1. GILT Industry Terminology

1. GILT. The Globalization, Internationalization, Localization and Translation (GILT) Industry is part of the area of knowledge management in the context of global markets.
2. Globalization. Globalization involves all of the issues of situating a company in the world market. It addresses all of the internal and external business functions with marketing, sales and customer support which are necessary to ensure the success of a company "going global".
3. Internationalization. Internationalization is the process of preparing a product to meet the demands of the international market. It involves adapting a product to fit multiple languages and cultural contexts without the need for redesign. Internationalization is generally the step that precedes localization.
4. Localization (L10N). Localization is the process of making the product linguistically and culturally appropriate to the target locale (country/region and language) where it will be used and sold. It involves translation of software, documentation and online help as well as adapting the terminology to avoid misinterpretation in the target language. Localizing a product also means applying local conventions, such as date and time, currency figure formats and ensuring all graphics and color schemes are culturally appropriate. Finally, an important step in localization is the testing and verification that the finished localized product continues to function in its original scope.

What is Universal Spanish?

Spanish is spoken by nearly 400 million people around the world and experts say that number is rising rapidly. As languages travel over time and space, new variants are produced and there can be vast regional differences between and even within countries. This creates a formidable challenge for localization experts who strive to launch a product in Spanish-speaking markets.

Many wrongly assume that there are two varieties of Spanish: one for the Americas and one for Europe. Yet the differences between the Spanish spoken in the US and in Mexico can be as great as the differences between the Spanish spoken in Spain and Argentina. It is therefore unrealistic for the majority of companies to contemplate localizing Spanish for each specific country market. Moreover, with the strength of the Internet around the world, a new Universal Spanish is appearing that is perhaps spoken by none yet understood by all.

At Equus we are committed to cutting our clients' costs without compromising quality. We therefore propose translating most software, documentation, games, web sites, technical manuals and brochures into International or Universal Spanish, a language suitable for all Spanish-speaking markets in the U.S., Mexico, Central and South America and Europe. With this one base covered we can then localize marketing materials to specific country markets if needed for special circumstances.

For further information, click here to read more about Universal Spanish.

How to choose your localization partner

With the growing rise in demand for skilled localization specialists, there has been a significant increase in the number of companies around the world offering these services. As with any service, it is important to keep in mind the balance between low costs and high quality. Be aware of any company offering you GILT services at off-the-street translator prices. At the same time, costs should be reasonable and appropriate and adapted to fit your specific needs.

In general four main characteristics to evaluate are the following:

• Quality: Quality should never be compromised as it can make or break the success of your product in any market. Look for a company that offers you standardized and developed Quality Assurance protocols such as offered by LISA.
• Efficiency: Look for a company that can offer you a reasonable and quick turnaround time to get your product on the market as quickly as possible.
• Costs: Localization costs can also vary dramatically from country to country although there has been an effort among the members of the GILT industry to standardize both rates and quality across borders. Look for a company that has a detailed rate structure and can offer you a guaranteed estimate for services. Single-language vendor costs are generally lower, and it is more cost efficient to use a single-language vendor offering you full localization services rather than dividing tasks between companies.
• Experience: Look for a company with many years of experience in the industry. It is important for the company to have experienced, multilingual and multicultural in-house staff, and offer you project managers who are able to fully understand your product and your company needs as well as those of the target audience. Look for a stable company who will be able to offer you on-going services for product updates.