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Title: A voyage of discovery The Global Initiative for Local Computing Localisation Methodologies Tools App


1
A voyage of discoveryThe Global Initiative for
Local ComputingLocalisation Methodologies
Tools Applications and Case Studies
Manufacturers Association for Information
Technology (MAIT) Localisation Summit Hotel Taj
Mahal, New Delhi, India 08-10 Dec 2004
  • Reinhard Schäler
  • Director, Localisation Research Centre
  • Department of Computer Science and Information
    Systems
  • University of Limerick - Ireland

2
The LRC at UL is the focal point and the research
and educational centre for the localisation
community.
The LRC is a research centre at the Department of
Computer Science and Information Systems at the
University of Limerick, Ireland
3
Highlights
  • Research
  • The LRC conducts world-class research in areas
    relevant to localisation (2.1m funding over 8
    years to 2003/2004).
  • Education and training
  • In 1997, UL established the worlds first
    dedicated postgraduate programme in software
    localisation and the first International
    Localisation Summer School.
  • Cooperation with industry
  • The LRC maintains strong links with industry
    through its industrial advisory board and project
    partnerships.

4
The LRCs activities
  • Focal point
  • Research
  • Education

5
Focal point
  • Online presence
  • www.localisation.ie the LRC on the web
  • www.electonline.org the online information
    resource for the localisation community
  • www.localisationshop.com everything around
    localisation
  • www.xml.org/localisation the LRC-maintained
    localisation focus page on XML.ORG
  • Localisation library (tools, journals, books)
  • Localisation Focus (printed)
  • Contact database (2000 entries)
  • Who is who in localisation (yellow pages)
  • Industry surveys
  • Annual Localisation Conference (event)

6
Research
  • Human Language Technologies, incl. MT CAT
  • Documents and linguistic technology
  • Localisation automation
  • Localisation QA and testing
  • Cultural aspects of product localisation
  • Award programme
  • Best Thesis Award (since 1996), sponsored by
    Symantec (1,000 euro)
  • Best Scholar Award (since 2003), sponsored by IBM
  • Best Global Website Award (since 2003), sponsored
    by EuroRSCG

7
Education
  • Diploma and MSc in Software Localisation
  • Since 1997 the worlds first and Europes only
    dedicated postgraduate degree programme in
    localisation (CompSci Dept.)
  • New direction in 2005
  • LRC International Localisation Summer School
  • Since 2001 in Limerick/Ireland in other
    locations in 2004
  • Professional Development Courses
  • Certified Localisation Professional (CLP)
    Programme
  • ADAPT funded, crucial industry involvement
  • Recognised qualifications and careers for
    localisation professionals
  • Now run by The Institute of Localisation
    Professionals (TILP) www.tilponline.org

8
Projects
  • Funded projects
  • 8 projects - 1.9m funding - 22 partners in IRL,
    D, F, CH, UK, DK
  • Self-funding projects
  • 6 projects (publications, events, awards) - 240k
    funding - Supported by the Localisation Industry
  • IGNITE (EU eContent Programme) under negotiation
  • Linguistic Infrastructure for Localisation
    Language Data, Tools and Standards, 5 partners,
    24 months, 2.5M approx.
  • TechLink (Asia-Europe ITC Programme) under
    negotiation
  • The Europe-Asia Localisation Technology Training
    Initiative, 4 partners, 36 months, 330K approx.
  • The Global Initiative for Local Computing

2005
9
Localisation
  • Definition and some basic fact and figures

10
Definitions
Involves taking a product and making it
linguistically and culturally appropriate to the
target locale where it will be used and
sold. (lisa.org)
Is the process of adapting a product to the
requirements of a target locale. (globalization.co
m)
the linguistic and cultural adaptation of
digital content to the requirements of a foreign
market. the provision of services and
technologies for the management of
multilinguality across the digital, global
information flow. the commoditisation of
translation services.
The process of adapting a program for a specific
local market. (microsoft.com)
The process of converting a program to run in a
particular locale or country. (ibm.com)
11
The localisation industryFacts and figures
  • The localisation industry from mid 1980s in
    Europe (PC)
  • Packaged software -gt multimedia -gt digital
    content
  • Ireland, a world-centres of localisation, the
    worlds largest exporter of packaged software
  • World-wide market for translation and software or
    web localisation is growing
  • from US11 billion (1999)
  • to US20 billion (2004) Source Allied Business
    Intelligence
  • 300,000 full- and part-time translators
    world-wide (approx.)
  • For example Microsoft
  • gt60 of revenues from international
  • Revenue from localised products gtUS5 billion
  • gt1,000 localisation projects (product/language)
    per year

