Information Technology (IT) took off in the Electronic Era. It began back in the 1940s with the first programmable general-purpose electronic digital computer.
ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator) then boasted an amazing speed of 5000 additions per second. Today that number is up to a whopping 500,000,000 additions per second.
Today, IT is an umbrella term that refers to several different industries associated with computers and their networks:
- computer hardware
- software
- electronics
- semiconductors
- internet
- telecom equipment
- e-commerce
A major factor in helping IT firms grow by leaps and bounds and keep ahead of the competition is effective, outsourced language solutions.
“The market for outsourced language services and supporting technology is immensely important to the organizations and individuals that produce or consume information (refers to those working in the IT sector). We predict that the industry will continue to grow and that the market will increase to US $47 billion (it was US $37.19 billion in 2014) by 2018.”
Vijayalaxmi Hegde, Director of Research Operations at the independent market research firm Common Sense Advisory.
But do IT firms and companies doing business in foreign markets need to outsource their translation services in order to do well in global markets?
Look at these conclusions from a recent Common Sense Advisory market survey:
- Businesses that expanded their translation budgets were 1.5 times more likely than their other Fortune 500 peers to report an increase in total revenue.
- Companies that translated information in order to communicate with and retain their partners were 2.67 times more likely to experience revenue increases. They were also 2.6 times more likely to generate improved profits.
Translation is therefore of paramount importance for a business to reach out to its target audience effectively.
6 Reasons Why IT Firms Should Outsource Translation
The benefits outsourcing translation are pretty clear, especially if you want to make it big in the global sphere. Here are some of the biggest reasons why:
1. It’s cost effective
Maintaining an internal translation department to deal with vast amounts of information to be translated (company documentation, websites, marketing materials, company brochures) is not a feasible option for a majority of IT firms.
2. You get professional-quality work
Well-trained translators are typically well versed in both the source and target languages. They also come with the required skill set and experience in using the necessary translation tools, resulting in consistent translation output.
From content related to marketing, legal, or finance, an outsourced Language Service Provider (LSP) will have the most efficient resources to cater to each of these.
3. The end result is as good as the source material
Experienced desktop publishing professionals ensure the final layout of your content looks (or sounds) like the original draft itself.
A steady mix of the right software, hardware, and the expertise of an established LSP makes this possible.
4. Translation project management
Outsourcing your translation requirements to a translation agency is more than merely getting back the finished translated copy of work. A project manager is also assigned to an IT firm to handle any queries which may arise at either end – yours or theirs.
From communicating between various departments to escalating questions and expectations from both sides to proofreading and budgeting the finished work, the entire translation process will be taken care of.
5. More than plain and simple translation
The IT world has long since moved on from plain textual translation. Welcome to the world of multimedia content. And it’s not just about translating multimedia content—language service providers offer a plethora of post-productions services such as dubbing and audio recording amongst others.
6. Translation outsourcing saves time
There’s no need to put in so much of effort into setting up an internal translation department within your IT firm itself, or hiring freelancers who need to be communicated with time and again about what the work entails. Just leave it all to your outsourced LSP and be assured of high-quality translated work that meets your deadlines.
Alphonso Jackson, the erstwhile US Secretary of Housing and Development, summed it up like this:
“The other part of outsourcing is this: It simply says where the work can be done outside better than it can be done inside, we should do it.”
Take Your IT Firm Global
Summa Linguae Technologies’ translation and localization services will help you grow across the globe.
We take care to provide the highest quality, accurate translation and ensure your translated text expresses your intended message.
Contact us today to get started.
