Translation Technology Landscape<<in an evolutionary perspective>>

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Evolution of the Translation Technology Landscape

Value proposition• Native speaker translators• Quality translations• Local agencies (yellow pages)

Technology

LSP Profile• Yellow Pages agencies• Solitary job• Single language

• Word processors

The Age of Personal Computing

Translation: Profile of the 80s

HLT• Spell checkers• Grammar checkers

What happened in the 80s

• From typex to spell checkers• Grammar checkers (Grammatik – 1981)• Machine translation

We were all so excited about Language technology

What happened in the 80s

… however primitive everything still is when we look back • From IBM typewriters to Displaywriter system (1980)• From telex to fax machines• Systran on Minitel in Paris

Value proposition• Project management• Computer literacy

LSP profile• Team work• Multiple languages• First consolidation wave

Technology• Personal Computers• Software for everything

Software is KingHLT• DTP, artwork• Translation memory

Localization: Profile of the 90s

What happened in the 90s

The hype around Language Technology continuesLernout & Hauspie & The Flanders Language Valley

… an MT revival that failedLogos – Tovna – Metal – DLT – Weidner – ALPS – Rosetta – Systran

… Translation Memory broke throughALPS Autoterm – INK Text Tools – Trados (1984)

We got special tools for software ‘translation’?Alchemy Catalyst – Passolo

… and a better way to manage glossariesTermTracer (1987) – Termbase – Multiterm (1990)

What happened in the 90s

Inflated expectations from language technologyLernout and Hauspie (1987 – 2001)

The wearable translator15 years later in Japan

Gaston Bastiaens goes to jail

Value proposition• Single source• Simship

Profiling• Global span• Full service

Globalization: Profile of 2000

Technology• Client-server

Connectivity rules!HLT• Server-based TM• GMS & TMS

Globalization: Technology Landscape of 2000

Competition in TM for the desktop

.. and TM for client-server

.. and ‘Advanced Leveraging’ in other domains

Globalization: Technology Landscape of 2000

• ALPNET Xchange • Uniscape

The emergence of GMS and TMS

Globalization: “42 steps to process a simple translation job”The reason Idiom, GlobalSight, Uniscape were able to raise $250 million…..

• )

And why did they lose it?

Why Companies Come and GoThe Gartner Hype Cycle

What else happened in 2000

TAUS Summit, Taos, New Mexico, March 15- 17, 2007: A Historical Moment

Let a thousand MT systems bloom MT is back!

Value proposition• Technology integration

• Web-based TM• TM and MT as hybrid solution• MT as an enabler for other business

LSP Profile• Diversification of services• Testing• Digital marketing• Consulting

Technology• APIs

The age of web servicesHLT

Integration: Technology Profile of 2010

Integration: Technology Landscape of 2010

Large MLV focus on CMS integration• Lionbridge acquires Clay Tablet• SDL goes on a spree to acquire CMS companies

Web-based TM systems

Localization Project Management Systems

GMS companies (‘old technologies’) absorbed by LSPs• SDL buys Idiom WorldServer• Welocalize gets GlobalSight• Translations.com acquires GlobalLink

What else happened around 2010

Enterprise Language Strategy “For the first time enterprises become strategic about translation.”Eight things to change!

More words translated by machines than by humans

Enterprise SWOT Analysis (2010 – 2011)

S W

O T

• High leverage from Translation Memories• Well established process and

management

• Quality inconsistent (local flavor missing)• Lack of flexibility in landscape, reactive rather

than creative• Quality review is slow – bottleneck

• Opening new markets with MT• Engaging with users & communities• Convergence with video and speech• Search engine optimization• Translation of user generated content• Use of mobile• Content personalization

• Locked in to vendor base• Not scalable to expand quickly• Urgent requirement to support new markets• Inability to ensure quality• Opportunity loss due to lack of personalization

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19

Clients

MLV’s

In-countryoffices/partners

Distributedtranslators/authors

4 to 30 vendors

10 to 40 languages

100’ to 1000’stranslators/authors

Vendor Management Project Management

Quality Assurance Translation Memory

Account Management

Resources Management

Quality Assurance

Project Management Translation Memory

Resources Management

Quality Assurance

Project Management

Translation Memory

Quality Assurance Translation Memory

Static Cascaded Supply Chain

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Content Disruption

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Innovation Dilemma

S W

O T

• High leverage from Translation Memories

• Well established process and management

• Quality inconsistent (local flavor missing)

• Lack of flexibility in landscape, reactive rather than creative

• Quality review is slow – bottleneck• Execution on innovation fails

• Opening new markets with MT• Engaging with users & communities• Convergence with video and speech• Search engine optimization• Translation of user generated content• Use of mobile• Content personalization