12
The localisation industryFacts and figures
  • 95 of source orginates in the USA
  • International market more important for pubishers
    than domestic markets
  • MS gt60, gtUS5b ., gt1,000 projects/year,
    Ireland US1.9b revenue (2001)

2005 6.7b
2002 3.7b
Source IDC, Worldwidc Globalization and
Localization Services Market Forecast and
Analysis, 2000-2005, 2001, www.idc.com
13
The stakeholdersClearly defined groups
Core
Peripheral
  • Clients
  • Application developers successful in home market
    aiming to expand
  • Digital content publishers global players who
    want to sell globalised products
  • Vendors
  • MLVs, SLVs
  • 3 big ½ dozen medium 6,991 small
  • Tools developers
  • Process automation
  • UI
  • Content
  • Standard/research orgs.
  • OASIS, Unicode, W3C LRC
  • Event organisers
  • Conferences commercial standard or community
    driven
  • Summer Schools workshops
  • Publishers
  • Books, whitepapers, magazines commercial or
    community driven
  • Web sites
  • Infrastructural support
  • GALA and TILP community driven
  • CSN, Lisa, Localisation World Commercial
  • IWIPS, TECOM, ATA, FIT, tekom associated areas
  • LttN Localisation Teaching, Training and
    Research Network

14
Aims
We want to contribute to the discovery of the
digital world.
We want to make the digital world accessible to
everybody.
We want to market our linguistic and cultural
heritage in the digital world.
The last barrier for the creation of the equal
and inclusive digital world is its linguistic
and cultural diversity.
The localisation industry has the technical,
linguistic and cultural expertise to remove these
barriers and to turn them into an advantage and
added attraction.
But
15
2005 the year ofThe Global Initiative for
Local Computing
GILC
  • Supporting local computing across geographical,
    political, social and economic divides
  • Building, on existing frameworks, the
    infrastructure for regional initiatives to
    coordinate, pool resources, raise awareness, and
    communicate on a global level
  • Removing myths around localisation, dealing with
    real needs and requirements in an imaginative,
    creative way

Localisation Not a nice-to-have but a
fundamental right
16
Man and myth
Localisation Methodologies
Technology is ever-changing change is the only
constant.
The technology myth
Localisation Tools
Markets decide the language issue. No market no
localisation.
The language myth
Localisation Applications and Case Studies
Cultural adaptation has to do with formats,
pictures and symbols
The cultural myth
17
Localisation is so exciting, each project is so
different from the previous one! Standards?
Impossible, things change too rapidly around here!
Localisation Methodologies
The technology myth
Nothing is ever the same technology changes so
quickly in the IT sector that change becomes the
norm and guidelines are useless.
No pattern no lesson no real improvement
18
Localisation technology is ever-changingL10N
methodologies are never the same
  • In software localisation, nothing is ever the
    same. This is one of the main attractions for
    people coming to work in the industry. At the
    same time, this presents one of the main
    challenges.

Nothing is ever the same weird and wonderful
problems
  • New computing platforms
  • New operating systems
  • New functions
  • New processes
  • New languages and countries
  • New challenges SimShip

19
A myth through the agesthe only constant is
change
  • Stone age - tough, raw and basic
  • Text-based applications, text intermingled with
    code
  • Engineers hacked into compiled programmes
  • Localised applications had to be recompiled and
    retested
  • Iron age - moderate, habitable and solid
  • Graphical User Interface (GUI), localisable
    elements separated from code
  • Less re-compiling
  • Less testing
  • Inventors age - busy, fast moving but adhoc
  • Multimedia, many different sources (audio, video,
    graphics, text)
  • Special resource files contain localisable
    elements of applications
  • Limited re-compiling and testing
  • Industrial age immediate, ubiquitous and mass
    production
  • Localisation platforms, no need to work on source
    or resource files
  • XML-based Localisation Interchange File Format
    (XLIFF)
  • Automated and standardised processes (Translation
    Web Services)

