In this issue…

Successful On-demand Multilingual Web Publishing • Rebecca Ray, Ray & Associates, Globalization and High Tech Marketing
The Coming Age of Teletranslation • Minako O’Hagan
The Cost-effectiveness of Today’s Localisation Business • David Brooks at the 1996 LISA Forum USA
Lessons from LA • Robin Bonthrone, Fry & Bonthrone Partnerschaft
Internationalize the Company, and the Product will Follow • Yann Meersseman, Yann Meersseman & Associates
Multimedia Localisation: Is it simply adding Pictures and Voices? • David MacLeod, Senior Project Manager, SDL Limited, Maidenhead, England.

Successful On-demand Multilingual Web Publishing

The Ten “Must Haves”

Rebecca Ray, Ray & Associates, Globalization and High Tech Marketing

To be successful web publishers at the global level, whether vendor or client, there are several basic, but very important, concepts to understand and internalize at every level of the organization. These are outlined in the following ten "must haves" for successful on-demand multilingual web publishing. They can function as a checklist if you're just beginning or if your web projects are not running smoothly.

"Forrester Research estimates that the European markets for on-line services will be the fastest-growing in the world over the next two years, with annual growth rates exceeding 80 percent - all the more reason for enabling web users to access information and make purchases in their own languages."
(PC Magazine On-line, May 29, 1996)

"MUST HAVE" NUMBER 1: "Don't be seduced! It's a PARADIGM SHIFT and here's why."

On-demand multilingual web publishing involves a paradigm shift for the following reasons:

On-demand multilingual web publishing can be thought of as multimedia with the added twist of on-demand, dynamic updating. People involved in the business are just now accepting the fact that it is much closer to the TV production paradigm than to the publishing paradigm, as was originally thought. As Henning Kather, Manager for International Web Sites for Netscape Communications Corp. Describes it, "Web localisation is like real-time TV production in many ways." Content constantly changes and the deadlines are on-demand, not negotiated as they often are in software localisation. This means that successful vendors must have staff on-call in order to "go live" with information every few days or every week.
Content creation is the building block for web sites, not software code. As Gregory Harris, International Web Site Producer for Netscape Communications Corp. and his colleague Robert Andrews remind us, "Keep in mind that HTML is not technical; it's marketing material… build sites in order to throw them away - the Web isn't static and information doesn't last long."
As a vendor, you will be working with content creators and providers on the marketing, support, documentation, etc. side of a client's organization, not the development or R&D side. It's a completely different mindset, and these people move at an entirely different speed than engineers.
The cost/profitability structure is distinct from that for software localisation or document translation. The industry is still trying to figure out how to manage these issues. Rather than counting words or billing by the hour, groups are looking at how to apply the concept of retainer fees and how to exchange money/ advertising space to in-country partners who will localise and maintain certain international versions of a company's web site.

Do not be seduced into believing that you can just a make a tweak here and there to your processes and, voilà, you're in the multilingual web publishing business. As a vendor, if your operation doesn't yet have documented processes and procedures and still depends on a few key people to keep things running smoothly, then on-demand multilingual web publishing will probably be the "straw that breaks the camel's back." It will cause breakdowns in certain areas of the organization because your structure will not be able to carry the load.

As a client, if you are disorganized and/or cannot provide trained project management or integrate the content producers with the international publishing arm, etc., then you will waste a lot of money, miss deadlines and drive your localisation vendor(s) crazy.

"Build [web] sites in order to throw them away."
Robert Andrews, Web Site Director, Netscape Communications Corp.

"MUST HAVE" NUMBER 2: "A TRUE PARTNERSHIP between vendor and client is the name of the game."

As discussed at the most recent LISA Forum in Los Angeles in October, partnering between vendor and client is extremely important for successful localisation, but it is even more critical for on-demand multilingual web publishing. If either the vendor or the client is unable and/or unwilling to commit to a true partnership, then the relationship will eventually fail. This does not mean that the partnership must be exclusive, but that each party must remain committed to the other at whatever the level on which both parties decide to agree.

Tiziana Perinotti, co-author of "Software Internationalization and Localisation," founder of TGP Consulting and creator and web master of the award-winning Silicon Valley Localisation Forum, recommends to clients that they treat their localisation vendor as a member of their [web site] team. She says, "Some companies do not realize how critical it is to integrate their localisation vendor's skills into the company's [multilingual web publishing] process."

Perinotti reminds vendors to be proactive. "Don't expect your customers (the corporation) to know about your needs. Make sure the company understands what your translators need from the [web site] team to do a good job."

