Frequently Asked Questions

About LISA

• Do you provide localization services or hire localizers? Show/hide answer
  No, we do not provide localization services and we do not hire localizers. Many of our members, however, do both, so if you are looking for localization services, we suggest you consult the MAP, where you will find a listing of many companies that provide these services. If you are looking to be hired as a localizer, you can view our job listings page or post your résumé on our site for a small fee (free to LISA members). If you own a localization services company, you might want to consider LISA membership: Many of your members have reported that LISA membership more than pays for itself in terms of greater exposure and extra leads that come from being associated with an industry body.
• How long does a LISA membership last? Show/hide answer
  LISA membership is for one year from the date on which it becomes active and is renewable on an annual basis. New members who sign up for a two-year membership are eligible for special discounted rates on LISA consulting services. For more information on membership and consulting packages, contact admin@lisa.org.
• How much does it cost to join LISA? How much are your conferences? Show/hide answer
  We have a number of membership categories that range in annual price from €1500 for an Introductory Membership to €13,300 for Sponsorship Membership. Our basic corporate membership fee is €3000/year. To learn more about the benefits of LISA membership, please visit our membership page.
  
  The price of our conferences varies depending on where the conferences are held, but members always receive a substantial (30%) discount (50% for sponsors) off the non-member price and we offer special bundles the combine LISA membership with conference attendance for substantial discounts.
• In your Best International Web Support Sites you gave [company X] an award, but I think their service is terrible. Why did you give them an award? Show/hide answer
  The Awards are specifically for the quality of international support websites. We do not assess telephone support or (in most cases) English-language support and we have no connection with their support sites beyond the awards. While we sympathize with you that service problems are frustrating, please be aware that our awards evaluated aspects of the site that relate to users probably not in your country.
• Can you help me with a service problem I am having with [company X], who won one of your awards? Show/hide answer
  The short answer is no. We are not responsible for the quality of service delivered by third parties. Our awards are given for specific issues related to support in multiple languages and are not a guarantee of service in any particular instance.
• Is [Company X] a LISA member? Show/hide answer
  The easiest way to find out is to view our list of members. This list is kept up to date, so if a company isn’t listed on this page, chances are that it is not a LISA member. If you do find a company claiming LISA membership that is not on this list, please let us know.
• Can you provide us with a list of translation/localization companies in [region X]? Show/hide answer
  You can consult the LISA MAP to find companies in a particular country or region. Any company, whether a LISA member or not, can list its services on the MAP.
• Most of your materials are in English only. How can we obtain localized copies of them? Show/hide answer
  While we would like to provide localized versions of our content in major languages, we rely on our members for localization of content, so we are limited to the services they generously provide to us. If you need localized versions of particular content, please let us know what it is and what language(s) you need it in. While we can’t promise anything, if we see that there is a need, we will see if any of our members will help us localize the content. We are especially interested in localization of the Globalization Industry Primer into new languages. If you are a LISA member and are interested in localizing any of our content, please let us know.
• Can LISA provide me with an evaluation of [Company X]’s services? Show/hide answer
  We cannot provide you with an evaluation of any company’s services. As an industry organization we maintain strict neutrality with regard to companies.

About the Globalization Industry

• What is localization? Internationalization? Where can I learn more? Show/hide answer
  The best place to start is our Globalization Industry Primer, which is available in a number of languages. It explains the key globalization-related terms. In short, however, localization is the process of modifying products or services to account for differences in distinct markets (including language and cultural differences) and internationalization is the process of ensuring at a technical/design level that a product can be easily localized.
  
  You might also want to consult the LISA Glossary Project for more terms.
• I keep seeing abbreviations like GILT, L10N, I18N, G11N, etc. What do they mean? Show/hide answer
  • GILT stands for Globalization, Internationalization, Localization and Translation. This term is used to refer to all of the language- and culture-related processes involved in global business.
  • L10N stands for Localization. This abbreviation derived from the first and last letters of the word while the 10 refers to the number of letters between the L and the N.
  • I18N stands for Internationalization and is derived in the same manner as L10N.
  • G11N stands for Globalization.
• Where can I learn more about project management issues specific to the localization industry? Show/hide answer
  LISA regularly provides project management workshops in conjunction with its conferences. If you are looking for on-site training, contact admin@lisa.org with information about what you specifically want and we may be able to put you in touch with a qualified trainer.
• Do you have any information on the best practices for in-context review of content? Show/hide answer
  In-context review of localized content is a vital step in any localization process. In general localizers should be provided with as much context as is reasonably possible and reviewers should be able to see all content in its final context. If it is not possible to provide all context, you should provide a description of anything not available so that the localizer and reviewer can better understand their job.