20
Back to the future HTML/XML
  • Text files that are containers for digital
    Content
  • Functionality is attached to text
  • Editors use taggers
  • Localisation experts have successfully done
    missionary work to separate localisable elements
    from functionality
  • HTML and XML bring us back to the very beginning

href"http//go.msn.com/0000/5/16.asp?targethttp
3A2F2Fwww2Emsnbc2Ecom2Fnews2F5464542Easp3F
bt3Dmsn26btu3Dhttp3A2F2Fgo2Emsn2Ecom2Fzzj
2F12F12Easp3Ftarget3Dhttp3A2F2Fmsn2Ecom"gt
ltbgtNew 'super-aspirin' Can it help
you?lt/bgt lt/agtltbrgt lt/tdgt lt/trgt lttrgt
lttd valigntop width134gt lta
21
Standard process technologies
300,000
How are products localised and how much does it
cost?
Original Product
Cost Hierarchy Translation Testing Engineering Pro
ject Management
price/word (translation doc., online,
software) price/time (engineering, testing,
screen dumps) price/item (graphics,
DTP) percentage (project management)
Vendor selection
Financial project management
Project planning and analysis
Project schedule
Translation kit preparation
Translation and editing
Software engineering and testing
Post Mortem
Release
22
Examples
  • Key problems
  • Identification, extraction and editing of assets
  • to be localised from a large and ever growing
  • number of file formats
  • (2) Processing thousands of source file (and
  • n-number of target files) across different
  • networks and computing environments

Websites PeopleSoft
Applications Oracle
Content Bosch
23
The localisation factorya case study (2003)
The Setting
Project constraints 4m wordcount software
strings 30 languages simultaneous release 13k
localisable files Localisation group in Dublin
5,000 people world-wide distributed development
team
  • Current throughput 100,000 language check-ins
    per month
  • 2 million files per month
  • 98 of words leverage
  • Average time to process a file 45 seconds
  • Fully scalable add-a-box model
  • Simpship of all 30 languages
  • International version testing before US release
  • Reduced no. of release engineers (20-gt2)
    resulting in US20m saving per year
  • Positive ROI within 1 year
  • Solution Standardisation
  • File formats
  • xml-based localisation interchange file format
    (XLIIFF)
  • (2) Processing
  • Automation and development of standardised
  • Localisation Web Services (Trans-WS)

Objectives 24/7, 100 automated process no
exceptions Translation in parallel with
development Translation begins at code
check-in Translation on demand no more big
project model
24
The automated localisation processusing standard
automation procedures and technologiesnot much
different from those used in a manufacturing
environment
Objective achieve interoperability in (1)
content markup/capture of localisable data and
(2) content transfer
within and across different stages of the
localisation process without loss
and (almost) no human intervention.
Product Design Team
Content Markup
XLIFF
Content Transfer
Development
Development Team
Original Language Version Store
Translation
XLIFF
Development
XLIFF
--- store contents --- maintain contents ---
ltCMSgt
Publishing Platform
Translation
Localisation Kit Prep.
Testing and Engineering
LSP
Localised Language Version Store
Trans-WS
Trans-WS
Trans-WS
Translation
Localisation Kit Prep.
Testing and Engineering
LSP
Translation
Localisation Kit Prep.
Testing and Engineering
Localisation Service Provider
Translation
Localisation Kit Prep.
Testing and Engineering
Translation
Localisation Kit Prep.
Testing and Engineering
XLIFF
XLIFF
XLIFF
XLIFF
Passolo, Catalyst, Multilizer, RCWinTrans
TRADOS, SDLX, TRANSIT
Two dimensional interoperability vector
Trans-WS
25
Conclusion
  • Arrogance and a lack of maturity make localisers
    fail to recognise that their experience is not
    unique - there are lessons to be learned,
    methodologies can be developed
  • The digital content industry is relatively new to
    the digital world with little knowledge about
    localisation and can learn from the experience of
    the localisation industry
  • Standards are not only possible but they are
    necessary to build and to operate the
    Localisation Factories
  • 2005 The IGNITE project will build a prototype
    of the Localisation Factory best practice,
    standards verification and access to know-how and
    technology