NOTE: Everyone in this industry is aware of the fact that the relationship between vendor and client is a very unequal one, with the latter holding most of the power most of the time, even in these days of excess demand. However, even with this being the case, both sides must start somewhere in an attempt to meet in the middle, and on-demand multilingual web publishing is as good a place to start as any. Here are some examples of where a vendor and a client can try to go the "extra mile (or kilometer!)" to forge an ongoing partnership:

Vendor: Provide training sessions for content providers, both domestic and international. Examples of topics: what it costs the company when writers/editors re-write text instead of re-using it; how localisation is affected when programmers change a CGI or JavaScript file at the last minute; how to implement version control to meet everyone's needs; etc.
Client: Schedule regular meetings for domestic producers/writers/editors with the international arm of the company on relevant topics.
Client: Include the vendor in strategy presentations so the latter knows where the organization wants to be with its web site vis-à-vis technology, content, markets, message, etc.
Client/vendor: Work together to implement technology to smooth the localisation process and to save money. The minimum requirements include glossary and translation memory tools which understand HTML. In addition, content creators should keep their eyes open for tools which will help them re-use sections of text (when applicable) so that creative impulses can be satisfied in other areas besides rewriting text which really doesn't need to be rewritten.
Client/vendor: Implement a process to share terminology between vendors, if more than one is used.
Client/vendor: Work together to integrate software localisation and on-demand multilingual web publishing processes as much as possible.

"MUST HAVE" NUMBER 3: "You get what you pay for…WORLD-CLASS PROJECT MANAGEMENT is worth every penny, centime, yen, etc."

The only way to maintain any hope of succeeding in the world of on-demand multilingual web publishing is to have world-class international producers working together on both the client and vendor sides. According to Perinotti of TGP Consulting, "One web week is equal [to] at least two traditional software development weeks. Think of it [web localisation] as trying to catch a train that has already left the station and can't be stopped." In other words, this is not where a company should risk placing an HTML guru whom they plan to turn into a project manager!

Both client and vendor need trained, seasoned project managers/producers with web publishing experience and/or heavy-duty software localisation project management experience, including successfully managing (near-) simultaneous shipment projects in several languages. World-class producers know what it means to be excellent communicators, which is what is critically needed in this new field right now.

If the web site is strategic to the company and/ or a fairly good-sized one, the producers should be backed up by assistant/ associate project manager(s) to manage the constant flow of files, version control, terminology support to translators, etc.

"MUST HAVE" NUMBER 4: "You must have CLEAR GOALS in order to avoid the potholes and detours along the multilingual information highway."

Harris of Netscape admonishes clients, "Have clear goals in mind: write out a plan including why, what and how you want to localise. Don't start until you know the answers." This also requires the development of a clear vision of where the company is going internationally and how the company's web site fits into this strategy. In Netscape's case at the beginning, pages from the US site were targeted to be localised according to very specific criteria such as product completion, software distribution, marketing communication and revenue generation.

WARNING TO VENDORS: If your (potential) client has no clear vision and/or goals, then you will be in for a rough ride at some point down the road. In all likelihood, the client will eventually treat the symptom (spending too much money on localisation) as opposed to the problem (no clear and/or inconsistent goals for the web site), and you as the vendor will be caught in the middle.

"Have clear goals in mind: write out a plan including why, what and how you want to localise. Don't start until you know the answers."
Gregory Harris, International Web Site Producer, Netscape Communications Corp

"MUST HAVE" NUMBER 5: "MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!"

As part of a true partnership, a client should allow potential vendors to quote on the basis of a standard RFQ ("Request for Quote") so that the former can compare apples to apples. There is no magic about developing a standard RFQ, but the client must be disciplined enough to spell out completely all of the tasks to be performed by the vendor, the amount of estimated time, etc.

Kather of Netscape Communications reminds us, "There are few vendors who are familiar with web publishing and the specific requirements web publishing has. Therefore, be very clear about what [you need] and when you expect deliveries."

WARNING TO CLIENTS: Whatever the goal(s) to be reached with your web site, each page which is created to be localised is like a living being which will be with you through all future revisions until it dies a natural/unnatural death. The more areas you localise and the more prolific your content creators are, the larger your localisation budget must be.

Once a vendor(s) has been chosen, the parties must negotiate a fair contract in good faith, as part of the true partnership described in "Must Have" Number 2 above. In an industry where plumbers are paid more than university graduates (as this author has heard one anonymous vendor describe the situation), the client should be sensitive to the fact that it may be asking the vendor to do new tasks vis-à-vis the web. Both parties should be open to the amount of time it may take and the amount of money it may cost each party. Perinotti of TGP Consulting advises the vendor, "Discuss with the customer every item and task of a project and agree on who does what and when, before signing any contract. This can minimize misunderstandings and miscommunication during the project."

The following issues should be covered in the contract:

The specific project and its requirements
Milestones
Functional and linguistic tests to be performed by the vendor
Acceptance criteria (linguistic and functional)
Terminology requirements
Ownership
Archiving requirements
Fees and payment schedule
Discount schedule (if applicable)
Price guarantees (if applicable)
Cost overruns (if applicable)
Any other "legalese" required by either company

"MUST HAVE" NUMBER 6: "I want my TRANSLATION MEMORY!"

There are three key areas in which both vendor and client must apply technology if they wish to be successful in on-demand multilingual web publishing: the linguistic area, version control and multilingual web site maintenance.

NOTE: It's a given that excellent project management software is also required.