About International Business

• Can you supply me with evidence that internationalization saves companies money? Show/hide answer
  Anecdotal evidence from many, many people over the years consistently indicates that proper internationalization reduces the cost of subsequent localization by about 50% and reduces the time needed for localization by about half. Another way of looking at the issue is that if you don't fix a problem during internationalization, you will have to fix it repeatedly in each localized version. An error that would have cost $1000 to fix during the internationalization phase would then cost $20,000 to fix during localization, and, if the fix is not then rolled back to the source, might cost another $20,000 the next time a version of the project is localized.
• Do you have any sample RFP forms or guidelines on how to get accurate estimates from localization service providers? Show/hide answer
  Yes. We have a simple RFP form in Quality: The Client Perspective, which can be downloaded here. This Best Practice Guide contains a lot of information on how you can design your project and prepare it so that quotations will be accurate.
• How can I find a list of localization companies that offer a particular set of services? Show/hide answer
  The best option is to use the LISA MAP and search there. Vendors list their services on the MAP and it is a good resource to help you shortlist vendors that offer services you need.
• How can I find out globalization statistics for the world or particular markets? Show/hide answer
  Reliable statistics for most of the world are difficult to come by and a reliable estimate of the size of the globalization industry is hard to come by. However, LISA estimates the world-wide expenditure on globalization services (including organizations’ internal spending) at a conservative $24 billion US. (See the Globalization Industry Primer for more information on how this figure was derived.)
• What % of R&D budgets is spent on localizing/translating or internationalizing software products? Show/hide answer
  The answer to this question varies wildly between organizations so we cannot provide a typical answer. In general, however, for software developers, localization is not seen as an R&D budget item since it usually is seen as a marketing expense or a non-R&D engineering task. Internationalization, however, is often part of R&D, but the amount invested in internationalization cannot be generalized.
• What are typical translation rates for [language X]? Show/hide answer
  LISA has approximate rates for some common language pairs in its Global Business Practices report. Keep in mind that any figures are a rough guide at best and will vary considerably depending on subject matter, level of service, turnaround time, and numerous other factors. If you are simply looking for the cheapest translation rates, you may find that you actually end up paying more in the long run.
• Where can I find legal resources for incorporation of subsidiaries in other countries? Show/hide answer
  Unfortunately this is a complex issues that requires in-depth legal knowledge in the country in which you wish to incorporate. You should consult with a local legal expert to understand the requirements and tax ramifications of your actions prior to making any decisions.