26
?
Localisation Methodologies
The technology myth
27
2005 the year ofThe Global Initiative for
Local Computing
GILC
  • Supporting local computing across geographical,
    political, social and economic divides
  • Building, on existing frameworks, the
    infrastructure for regional initiatives to
    coordinate, pool resources, raise awareness, and
    communicate on a global level
  • Removing myths around localisation, dealing with
    real needs and requirements in an imaginative,
    creative way

Localisation Not a nice-to-have but a
fundamental right
28
Man and myth
?
Localisation Methodologies
Technology is ever-changing change is the only
constant.
The technology myth
Localisation Tools
Markets decide the language issue. No market no
localisation.
The language myth
Localisation Applications and Case Studies
Cultural adaptation has to do with formats,
pictures and symbols
The cultural myth
29
We would love to localise this into your language
but, unfortunately, there is no market for
it!
Money, get away Get a good job with more pay and
your O.K. Money it's a gas Grab that cash with
both hands and make a stash New car, caviar, four
star daydream, Think I'll buy me a football
team Money get back I'm all right Jack keep your
hands off my stack. Money it's a hit Don't give
me that do goody good bullshit I'm in the
hi-fidelity first class traveling set And I think
I need a Lear jet Money it's a crime Share it
fairly but don't take a slice of my pie Money so
they say Is the root of all evil today But if you
ask for a rise it's no surprise that
they're giving none away
Localisation Tools
The language myth
Languages not present in the digital world will
not survive.
English will become the dominant language, other
languages will slowly disappear.
Localisation will only happen where there is a
market.
30
The market decides the language issueWitnesses
and indicators
  • Any language that is not captured in this
    electronic world will soon become obsolete.
    (David Brooks, Director International Product
    Development, Microsoft)
  • Even mainstream products are not localised into
    lesser-used languages or languages with no
    digital market place

31
Language technology and service offeringscreate
new opportunities
  • Manual translation
  • Basic tools dictionaries and glossaries, spell
    and grammar checkers - 2,000 words / day
  • Machine translation (MT)
  • First the solution of all translation problems
    many thousand words / day
  • Then total failure (with few exceptions) and
    rejection
  • Translation memory (TM) applications
  • The resurgence of language technology up to 16
    thousand words / day
  • Increase in quality/consistency and speed of
    translation, decrease of cost
  • The MTM solution
  • Take the best of MT and TM - Use MT as a support
    tool for TM (gap filler) and for appropriate
    purposes (e.g. internet-based customer support)
  • The complete language service offering The
    application service provider (ASP) / Translation
    Web Services integrated process and technology
    on the internet
  • Automated Immediate Integrated
    Non-proprietory

32
Opportunities
  • Microsoft
  • 46 languages in the late 90s 80 languages in
    2005
  • Approx. 10 of what could be translated is being
    translated
  • Lotus/IBM
  • From 2 products to 20
  • From 1 platform to 10
  • From asap to SimShip

33
Challenges
  • Non-English-speaking Internet users will exceed
    English-speaking users this year.
  • 1,113 million people speak Chinese as their
    mother tongue, about 372 speak English.
  • By 2050 (source model of language use by engco)
  • 1,384 Chinese
  • 556 million Urdu and Hindi
  • 508 English
  • 486 Spanish
  • 482 Arabic

Why is software not localised into these
languages?
Among 15-24 year olds, English is expected to be
in fourth place, behind not only Chinese and
Hindi-Urdu languages but also Arabic, and just
ahead of Spanish.
34
Avant-garde LocalisationSocial, political and
cultural reasons to localise
  • Social reasons
  • Bridging the social divide, e.g. Open Source
    Initiatives in Asia
  • Cultural reasons
  • Survival of languages and cultures, e.g. BBC
    World Service
  • Political reasons
  • Access to information e.g. European Union multi
    billion euro programmes China/Japan/Korea
    initiative for open source operating system
    (US9m investment)
  • (reported at LRC 04 by Paul Gampe, Director
    Technology, RedHat)
  • Commercial reasons
  • market penetration, millions of potential users,
    competition

