Selecting a Localization Partner

Ficorp, Inc. was founded in 1993 in response to the market need for an integrated approach to software localization.

Our approach at Ficorp, Inc. is to combine the best software engineering practices with outstanding linguistic quality for the benefit of our clients.

We offer personalized service for small- to medium-sized software companies.

With Ficorp, Inc. on your team, you have the benefit of full-time, dedicated professionals who understand both the technical and linguistic sides of the business.

Why Consider Outsourcing your Localization?

No two clients are the same, but for many companies the various requirements of an in-house localization group are nearly impossible to fulfill.

Staffing Problems for an In-House Localization Group

Consider the following requirements:

• Sufficient software engineering depth to be able to coach the development staff on internationalization efforts, and to be able to verify correct software globalization practices.
• Up-to-date on the latest software practices, with particular attention to globalization issues.
• Sufficient knowledge of languages and language issues to work comfortably in an unlimited number of languages.
• The ability to select and manage translators of diverse professional and personal cultures.
• Deep, personal commitment to communication on a global scale
• Unswerving commitment to quality
• Attention to detail of a proofreader

Even this short list of requirements makes it clear how difficult it would be to hire a single individual who meets all of them. On the other hand, many small- to medium-sized companies are unwilling to hire a whole team, which would solve the problem. The only good solution is to seek these same characteristics in a professional software localization house, and this is the need that Ficorp, Inc. is set up to fulfill.

Load Balancing

Another problem with in-house localization is the uneven workload inherent in the software development process. Close to major product releases there are never enough resources, especially considering that product documentation is often completed at the last minute even in the original language (i.e. English). In order to avoid needless rework, it is normal practice to translate program strings only when the product is nearly frozen, resulting in a last-minute spike in the workload.

Even in the case of large companies with full-time translators and globalization managers, the pressures of product release routinely require at least partial outsourcing.

On the other end of the scale, it is very difficult to keep the in-house localization group busy between product releases. Translators and managers are valuable and expensive resources that cannot be left idle.

Load balancing alone is enough reason to outsource software localization. This was a second motivation for setting up Ficorp, Inc. We have a dedicated, professional team of translators available when you need them and only when you need them.

Qualification of Translators

One of the most demanding and crucial responsibilities in the localization process is the selection of translators. It is also the most subjective.

At Ficorp, Inc. we select our translators extremely carefully, so it is impossible to offer a complete list of selection criteria. We do have some minimum requirements, however, which are not commonly followed in the industry.

• Physical residence in the target country. Since "localization" refers to a place (locale), not a language, it is important to create a product which is appropriate for the target locale. To create a Windows product for Germany, it should be translated in Germany by a German who uses German Windows and German Windows products. This is the only way to assure that your software conforms to current practice and current linguistic trends in the target country. Since top quality is the only option at Ficorp, Inc., all our translators reside in the target countries. We believe this provides a unique quality advantage to our clients.
• Translators must be full-time, trained, professional translators whose first love is language. It is easy to find engineers who understand software and who speak English as well as their native tongue. To ask such a person to translate programs and documentation is a formula for disaster. Issues such as grammar, current usage of the language, consistency with previous and future translations, and linguistic style will only be dealt with correctly by professional translators and proofreaders. Intelligent people use your products, and they will judge them in part by the quality of the language in your manuals, help, and program strings, so this is no place for compromise! (It might also be worth mentioning that support personnel in your subsidiaries carry a very high overhead, so it is poor economics to burden them with translations).

What is Unique about Ficorp, Inc.?

Here are the characteristics that we feel make Ficorp, Inc. stand out as a partner of choice for your localization:

• Thorough understanding of the software development process, developed over many years of successful product development.
• Passion for languages
• Deep interest in international software
• Professional translators in target countries
• Rapport with clients' overseas subsidiaries (think globally)
• Rapport with U. S. software engineers (work locally)

Summary

Ficorp, Inc. provides professional consulting services for globalization and localization to small and medium sized software and hardware companies. Ficorp, Inc. works with top management on strategic issues, and with line management and project teams to make products happen.

Our Translators are located around the world. They are carefully selected full-time professional translators, who live and work in the target countries. We feel that the importance of their presence in the target "locale" is crucial, in order to guarantee accuracy and cultural appropriateness of our translation and localization.

Technical specialists provide expertise in areas such as double-byte enabling (DBE) and Unicode enabling, Java, Active-X. Regardless of the technology involved in your software or webpage, Ficorp can make it work in your target language.

With Ficorp, Inc. you have the best of both worlds: a global team of translators is working for you, but you can enjoy a single point of contactin Seattle, Washington.