Focus on Standards

1. What are three reasons why a terminology standardization initiative for Arabic is key to driving business within your markets?

Ibrahim Khalifa (Global Product Support Center, Oracle)

• Standard terminology will effectively reduce language management time, e.g., the time required to build different terminology database for every major software player.
• Standard terminology will effectively reduce localization time, since translation teams will no longer be required to study/memorize different sets of terms for every major software player.
• Standard terminology will promote linguistic consistency and foster consensus among the Arabic-speaking community, who in turn will find localized products more appealing and easier to use.

Wafaa Mohiy (Saudisoft Co. Ltd.)

• Adopting terminology standards will definitely increase overall product quality, and at the same time, make the localization process much less complicated. For example, using one translation for a particular term for all clients is by far easier and more suitable than trying to remember which term to use for which client. In summary, terminology standards will increase product quality and reduce the number of errors.
• Adopting terminology standards will make it easier for a user to identify a term, regardless of the product supplier. Standard terminology will increase a product's usability in the Arabic-speaking market.
• Producing higher quality products with fewer errors that are more usable will definitely reduce a company’s support, release and maintenance costs. Changing a term in a released product always involves effort, time and, therefore, additional money.

2. What specific steps can we take to set up this initiative?

Khalifa (Oracle)

• Build on the efforts of any previous or current initiative in this regard (if any).

Or,

• Create an online forum.
• Invite interested companies to participate and involve academic bodies like the Arabic Language Academy (www.arabicacademy.org.eg) and the Arabic Translators Association WATA www.arabicwata.org.
• Agree on an agenda.
• Assign roles and responsibilities.
• Come up with recommendations/action items.

Mohiy (Saudisoft)

• For this initiative to succeed, one of the authorized language committee(s) should sponsor it.
• Check/revise published terminology by the major software players.
• Discuss differences and agree on meanings that are suitable with reference to both technical meaning and product functionality.

3. What other companies might be interested in this initiative, and why?

Khalifa (Oracle)

• Arabic localization service providers will be interested in this initiative.

Mohiy (Saudisoft)

• Companies who already produce Arabic terminology/products. They are the major companies who will benefit from this initative through increasing their products’ usability and minimizing their costs.
• Arabic localization services providers – they are the ones who actually have the experience of why to use/not to use a specific term. They can also advise on alternatives.
• We should also involve media/magazine publishers. There are many technical magazines in Arabic now, so we should all use the same terminology in order to make it easier for the user. In addition, these writers will be able to provide more user-friendly suggestions.
• Language authorities who can advise on and encourage the use of these standards.

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Ibrahim Khalifa is a Senior Language Specialist with Oracle’s Global Product Support Center in Cairo, Egypt. He can be reached at Ibrahim.Khalifa@oracle.com. Wafaa Mohiy is the Localization Department Manager for Saudisoft Co. Ltd. in Saudi Arabia. She can be reached at WafaaM@saudisoft.com.