35
These initiatives have an effect!
MICROSOFT - Steve Ballmer has put off Asian
governments using Linux, by scaring them with the
spectre of potential intellectual property legal
actions. Microsoft's chief executive, appearing
at the Asian Government Leaders' Forum in
Singapore, said Linux violates more than 228
patents. 'Someday... somebody will come and look
for money owing to the rights for that
intellectual property,' Ballmer said in response
to questioning. Ballmer did not provide details
on the alleged violations, but Microsoft
subsequently informed press Ballmer was citing an
open source risk management (OSRM) report from
August, which actually identified 287 patents in
the Linux kernel. Of these, OSRM identified 27
Microsoft patents that could cover technologies
in the kernel. OSRM, at the time of the report,
did not actually say whether Linux violated any
patents, adding none of the patents have been
tested in court. Asia, and government, are two
particularly sensitive areas for Microsoft right
now. China, Japan and South Korea are among those
pursuing either commercial or nationally
sponsored Linux alternatives.
IT's Monday 631 22 November 2004
36
Case study Microsoft localisation for low ROI
countries, emerging markets
  • Language Interface Packs (LIPs) Localised OSs
    for the masses
  • Windows XP International Support
  • 25 fully localised versions of the operating
    system
  • 33 Multilingual User Interfaces (MUIs)
    language specific resource files which can be
    added to the English version of Windows.
  • 9 Language Interface Packs (LIPs) create a
    language skin to localise the 20 of the UI that
    is used 80 of the time
  • Costs less than 100k (not 100s of k)
  • Takes 5-6 weeks (not 5-6 months)
  • Less disk space 3.5-4 Mb (not 40-80 Mb)

37
Online access to localisation tools and
technologies
LOTS Resources
Authentic material Consisting of Language and
Localisation Tools Resources in a variety of
formats Multilingual source files
LRC_at_ul.ie
38
Conclusion
  • Human language technologies and standards
    pioneered by the localisation industry help to
    increase quality and speed, and lower the cost of
    translation
  • Growing Open Source movement makes software more
    accessible to localisers and users, price of
    hardware is not the principal barrier anymore
  • This makes localisation into less-profitable
    languages (different from less-spoken languages)
    viable
  • Economical factors are not the exclusive drivers
    of localisation anymore
  • Political, social, and cultural factors are at
    least as important

39
?
Localisation Tools
The language myth
40
Man and myth
?
Localisation Methodologies
?
Technology is ever-changing change is the only
constant.
The technology myth
Localisation Tools
Markets decide the language issue. No market no
localisation.
The language myth
Localisation Applications and Case Studies
Cultural adaptation has to do with formats,
pictures and symbols
The cultural myth
41
We know all about cultural adaptation We have
been selling to the world for centuries!
Localisation Applications and Case Studies
The cultural myth
Cultural adaptation has to do with locale
(time/date/currency formats, icons and symbols)
Cultural adaptation is not a localisation
specific issue - marketing experts in global
organisations have dealt with this for centuries.
Cultural issues in localisation have to do with
adaptation - ?
42
Localisation applications and case
studiesLocalisation and cultural adaptation
  • Localisation is more than translation
  • It includes the adaptation of symbols, icons,
    colours, hand signals and history (!)
  • Lessons learned with multimedia localisation
  • But internet and web introduce new destribution
    mechanisms, they increase variety and the type of
    products available on a global scale!

43
Localisation applications and case studies
Addressing cultural issues
  • Shallow level traditional software
  • Use of colour 
  • Sensitive pictures and images
  • Hand signals
  • Symbols
  • Sounds
  • History
  • Product names and acronyms
  • Deep level entertainment, education,
    information, eContent
  • Individualism versus collectivism
  • Small versus large power distance
  • Masculine versus feminine
  • Weak versus strong uncertainty avoidance
  • Top down versus bottom up problem solving approach

