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.

Which languages do you translate?

We translate the following languages in-house:

French

German

Italian

Dutch

Iberian Spanish

Catalan

European Portuguese

Polish


Swedish

Danish

Norwegian

Finnish


Latin American Spanish

Brazilian Portuguese


Simplified Chinese

Traditional Chinese

Japanese

Korean


English


We also offer our customers on-going translation in many other languages through our well established network of associate translators based around the world. These languages include:

Czech

Hungarian

Russian


Greek

Turkish


Arabic

Hebrew

and many more...


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?

No. We use a variety of Computer Assisted Translation tools, such as Trados, Wintrans and SDLX, as well as online dictionaries and glossary tools. Some can be combined with content management systems such as Idiom to provide EBMT assistance. Example-Based Machine Translation works with a Translation Memory to pre-empt the missing part of a fuzzy-matched sentence. This is then checked by a proofreader.

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

What is it like to work for Alpha CRC?

Staff at Alpha CRC enjoy working and socialising together. Click here to read a report of our third inter-departmental Kwik Cricket competition and see below some feedback on life at Alpha CRC.


"I've been with Alpha for many years now, and even though there are occasional off days as with any position, I do enjoy my job. I get to do what I love here: translation. It never stops being a challenge to find what works best in your own language, to keep pushing yourself. And it's great to work in a language team of like-minded people. Alpha is a very international place, and it's fantastic to work with people from so many different countries towards the same thing: delivering a good job, while having a laugh and a joke on the way."

Nicole Went
Dutch Language Manager

"I joined Alpha CRC in July 1997. It is a long time, one might say. This suggests that I enjoy translation, which indeed I have been doing since 1975, and that I enjoy working for the company. In fact, a favourable environment is essential for all of us. Alpha CRC has always been committed to delivering quality, despite all the odds against it in a competitive market, and because of its determination it gradually became a leading localization company during its twenty year existence. Behind this high professional standard is one great thing about Alpha CRC: its ability to bring together talented and enthusiastic people from different parts of the world who work hard and face challenges in an extremely friendly and relaxed atmosphere."

Jose Arantes
Portuguese Language Manager