Dear LISA Members and Industry Professionals,

Less and less do physical capital and location matter in our world. For the first time in history a farmer in Bangladesh can potentially find information on the Internet concerning where to get better prices for his crops rather than relying on traditional middlemen; an arm-chair manufacturer in western China can make a production deal with a distributor in Germany; or a maker of textiles in Uganda can find markets in the Czech Republic. All of these people now have ways to improve their lives that were scarcely thought of as recently as ten years ago.

But if the Bangladeshi farmer, Chinese chair-maker or Ugandan textile manufacturer cannot read the information that is available on the internet or speak with potential customers and partners, they will be left out of the feast. If globalization is only about putting more food on the plates of those who are at the feast then it is exactly what its detractors think it is. If it is about opening the feast up to the world then it has the potential to do more real good in the lives of individuals around the world than any other dominant social trend in our history.

In the LISA Forum in Chicago Ambassador Clayton Yeutter commented “nothing happens until global trade happens.” Until markets open and information moves freely there will always be those left outside of the feast and globalization will not live up to its promise. Localization is the sine qua non of globalization. Thus LISA is not just about the interests of the localization industry—it is about the interests of the world and the individual people who live in it. In seeking to reach out to the world and spread information to all those around us, we are in a unique position to help address some of our world’s most pressing problems by giving people the information and tools to help themselves to a better life.

None of the examples given above, however, have anything to do directly with software localization. In our historic focus on software we often overlook the real potential for localizers to be the prime movers in other areas as well. Our services and skills are needed in almost any imaginable field. This is why LISA is seeking to reach out to other industry sectors: insurance, banking, the medical profession, entertainment, education, to name but a few. Each of these areas has the potential to dramatically affect the lives of people for the better, and in each case software localization represents but a fraction of what is needed to extend services across borders and boundaries of language and culture.

In addition, LISA is moving to a more and more open model and reaching out to individuals who have not been able to participate in LISA before. We cannot open the feast out to others unless we first open ourselves out to others, bring them in, and arm them with the tools to go out and spread the message and means of globalization. In the face of those who oppose globalization, or only see its downside, the answer is to show them by deed what globalization can accomplish.

LISA has had to make many changes over the years in order to lead the localization industry, but as our broader mandate has become clear we saw that we could not continue to operate along old models. One of the most successful adaptations to LISA’s model has been the spinning off of marketing and marketing-related programs to SMP Marketing. By divesting itself of business functions that were hard to maintain under LISA’s non-profit charter, LISA has been freed to focus on its core competencies and prepare its best materials and initiatives yet.

LISA is in a position right now to lead the industry and the world in reaching out to the little guy and making this world a better place. Together with our members we can help address the economic imbalances and injustices in the world and help improve the lives of millions of people. If we don’t do it, who will? If not now, when? It is up to us.

Sincerely,

Mike Anobile
LISA Managing Director