???
NATO-OTAN?
Mostly understood
Less well understood
44
Localisation applications and case studies
International Product Strategies
Extension same approach as in home
market Adaptation requires some changes to fit
the new market requirements Invention an
entirely new approach is required
45
Extend
46
Soft drinks
Rationale and strategies extend
47
Eating
Rationale and strategies extend
48
Adapt
49
Egyptian
Peruvian
European
50
German
Dutch
French
51
Invent
52
Examples Invent
Rationale and strategies invent
  • Encyclopedias
  • New material sourced in target countries, e.g.
    local history and customs
  • Recipes
  • Eating habits are different (beef, alcohol)
  • Ingredients cannot be sourced
  • General assets
  • Maps (roads, railway, shipping)
  • Pictures (buildings, people, animals)
  • Problem solving
  • Software
  • Open source

53
Business metaphors
Nuts and bolts
Hit the nail on its head
Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil
Tie the knot
Hit the target
Empty pockets
54
and others, e.g. entertainment,do not work when
translated
You have to know and understand the reference to
find this really funny The wicked witch
You have to know and understand the reference to
find this really funny Pinocchio
You have to know and understand the reference to
find this really funny Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs
You have to know and understand the reference to
find this really funny The Gingerbread Man
You have to know and understand the reference to
find this really funny Prince Charming and the
Sleeping Beauty
Mirror, mirror on the wall Well, technically
bang You were saying? I am not a puppet, I am
a real boy! The nose just keeps
growing Creature Reward! The seven dwarfts are
banished. You are a monster! The gingerbread
man is mutilated. Oh, you are expecting Prince
Charming? The Sleeping Beauty on the kitchen
table.
55
When is localisation successful?
  • When products and services have been
    linguistically and culturally adaptated to the
    point that
  • users do not notice that the product or service
    they are using was developed in a different
    country for a different target group
  • Localisation is
  • the linguistic and cultural adaptation with the
    aim to produce digital products and services for
    which the country of origin can no longer be
    traced
  • Measure of success
  • I believe its mine, you believe its yours

56
A different approachStrangeness and association
  • Cultural difference and diversity are
    interesting, attractive, and good for business

rather than adaptation
57
Cultural difference and diversityCommercial
evidence
  • Association certain products and services are
    associated with certain countries and cultures
  • Perfume, fashion, romance with France
  • Technology with Germany (Vorsprung durch Technik)
  • Coffee with Italy (macchiato, late, espresso)
  • Relaxation techniques with India (yoga)
  • Alternative medicine with China (acupuncture,
    ginseng)

58
Cultural difference and diversity
  • Get the imagination working, get your audience
    involved and take advantage of their -
  • Curiosity for the unknown
  • Interest for the different
  • Desire for exclusivity
  • Spirit of adventure
  • Ambition to discover
  • Example Hectors Travel Programme on TG4
  • Get to know local customs
  • Learn the local language
  • Taste the local cuisine
  • Wear the local clothes
  • Play the local instruments
  • Bring with you all your cultural baggage and
    enjoy the clash of cultures wherever you go.
  • Win lots of Awards (and make lots of money)

59
What is different in the digital world?
  • Production and development tools formats
  • Adaptation processes workflow
  • Distribution and access cheap simultaneous
  • You can dial a number and make one of more than a
    billion telephones ring (or log onto the web
    directly from your mobile telephone)
  • Internet traffic doubles every 100 days better
    access to information increases knowledge,
    creates competitive advantages

60
Conclusion
  • There are different levels of cultural adaptation
  • Some of the these are known and well understood
    others are not
  • None of them have been dealt with adequately in
    L10N (although some of it, in principle, is
    global marketing)
  • Sometimes (always?) cultural adaptation is not
    even the correct strategy, because it tends to
    brush away differences and eliminate diversity
  • For all levels, the formats, processes and the
    scope of adaptation are different in the digital
    world, in L10N
  • In addition, the issue of cultural identities in
    a digital world dominated by applications and
    content generated mainly in one culture will have
    to be examined more closely.

61
?
Localisation Applications and Case Studies
The cultural myth
62
Three myths to dispose of on the voyage of
discovery of the digital world
Localisation Methodologies
The technology myth
  • Change is not the only constant problems and
    issues re-emerge.
  • Therefore, lessons can and should be learned,
    standards can and should be agreed.
  • These can and should be applied to all areas of
    localisation.

Localisation Tools
The language myth
  • The potential market is not the exclusive factor
    for localisation language technology,
    standards, social and political factors are
    others.
  • Language technology can open up layers of
    material previously not considered for
    localisation because of lack of sufficient
    potential for return on investment.
  • Web-based service providers can make this
    technology - together with the appropriate
    processes - available anytime, anywhere.

