INK was one of the first translation companies who took translators on board as full-time employees (since 1980), one of the first to concentrate on the development of technological tools for translators and a front-runner in development and marketing of terminology management. INK also launched the magazine that gave a name to what is now recognized as a new sector in the industry: 'Language Technology'. The translation world was changing, along patterns similar to those of the industrial revolution, and the established associations ignored the changes. Inevitably so, perhaps.

'l'Histoire se repéte'. The 'Language Industrial Revolution' will lead to a division in the market that is already becoming apparent. On one side of the division we find the smaller agencies and individual professionals, low investments, national/local operations, diverse markets: the traditional translation process. On the other side, however, we find the larger companies, specialized markets, high investments, transnational operations: the modernized translation process. In the traditional translation process delivery is dependent on the individual professional and his competence and knowledge. In the modern translation process translation has become just one step in the product development cycle and delivery becomes as much dependent on technological tools as on translators. 'Translation as a manufacturing process': a nightmare for many translators who prefer to work in the traditional translation market. For those who seek a career in the modern translation market the challenge is to analyze the translation process, to give more weight to work preparation, terminology identification and standardization, repetitions handling, automatic updating, document management, etc.

In November 1990 INK called on nine of its largest clients and invited them to participate in a meeting which was to focus on the question of how we might improve the service level in the modern translation industry. Discussions centered around issues like standard terminology formats, sharing terminology, training for translators. To our great relief our clients were very open to communicate with each other. We then thought it would be a good idea to ask other translation companies to join in, which they did. And so, what had started as the 'INK Round Table', soon became the representative body of the new industry: the Localization Industry Standards Association.

As one of the founders of LISA, I can give four good reasons why INK supports the association:

1. There is no other association—to my knowledge—that supports the interests of the 'modern' translation market.
2. LISA helps to improve the reputation of the translation market. It helps clients to better understand the importance and complexity of the translation process.
3. LISA actually achieves things, like the standardization of terminology interchange formats, the sharing of terminology, training.
4. LISA keeps members up-to-date with new tools for translators.

Having said that, I would also like to give one good reason why INK would consider to cease its support to LISA. And that is if LISA does not generate wide recognition in the market by failing to open itself up, offering its achieved benefits to a much larger representation of the modern translation market than the relatively small group of companies that LISA represents today!