As Andrew pointed out, many translation productivity tools such as terminology management systems and translation memory (TM) originated in Europe – and the European Union is the epitome of the translation technology user. The EU has a huge need for translation optimization and enjoys a natural advantage of operating with computer-friendly, ASCII-based character sets. By comparison, even the fundamental issue of character sets is not entirely a finished business with Asian languages. In Asia, the use of tools such as TM is not nearly as pervasive as in Europe. For one thing, there is always a certain time lag before these tools are fully adapted to Asian language environments. Even now, some aspects of TM remain cumbersome. So, one wonders if optimization of translation through a smooth integration of content management systems into the translation workflow involving Asian languages really is an imminent possibility. I hope answers to some of these questions will be addressed in the LISA Forum Europe in London at the end of this month.

Speaking of which, one of the main themes for this issue of the Globalization Insider is the value of attending conferences. Why should one go to a conference? Dublin City University, in conjunction with the European Association of Machine Translation (EAMT), recently hosted a successful MT conference focusing on the emerging significance of controlled language. The content of this conference is covered in part one of my article, To Be or Not To Be at The Conference: Reviewing EAMT/CLAW, IJET and CATS, along with a report on the 14th International Japanese/English Translation (IJET) Conference. The 16th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Translation Studies (CATS) will be covered in part two.

The general mood at the EAMT/CLAW conference was not one of hype, but more about what makes today’s MT more usable. A similar approach can be seen with the current project run by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) in the U.S.A. During this month, a group of U.S. researchers is responding to a challenge set by DARPA to build an MT system between English and a randomly selected language. This project was designed to test the feasibility of building an automatic translation tool within a very short timeframe for a national emergency scenario. As such, this is not about developing a new technology, but about how researchers can put together what they already know to produce a functional system for a given purpose. Nevertheless, certain commercial interests are likely to follow.

The approach taken by DARPA supports the argument in The Business Case for MT: The Breakthrough is for Real (premium content) put forward by GILT industry veteran, Jaap van der Meer, who highlights the business opportunities emerging with MT technology. His argument vis-à-vis market-driven MT gives a twist to the ALPAC Report formula, i.e., poor quality = no future. Van der Meer maintains that the technology itself is not perfect, but that the needs of the marketplace make the technology ready. Read on to find out how to leverage MT.

In discussing translation technology, terminology management is a critical building block. The LISA Terminology Special Interest Group (SIG) has been one of LISA’s most active SIGs over the last two years, conducting surveys (with some rather surprising results) and providing education and guidance to those wrestling with terminology issues. In her article, Terminology: An Introspection, IBM Terminologist and LISA Terminology SIG Chair, Kara Warburton, summarizes the group’s accomplishments and provides insights into what the group is planning for the future.

And last, but not least, after six years of work on the TMX standard, LISA’s OSCAR Special Interest Group, is proud to announce the first certification of a computer-aided translation tool as TMX-compliant! This marks a major milestone for OSCAR and the meaningful adoption of TMX. We certainly hope that other companies will soon follow suit.

Hope you will enjoy this issue and think about the value of popping into a conference!