Localisation Applications and Case Studies
The cultural myth
  • Cultural adaptation in the digital world has not
    been dealt with conclusively and is not fully
    understood by neither localisers nor marketing
    experts.
  • Shallow issues around cultural differences are
    understood but require systematic cataloguing -
    deeper issues are not understood and require
    further investigation.
  • There is a fear that localisation might help to
    substiture cultural identities with the McWorld
    to which extend this fear is justified will need
    to be researched further.

63
The journey
to boldly go...
But how?
64
The Global Initiative for Local Computing
Supporting local computing across geographical,
political, social and economic divides Removing
myths around localisation, dealing with real
needs and requirements
  • Preview

65
The Global Initiative for Local
ComputingSupporting local computing across
geographical, political, social and economic
divides
  • Get the basics working
  • At least basic fonts and characters encoded in
    UNICODE (all languages)
  • Script rendering machines (multimodal
    input/output mechanisms)
  • IPR
  • Promotion of avant-garde localisation efforts
  • Publications (IJL, Localisation Focus,
    Localisation Reader)
  • Web sites electonline.org
  • Conferences and workshops
  • Facilitation of access to and learning about
    Linguistic Resources
  • Localisation tools and technologies labs,
    physical and virtual (LOTSonline)
  • Regular training events, workshops, Summer
    Schools (on site and eLearning)
  • Joint research projects (with European, American,
    African Asian partners)
  • Development of an avant-garde organisational
    infrastructure
  • Build on existing models
  • Cooperation with TILP, GALA and the LRC, NGO,
    governments, UN, EU
  • Coordination of international, corporate and
    independent initiatives

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2005 the year ofThe Global Initiative for
Local Computing
GILC
  • Supporting local computing across geographical,
    political, social and economic divides
  • Building, on existing frameworks, the
    infrastructure for regional initiatives to
    coordinate, pool resources, raise awareness, and
    communicate on a global level
  • Removing myths around localisation, dealing with
    real needs and requirements in an imaginative,
    creative way

Localisation Not a nice-to-have but a
fundamental right
67
The Global Initiative for Local
ComputingSupporting local computing across
geographical, political, social and economic
divides
Building, on existing frameworks, the
infrastructure for regional initiatives to
coordinate, pool resources, raise awareness, and
communicate on a global level
  • Initiated by
  • Localisation Research Centre (LRC)
  • Open University
  • Supported by universities and other organisations
    in
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • The Americas
  • Europe
  • Individual contributors

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The Global Initiative for Local
ComputingSupporting local computing across
geographical, political, social and economic
divides
2005
  • IGNITE
  • Linguistic Infrastructure for Localisation
    Language Data, Tools and Standards
  • LRC, VU Games, Lionbridge, PASS, Archetypon
  • 24 months, 2.5M approx.
  • TechLink
  • The Europe-Asia Localisation Technology Training
    Initiative
  • LRC, TILP, C-DAC formerly NCST, Mumbai, OU
  • 36 months, 330K approx.
  • NeLRaLEC
  • Nepali Language Resources and Localisation for
    Education and Communication
  • OU, Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya, Ugoteburg,
    Ulancaster, ELRA, Utribhuvan/Kathmandu, LRC
  • 36 months, 440K approx.

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Conclusion
  • Localisation is not just an add-on to product
    development, nor is it just a commodity
    Localisation is a right
  • The industrial revolution in localisation
    recognises the importance of standards and
    automation and offers immense opportunities
  • Traditional, exclusively commercial localisation
    efforts are now dominant only in our minds
  • Localisation Factories and avant-garde
    localisation will grow in importance and will
    provide a major paradigm shift

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Localisation Teaching Training
LRC_at_ul.ie
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Start building a global infrastructure for
localisation today, together
The Global Initiative for Local Computing
72
Localisation Research Centre CSIS - University of
Limerick Limerick Ireland Tel. 353-61-202 881
or 202783 Fax 353-61-202734 email
lrc_at_ul.ieweb http//lrc.csis.ul.ie
Reinhard.Schaler_at_ul.ie
Thank you!
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