About the LISA Website, Mailing Lists, and Job Postings

• What is LISA’s privacy policy? Show/hide answer
  LISA does not rent or sell our mailing lists and will not disclose information regarding your use of the site without a legal requirement to do so. We do, on occasion, forward selected announcements from our partners, but these announcements are sent by LISA and your information is never revealed to anyone else. Because LISA is chartered in Switzerland, Swiss privacy regulations apply. A full description of our policies may be found here.
• How can I unsubscribe from your mailing lists?
  Show/hide answer
  Most LISA mailings include a link to unsubscribe. Use that link to remove your name from our lists. If you unsubscribe but continue to receive mailings from us, it may be that you are subscribed using a different variation of your email address or an alias to your address. In that case, please contact our admin team at admin@lisa.org.
• I've found a bad link on your site and I need the content it was supposed to link to. How can I report this and get the content? Show/hide answer
  Send an e-mail to webmaster@lisa.org and let us know where the link was. We’ll try to help you find the missing content. Please note that we are not responsible for links to our site from other sites: for those you will need to contact the other site.
• I posted a white paper or press release but it has not appeared yet. How can I verify that you received it and when will it appear? Show/hide answer
  Postings of white papers and press releases requires manual processing by our admin staff and generally take one business day to complete, but may in exceptional cases take longer. If you do not see your posting within 48 hours from when you submitted it, please contact admin@lisa.org.
• I'm not a LISA member, but I'd like to list a job opening on your site. Can I do this and how much does it cost? Show/hide answer
  Job postings are free to LISA members. Others may post job postings for a fee of $120 for one month or $270 for three months.
• I'd like to post my CV/résumé on the LISA web site. How do I do it and what does it cost? How many people will see it? Show/hide answer
  Posting a CV is free to LISA members. Others may post for a $50 annual fee. To post as a nonmember, you must be registered with the LISA site as a user. CV listings are typically seen by about 2500 viewers per month.
• How can I delete a job posting I made on your site? Show/hide answer
  Write to admin@lisa.org and ask for the job posting to be removed. At present our site does not allow users to remove job postings themselves.
• I am a graduate student studying localization and would like access to your archives for my research. How do I gain access to them? Show/hide answer
  We will be happy to provide free access to our archives to you. To gain access you will (1) need to be enrolled in a recognized program related to localization, translation, or globalization and (2) have a statement from your faculty advisor requesting that we grant you access. In return for this access we request that you provide us with a copy of the research paper, thesis, or dissertation that results from your research. Contact admin@lisa.org for more details.
• I'm looking for a particular article from the LISA Newsletter/Globalization Insider. How can I find it? If it’s for members only, how can I access it? Show/hide answer
  In 2006 our Globalization Insider archives moved to a new location. While this step was necessary to better manage the content, it broke many links from external sites. If you know what year the article was published in, you should be able to find it at by browsing our archive or performing an advanced search and specifying you want to search Globalization Insider articles. If the article is not available to the public you can join LISA to view it or, if you were referred by an external site that had special access to an article, you can write to and let us know where the link was from to see if we can grant you access.
• I have lost my user name or password for the LISA site. How can I find it out? Show/hide answer
  To recover your user name and password you will need to have access to the email address you used to sign up with LISA. To obtain your password, click on the “Forgot password?” link on the log-in page. You will then be asked to enter your email and you will receive your password via email. If you no longer have access to that e-mail address, please send an e-mail explaining your need to admin@lisa.org. (Note that requests for passwords sent to our admin team may require one business day for processing due to time zone differences.)
• How can I be informed of upcoming LISA events? Show/hide answer
  There are two ways. You can sign up for LISA announcements by registering with us for site access or you can view our listing of events online.
• How can I post a white paper or press release on your site? Show/hide answer
  White paper postings and press releases are available to LISA members free of charge. Press releases may be posted on the LISA site by non-members for $25 for three months.
• Can you add a link to my site in exchange for a link from my site? Show/hide answer
  Unfortunately we cannot exchange links. Please appreciate that our members have first priority on our site and that we cannot add links to other sites due to the volume of sites that would like to exchange links. If you feel that you have a particularly compelling cross-promotional opportunity that goes beyond simple link exchange, you can contact admin@lisa.org with details and we will consider your proposal.
• I’d like to rent your mailing list to help promote my company. How can I do this? Show/hide answer
  In keeping with our privacy policy, we do not rent or sell our mailing list to any other party.

About LISA Conferences and Workshops

• Where can I submit a proposal to speak at a LISA conference? Show/hide answer
  We generally begin accepting proposals to speak via a special web address when a conference is first announced. However, if you are unable to locate this address for any reason or if you have additional questions, please send an inquiry to events@lisa.org. As a general note regarding proposals to speak, please be specific about the content, audience, and level of your proposed presentation, as these details will help us assess your proposal in a timely manner.
• If I am selected to present at a LISA conference, will LISA pay my travel and/or hotel expenses? Show/hide answer
  In general LISA cannot cover your expenses. You will, however, receive a substantial discount on attendance at the conference.
• Does LISA membership give me discounts at any other conferences or workshops not run by LISA?
  Show/hide answer
  In some cases LISA has partner arrangements with other organizations for discounts on conferences, workshops, or other materials. In general these events will be listed on the LISA site and we may send out e-mail announcements with instructions on how to obtain these discounts. If you are unsure about whether a discount is available for LISA members, please ask the organizers of the event whether they offer a LISA-member discount.
• I would like to attend one of your conferences but need a letter of invitation to obtain a visa for the country in which it is held. How can I obtain such a letter? Show/hide answer
  After you have registered for the conference, please write to us at admin@lisa.org and specify what the letter needs to state. Please allow extra time to obtain this letter. LISA is not responsible if you are unable to obtain your visa in time to attend the conference.
• We need help with registration for a conference put on by [another organization]. Please help. Show/hide answer
  If you need proof of LISA membership to obtain a discount, we will be happy to assist you with that matter if you contact us at admin@lisa.org, but in general we cannot assist you with registration for a conference put on by another group.
• I need to get in touch with one of your presenters from a recent LISA forum. Can you put me in touch with her? Show/hide answer
  We do not generally provide contact information directly, but if you send your message to admin@lisa.org, stating to whom you would like to send it, we will be happy to forward your message to the speaker. Keep in mind that it is up to the speaker to respond to you, so we cannot guarantee a response.