Linguistic Software

At the very least, translation memory software and terminology databases which understand HTML should be implemented. Translation memory software will allow you to keep up with the constant, never-ending process of updating content. Terminology databases will allow you to control consistency, track the development of new terminology (which is key in the web area) and aid you in integrating web localisation with software localisation projects for a particular client.

Version Control Software

Both vendor and client should have a version control process in place before they embark on any serious web localisation project. Content creators, programmers, editors, translators, etc. will all access the same files multiple times before content "goes live." Version control software can be used in conjunction with HTML tags to record the editing history for each file.

Multilingual Web Site Maintenance Tools

There are two levels at which multilingual web sites must be managed: while they are in production, and after they have gone live. One of the most effective ways to manage a multilingual site while in the production stage is for the vendor and client to share a staging area where content can be uploaded for review by each party. If the two parties share a true partnership, then they should consider going to the next step, where they maintain a mirror site of the multilingual site under production.

Once a site is live, it is imperative that it be maintained with some type of multilingual web site maintenance software. One such product is WebPlexor by Language Automation, Inc. of San Mateo, California. The goal of this type of product is to help the user keep the various international versions of a company's web site in sync, serve up the correct linguistic version of a requested page, track the locales, languages and pages receiving the most attention, etc.

"MUST HAVE" NUMBER 7: "SE HABLA ESPAÑOL" becomes "SE HABLA ENGLISH" at a moment's notice.

According to Harris at Netscape Communications, "Web information and terminology change more quickly than expatriate translators can keep up with it, so it's imperative to find in-country resources." In addition to the incredibly fast pace of terminology creation on the web, there is the current tendency in many languages to leave much web-related terminology in the original US English. Thus, it is nearly impossible for an expatriate translator to be 100% accurate even with frequent travel and local publication review.

Kather of Netscape Communications encourages clients and vendors to take into account that "Web localisation is often very different from product localisation - typically, one needs [a] much [higher level of] marketing and editorial skill for web localisation than for product localisation."

"MUST HAVE" NUMBER 8: "Go global …think local."

Since web site customers prefer to use their native language whenever possible and also desire information relevant to their situation and market, most companies will eventually have to come up with a plan for local content production. This can be done in several ways:

The client can source and manage in-country writers and editors to produce local content from its headquarters.
The client can source and manage in-country writers and editors to produce local content through its in-country subsidiaries.
The client can work out arrangements with its in-country partners to share local content which they are already producing for their own web sites.
The client can contract with its localisation vendor to provide this service.

The decision as to which option to take will depend on several factors. Here are a few of the questions which a client should ask itself.

Does the client have enough internal management bandwidth to take on the sourcing and management of such in-country resources? Does it even want to?
Does the client have in-country partnerships which it can leverage in this area?
How great is the pressure to produce local content? In which languages and markets (languages and markets do not always coincide, e.g. Francophone Canada v. Francophone France v. Francophone Africa v. Francophone Switzerland)?
Is the client's localisation vendor willing to provide this service? Is the client willing to pay the vendor a fair price for it?

Once the client (and vendor, if applicable) agree to the method in which they will produce local content, a procedure (at both the technical and process levels) must be worked out to integrate local content smoothly into the on-demand web publishing function.

From the vendor's point of view, producing in-country content for a client is a market opportunity if it can deliver this service at a price which the client is willing to pay.

"MUST HAVE" NUMBER 9: "How Many Layers Does It Take??!!"

As time passes, a global company will eventually be forced to provide a web site design which accommodates international requirements, assuming it does not create one at the beginning. Here are some factors which it should take into account:

1. International Navigation Scheme

Site design should make it a "no-brainer" for international users of the site to find local language pages, local distributors, how to buy product, etc. This is because international users cannot afford the cost of on-line time to go down four to five layers every time they visit a site.

2. Cultural Adaptation

Cultural adaptation of a web site covers such areas as icons, colors, sounds, etc. and rules to follow such as: absolutely no text embedded in graphics!

3. Customizing Ads/Promotions for Local Markets

Customizing marketing programs may mean deleting information on a web site about the domestic programs until a client has the people/processes in place to support local campaigns.

"MUST HAVE" NUMBER 10: "It's no fun to be at the end of the food chain" (or: integrating domestic and international teams to form a true partnership).

One of the keys to producing an exciting, innovative and successful multilingual web site is to work out a change control process whereby the international group works with the domestic content creation people as a team, rather than always being at the end of the food chain. This basically means that localisation/customization issues and timeframes must be integrated into domestic content schedules.

As anyone involved in software localisation knows, this is much easier said than done, regardless of the domestic team's good intentions. It's even more difficult in the arena of on-demand multilingual web publishing with the added urgency of constantly going live with frequently changing content to be localised/ customized. However, this author knows from personal experience that the organizations which are able to attain this integration are light-years ahead of their competition and spend much less money maintaining their web sites.

The suggestions included under "Must Have" Number 2 above are a good start:

Vendor training sessions for content providers.
Regular meetings for domestic producers/writers/editors with the international arm of the company on relevant topics.
Including the vendor in client strategy presentations.
Client and vendor working together to implement technology to smooth the localisation process and to save money.