Invisible service that costs a lot

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With the expansion of the global market the importance of language services is increasing - and those services do not come cheap.

In an article the Salt Lake Tribune states that microprocessor giant Intel Corp. invests 2 percent to 3 percent of revenue from its sales and marketing group on translation. But that's only half as much as what its competitors spend.

A translation conference held earlier this week in Salt Lake City discussed the importance of language and the future of language service. Speakers included Stephen Sekel, head of translation services for the United Nations; Marian Greenfield, president of the American Translators Association; and Bernhard Kohlmeier, who directs "localization" tasks at Microsoft.

"Translation specialists acknowledge that their profession is invisible to most people, although they also joke that it is the second-oldest career in the world. By some accounts, translation work is a fragmented .5 billion industry consisting of more than 3,000 companies. Others say the figure is closer to billion, with most work done by small firms with a handful of employees."

Michael Green, responsible for translating English into 10 languages for O.C. Tanner, came to the conference hoping to find ways of cutting translation expenses - which he said can range from 17 cents to 30 cents a word, depending on the language - without jeopardizing the quality of translations.

Companies who need translation help "need an accredited translation agency," Green said. "If they try to do it on the cheap, they'll be disappointed. You need to spend money to get quality translation," he said.

Source: Salt Lake Tribune