• Locked in to vendor base• Not scalable to expand quickly• Urgent requirement to support new

markets• Inability to ensure quality• Lack of corporate awareness of new

locales• Opportunity loss due to lack of

personalizationThis slide may not be used or copied without permission from TAUS

20th Century TranslationTop-down globalization

Export mentality – pushing out

One big world

1. One translation quality fits all2. Selecting locales – limited languages3. Counting words – owned content4. TM is core5. Project-based translation6. Cascaded supply chain7. Publisher-driven8. Unidirectional

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21st Century TranslationBottom-up and top-down globalizationInformation is omnipresent – people are connecting

Many big worlds in one small planet

1. Quality differentiation

2. Long-tail of languages

3. Zettabytes of content– owned, shared, earned

4. Data is core

5. Continuous translation

6. Collaborative translation

7. User-driven

8. Multidirectional

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Convergence: Technology Profile of 2020

Value proposition

• Real-time MT• Speech-to-speech

LSP Profile• Start-ups competition• Location not so relevant

anymore• Platforms instead of

supply chains

Technology• Mobile• Free & open source

The cloud is irresistibleHLT

• Subscriptions• Innovative offerings: social• Quality levels: transcreation• Dashboards

Convergence of Markets: Translation Shifts Gears

21st Century Convergence

Luxury

Publisher-driventranslation industry

Mobile

Real-time

Personalized

Datafied Embedded

New payment models

Good enough

Continuous

+ 1,000 languages

Innovation Invaders

From 10,000 customers who buy translation as a ‘luxury’ product to 6 billion users who consider translation ‘free’.

What is happening now

Drag and drop …• Real-time customization of MT

Plug and play …• Mobile apps for speech-to-speech

Translation as utility• On every screen, in every app

Convergence of:• Technologies: MT & S2S • Markets: Consumer &

Business• Business: Free and

Premium

Many new start-ups

Insider and invader innovators

MT as an API: pay as you go or free for data

Convergence: Technology Landscape of 2020Platforms

Proxy-based localization platforms

Community translation platforms

Competitors or technology platforms to use

Convergence: Technology Landscape of 2020Terminology

Web-based terminology management

Terminology search

Convergence: Technology Landscape of 2020Translator productivityFree & open source

Translator productivity tools

Convergence: Technology Landscape of 2020Quality Management and AssuranceSource language control

Quality checking

Streetwise

Translation apps

Convergence: Technology Landscape of 2020Translation as a utility

Convergence: Technology Landscape of 2020Audio/video and speechAudio-video captioning

Speech-to-speech

Singularity: Technology Profile of 2030

Value proposition

• Deep learning• FAUT

LSP Profile• Cultural consultants

Technology• Robots & AI• Law of Moore reaches a

climax

Explosion of intelligenceHLT

• Data services and cleaning• Transcreation

Singularity: Trends of 2030

“Would I recommend to my young children to choose human translator as a profession? The answer is clearly "no". I would try to redirect them to be a language- and culture consultant. Transcreation and adaptation between cultures will remain necessary for one more generation, until the differences between earth's cultures have been reduced to minor deltas that machines can bridge. It is not only the technology that changes. Human behavior, thought and creativity also change in an increasingly connected world.”

Chris Wendt, Microsoft:

The Future Does Not Need Translators*Read the blog and comment

Evolution of the Translation Technology Landscape

What Have we Learned?

Mission driven

Data driven

Think Tank →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→

Platform for Industry-shared services →→→→→→→→

Themes

Translation Automatio

n

Language Business

Innovation

Enterprise Language Strategy

Together We Know

More

Human Language

Project

Game-Changers in Localization

Milestones

Drive MT adoption

Introduced crowdsourci

ng in translation

TM Data Sharing

Best practices in post-editing

Dynamic Quality Framework DQF Public API

TAUS is a resource center for the global language and translation industries.Our mission is to enable better translation through innovation and automation.

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

MT is here to Stay

But who owns it and makes money with it?• Google, Microsoft, Baidu, Alibaba, Google, eBay,

Facebook, Microsoft, Yandex, Amazon will be the strongest MT operators without straight revenue goals

• IBM, NTT DoCoMo?

No more empty segments• TM and MT ‘re-converge’

Commercial MT providers• Systran, KantanMT, Iconic, Asia Online, tauyou,

Mirai, Cross Language, ProMT, Lucy Software, CCID, PangeaMT, Globalese

MT as an enabler• For other business benefits and revenue generation

FAUT• Focus on MT has changed from FAHQT to a tool to

support global communications

Keynotes 2015 eBook

Download it here:https://www.taus.net/think-tank/reports/event-reports/keynotes-2015

TAUS Translation Data Landscape Report

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