation projects are produced through iQube undergoing mandatory QA checks for every segment. Translators from around the world work in idioma's translation platform via cloud-hosted servers. We make sure client data is securely protected.

Need to hire a translation service provider? We have 40 years of experience.
We use our in-house CAT tool to its fullest potential to provide excellent translations.
Contact us at info@idioma.com.

The translation industry is unregulated in many countries. Translators can claim they are professionals and provide their services. For a translation buyer, this becomes a potential risk. How do you know if you’re working with a true professional?

International Quality Standards in Translation Services

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. They define requirements and outline best practices to enable businesses in any industry to consistently offer fit-for-purpose products or services. The two ISO standards that are the most relevant to translation providers would be:

• ISO 17100:2015 - Requirements for translation services
• the general ISO 9001 standard for Quality management systems

Why translation providers should conform to ISO17100:2015

ISO 17100:2015 provides requirements for the core processes, resources, and other aspects necessary for the delivery of a quality translation service that meets applicable specifications.

A translation service provider (TSP) can demonstrate the conformity of specified translation services to ISO 17100:2015 and the capability of its processes and resources to deliver a translation service that will meet the applicable quality specifications and expectations.

Many companies and organizations partner with translation service providers to avoid language and culture pitfalls that can be costly and sometimes irreparable. ISO 17100:2015 certifies that there is a qualified multidisciplinary team behind each project, working within an established workflow and in a safe environment.

Why translation providers should conform to ISO9100:2016

ISO 9001:2016 Quality Management System (QMS) provides a quality management framework that companies can use to ensure the quality of their products and services is consistent. This reduces the chance of product faults and recalls or service shortcomings.
It ensures that customers can buy with confidence.

ISO 9001:2016 certification demonstrates an organization’s ability to consistently meet and exceed customer expectations. Many clients require their suppliers to be ISO 9001 certified to minimize their risk of purchasing a poor product or service.

A business that achieves ISO 9001:2016 certification can attain significant improvements in organizational efficiency and product quality by minimizing waste and errors and increasing productivity.

Rely on a certified translation provider

Translation services of idioma® adhere to ISO 9001:2016 and ISO 17100:2015 standards which guarantee our clients get the quality and satisfaction they deserve.

We believe translation requires a systematic approach that includes detailed steps from translation, editing, verification, and strict quality control, to timely delivery. We ensure that the content and context of our translation align with the client’s expectations every time.

Do you have any questions on ISO or would like to request a translation quote?
Please contact us at info@idioma.com.

Bosnian is a variant of Serbo-Croatian. It is the official language in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Montenegro and a native language of a little over 2 million people.
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina officially has three languages: Bosnian, Croatian and Serb. All three languages are mutually understandable. For various reasons, Bosnian is in wide use throughout the Balkans. The Serbo-Croatian concept, as well as the separate variants of the language (Serb, Croatian, Bosnian), was in fact based on the most wide-spread dialect in the area, the Shtokavian one from Eastern Herzegovina.

Bosniak is (not) Bosnian

It is not uncommon for Bosnian being also referred to as Bosniak. This is actually one of many things considered controversial on the Balkan Peninsula – while Bosnians insist the only correct name for their language is Bosnian, the Croats and Serbs insist on Bosniak being used to refer to the language within the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosnian as a term to include also Bosnian Croats and Serbs living outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It went even as far as Serbs refering to the Bosnian language as "the Language spoken by Bosniaks" in official documents, only to not having to recognize the language at all. Symbols and details really do matter in these lands, and based on previous experience, it won't be easy to overcome these disputes (mainly if the tensions are being deliberately encouaged, as seen in latest efforts in destabilizing Bosnian society through stirring debate about the Republika Srpska national day in 2018, etc.).
Internationally and within the language and translation industry, as well as here at idioma, the recognized name is Bosnian, though.

Not interested elites, no codified language

Since the 1990s, Bosnian has developed considerably, integrating literary traditions from the 20th century and adopting loan words from the Islamic and Oriental worlds. Arabic, Persian and Ottoman words differentiate the Bosnian version of Serbo-Croatian vocabuly from its siblings noticably, due to the religious ties with the Islamic world. In fact, due to this close bond of the Bosnian elite to Oriental cultures and lack of true emancipation of the Bosnians, the language failed to be codified in the 19th century, unlike Serbian and Croatian.

Alphabet

Bosnian originally used the Cyrillic alphabet, but today also the Latin alphabet is in use due to the influence of Serbo-Croatian when Bosnia was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Both alphabets are equal, but Cyrillic is used increasingly less today. Cyrillic, however, has greatly influenced the development of the Bosnian language and remains a link to the past. Latin
A B C Č Ć D Dž ĐE F G H I J K Lj M N Nj O P R S Š T U V Z Ž
a b c č ć d dž đ e f g h I j k l lj m n nj o p r s š t u v z ž

Cyrillic
А Б Ц Ч Ћ Д Џ Ђ Е Ф Г Х И Ј К Л Љ М Н Њ О П Р С Ш Т У В З Ж
а б ц ч ћ д џ ђ е ф г х и ј к л љ м н њ о п р с ш т у в з ж

At the end of June, both the Japanese and European sales teams of idioma went out to the world to talk about our translation services.

idioma @ DMS 2018 in Tokyo

Our Japanese sales team managed our booth at the 29th Design Engineering & Manufacturing Solutions Expo (DMS) in Tokyo. Held inside Manufacturing World Japan 2018, DMS is Japan’s largest exhibition gathering all kinds of IT solution providers and attracting professionals looking to buy IT solutions for their business. This year, both the number of participants and visitors increased in comparison with the previous year. We talked to many people who were interested not just in translation and QA services, but also in our terminology management solutions, and free online services such as the language query portal Ask!, Stream for instant translation estimates, and NextDoc for convenient text reuse. And just as the year before, we handed out plenty of candy :)
There was so much to talk about. If you would like to continue the discussion, or to ask just about anything relating to our translation services, please let us know at info@idioma.jp.

idioma @ Automatica 2018 in Munich

Meanwhile in Munich, our European sales team attended the leading exhibition for smart automation and robotics – Automatica 2018 – an interesting exhibition with lots of companies, both big and small, most of whom are growing quite fast. This year it was the most international Automatica since its beginning, and indeed, we met with companies from all over Europe.

Would you like to know more about our translation services or discuss you translation needs in person? Please contact us at info@idioma.com, or meet us from 18th to 22nd September at AMB 2018 in Stuttgart!