DEFINITIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS

• Difference Between Localization and Internationalization
• Important Considerations in Localization and Internationalization Projects
• Questions for Enterprise Localization and Internationalization Project Managers

The Difference between Localization and Internationalization

Internationalization is the process of designing a software program from the ground up so that it can be localized without modifications to the executable code. *It is the first critical step in producing a software application for global markets. Internationalizing an application allows it to support different character sets and cultural standards such as date, time, number, and currency formats.

Localization is the process of modifying a software product to conform to the expectations of a given user community. *Localization involves translation, layout modification, and preparation of the application for a specific market.
Because many companies don't understand the importance of internationalization, they often ignore it during initial development. And because many companies are unaware of the distinction between internationalization and localization, they don't schedule internationalization into their localization plan. Both situations create frustration-increasing development costs significantly and slowing time to market.

* Richard Gillam, 'Developing Global Applications in Java,' page 6 in seventeenth International Unicode Conference.