Winning New Markets by Integrating L10N into the Product Management Process

The world localization market is currently worth $18 billion and expected to exceed $22 billion by 2012. This astounding figure comes on the back of a realization by many international companies about the tremendous importance of localization - the translation and custom tailoring of applications and documentation to the language and culture of the target countries – companies that have even established a function of localization manager who reports to the product manager. Localization includes several stages that have become a de-facto work standard in many different industries.

The anticipated expansion of the localization market worldwide is due to a growing realization that to maximize global sales of a product or service, it must be translated such that it meets the same superior standards of production and development that turned the product into the finished product. Consequently, the translation and localization process must be properly budgeted for and scheduled to improve the overall return on investment and to increase profits.

The situation in Israel is different. A substantial percentage of Israeli companies are yet to recognize the importance of localization. The reason for this may lie in an exit culture that stresses development of an innovative product that will ultimately attract and be sold to a giant company, which will attend to the global marketing process itself. Companies invest vast amounts in development, production and marketing of a product, but for some reason, neglect the cultural challenge. Given that over 80% of global markets do not speak English as a mother tongue, localization, as the last step in product management, can to a large degree, determine the extent to which a product is adopted abroad.

When it comes to the processes involved in global sales, apart from differences in distance, time, and production processes that extend across countries, etc., there are also inherent intercultural processes and challenges that need to be addressed. Many companies prepare themselves well, instituting procedures for production, development, marketing and management. It is therefore surprising that the cultural challenge is pushed aside. After all, the products will be used by people in the target countries. Yet it is difficult to find any references to market culture aside from generic marketing processes. Considering that the product is packaged in words, be it software, a user interface, a website, marketing collateral or a user guide, localization plays a pivotal role in the ability to sell the product, and in the ability to obtain a return on the investment.

Localization is a complex process requiring the use of computer-aided translation (CAT) tools that streamline the work process, improve translation consistency and quality, and engender major cost savings. That said, it is also a structured process that is easy to manage and run with professional partners, and hence not only applicable to large companies. The financial investment notwithstanding, localization is highly relevant to and even vital for SMBs and even startups, to ensure that the original concept envisioned by the company founder is also well received by users in different markets as a matter of course and in the best possible manner, and moreover, so that such companies can flourish in an optimal manner at a critical juncture in the sales and marketing process.