DEFINITIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS

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

Questions for Enterprise Localization and Internationalization Project Managers

These questions are helpful in preparing your Request for Quotation (RFQ).

Localization

1. What type of software application product do you plan to localize?
   
2. What are the target languages for the project?
   
3. What operating systems will the localized product run on?
   
4. When do you plan to release your localized product?
   
5. Do you have U.S. product materials ready for localization? If not, when will you receive them from your U.S. product development team?
   
6. If your product is under development and planned for worldwide simultaneous shipment, do you have product milestones for your U.S. and localized versions?
   
7. What is the estimated localization project budget?
   
8. Have you localized this product previously? If so, can the vendor leverage your previous localized version?
   
9. Do you have the translation memories for your previous localized version? What kind of translation memory tool did your previous version use?
   
10. Do you have a glossary (or terminology list) for your English source materials and target languages?
    
11. What is the scope of the localization project?
    
    What components do you plan to localize? (software resource files, online Help, HTML or XML files, or printed documentation)
    
    • Do your English source materials have graphics file? If so, how many are there and what file format(s) are they in?
    • Do you need your vendor to perform screen captures on the localized version?
    • Do you have word and page counts for your English source materials?
    • Do you need special tools to edit source materials? If yes, are those tools supported in the target languages?
    • Do you need your vendor to build or compile software source files or online Help files after localization?
    • Do you need your vendor to test and repair software source files and online Help files after localization?
    • Do you need your vendor to leverage online Help or Web files from/to printed documentation? If so, which tool do you use? Can this tool handle the target languages?
    • Do you have a process for leveraging this task?
    • In what file format is your printed documentation?
    • Which DTP tool did you use for English printed documentation?
    • Can this DTP tool handle your target languages?
    • What is the expected final output for printed documentation after localization (Film, PostScript or PDF)?
      

Internationalization

1. What type of software application do you plan to internationalize?
2. Which operating systems does the product run on?
   
3. To which target operating systems do you want to port your product?
   
4. When do you plan to release your product to the global market?
   
5. Are you planning worldwide simultaneous shipment of your U.S. and international versions?
   
6. Have your U.S. developers addressed internationalization considerations when they designed or developed the U.S. product? If no, then do you plan to develop an internationalization functional specification that outlines considerations such as:
   
• Multi-byte input and output handling
• Culture-specific features like country date and time formats and unique cultural behaviors
  
7. Do you have a product functional specification for your U.S. version?
   
8. Have you attempted to run the U.S. product on your target language platforms? If so, what was the result?
   
9. Which programming language did you use to develop your U.S. product?
   
10. What other types of software development tools did you use in building the U.S. product?
    
11. Did you use any third party or public domain library APIs to build your U.S. product? If so, which ones? Do they support your target language platforms? Is technical support available for them?
    
12. Do you have specific standards for your quality assurance testing procedures?
    
13. Do you have testing specifications, a test plan, outlines, or scripts for the U.S. version of the application?
    
14. Did you use an automated testing tool to build your automated test scripts? If so, which tool did you use? Does it support your target language platforms?
    
15. Do you have a standard Software Problem Report format that you want your vendor to use?
    
16. Do you have major milestones for internationalization engineering and functional testing tasks? Do you have a build schedule for your product?
    
17. Will your vendor be able to use your U.S. bug database? If not, what is your plan to handle your vendor's bug reports?
    
18. Do you want you vendor to perform onsite or offsite internalization services, and why?
    
19. Do you plan to maintain a single code base (U.S. and international versions)? If so, have you factored in the time for the code merging process?
    

Multi-Language Web Management

As global e-commerce continues to expand, companies' Websites have become strategically important. And given the nature of the Internet, many companies have found that they must host Websites in the languages of their target markets.

When an English version of a Website changes, all other versions of the site should change simultaneously. Change involves not only translating new content but also ensuring cultural appropriateness-a labor-intensive task. Assigning one person to the international site maintenance duties, as some companies do, is generally neither effective nor efficient.

Real Idea localization consultants provide expert multi-language Web management services. We assemble updated files, localize appropriately, and carefully review each language environment.