The ever-growing interest in CAT tools can easily be judged by the number of participants at the recent LISA IATT Workshop. A lot of questions from the floor revolved around one issue-how do the tools differ and what is their relative performance? This is despite the fact that many end users and localizers have already invested heavily in tools, and continue to test new systems and releases. Despite apparently similar objectives, though, different organizations seem to arrive at different choices.

It was this wish to keep abreast of new developments, and the appreciation of redundant effort and waste on the part of many organizations, that prompted me to suggest concentrated benchmarking of tools within the framework of a LISA SIG.

The ToBe (Tools Benchmarking) SIG has the following goals, as defined in the first draft document distributed to its members:

• to compile a list of tools to be analyzed progressively: i.e. tools for terminology management, extraction, alignment, TM, workflow, project management, controlled language checking, MT, etc.;
• to develop user profiles against which the tools will be benchmarked;
• to collect existing information about tools usage with regard to these profiles;
• to define and manage independent research to obtain unknown information;
• to set up an annual benchmarking review process based on new developments.

Most tools developers supported this initiative and have promised their co-operation, subject to independent and professional evaluation methods. In addition, the ToBe SIG is supported by: Nortel (Oscar Chu), Lucent Technology (Richard Crim), JLS (Joseph De Alejandro), Bentley (Marc Gravez), Symantec (Aisling Hassell), L&L (Siu Ling Koo), ITP (Sharon O'Brien), and WH&P (Michael Wegwitz).

The whole idea behind the SIG is to avoid duplicating effort and to share information. It is therefore important to have a large enough number of contributors to reduce the unit cost to a minimum.

The SIG will issue its first bid for consulting and research services within six weeks to several independent, accepted industry experts. This bid will define, among other things, most of the 1997 operating budget.

Anyone with suggestions and/or information for the ToBe SIG, or who wants to acquire its findings should contact:

Leon Rubinstein
McQueen France
ZAC du Pont Blanc
26/28 rue Henri Becquerel
93275 Sevran cedex
France

Tel +33-1-4936-5323
Fax ++33-1-4936-5333
E-mail: leon.rubinstein@mcqueen.com