Frequently asked questions
What is localization?
Localization involves taking a document or software product and making it linguistically and culturally appropriate to the target region and language. This means adapting it to cultural and social norms, and making it conform to relevant legal requirements. This may include taking account of different symbols and notational conventions, accountancy practices or safety standards.
What about glossaries and terminology?
All our translators apply the MS GUI guide, Apple Developer glossaries or Lotus Notes Business Partner terminology so that the interface terminology is appropriate to the platform OS. We use web-based terminology databases, and we encourage clients to discuss terminology choices with our subject experts. Glossaries are client and sometimes product specific.
Do you use translation memory tools?
We apply CAT to all our projects. We use all available industry-standard tools, including Trados, Passolo, Catalyst and Déjà Vu, all of which save money and shorten project timeframes. Most important is a consistent approach to memory management to avoid GIGO problems. Alpha provides expert advice on memory management, as well as on single-source authoring.
Do you use machine translation?
We do not use automated translation ourselves. A number of our clients have decided to generate large volumes of documentation using a fully automated process. We then assist them to get this output into a user-friendly and comprehensible form.
In some industries, especially automotive, great progress has been made, as their technical authors use 'controlled language', making it easier for the machine to generate acceptable output which needs little post-editing. In other environments, where texts tend to be more varied and authors write in a more casual style, this is proving more problematic.
What makes Alpha different?
Having Project Managers, translators, and technical experts all in the same office maximizes consistency and minimizes lead time. Scaleable localization teams dedicated to our clients achieve full knowledge transfer and the highest quality turnkey solutions for desktop and multimedia software.
How do you recruit translators?
We recruit full-time permanent translation staff with postgraduate qualifications in translation, industry experience and additional specialist subject qualifications. We do this through our links with universities overseas, internships and our membership of translation association forums.
How do the translators work on the text?
We bring together a dedicated team in one environment. They work on networked workstations, all of which are fully backed-up. They share glossaries and translation memories in real time, and have access to a variety of CAT tools. They also use a cross-department Q&A database, online translation and proofreading to guarantee accuracy.
What does Quality Assurance mean?
For Alpha, QA means:
- Consistently applied, documented procedures
- Experienced, qualified proofreaders and QA staff
- Native-speaker software testers
- Target language OS test environment
- Controlled, repeatable test conditions
- Latest script-assisted GUI testing tools
- Detailed web-tracking of bugs and fixes
Do you use Global Management Systems (GMS)?
Yes. GMS enable us to establish standard workflows by using advanced software capabilities and streamlining processes. This helps us to work more productively, reducing turnaround times. We work with all major GMS, including SDKL TMS, SDL WorldServer and Across
