Differences between Translation, Localization and Language Service Provider
Translation Company, LSP (language service provider), and localization agency are most-often confused terms among people new to website globalization. The main reason behind this confusion is the concurrence of all of them, especially of translation and localization agency. Nonetheless, these are three different terms carrying three distinct meanings that will be cleared up in this article.
What is a localization agency?
If you are looking for a translation agency to translate your website and just came upon the term ‘localization’, let us explain the term to you.
Localization is the process to convert the contents, user interface, dialogue boxes, and some other features of a website or software in locale-specific manner. These modifications aim at targeting the potential customers of a particular target market. Similarly, a localization agency is providing localization related services that mainly have to do with changing the language to make it locale-friendly. The service is utilized to adapt software or a site to the trends and habits of the dwellers of a specific area.
Localization is the process in which the client comes to us with the original product that he wants to launch in a foreign land. We review the content, outline all the factors that are important to the client and have to be left intact as well as the components that we need to change. We will then translate the content mainly by adapting it in the target language with keeping our focus on presenting the content in the most appealing way to the target audience.
What are localization services?
Localization services change the linguistic and cultural factors of a content to make them understandable for the target audience. They make it possible for a company to connect with the target audience through the right language and cultural factors. Changing the currency of items for the people of a country is one way in which localization services help the target audience.
What is a localization team?
A localization team consists of experts whose job is to make sure that everything in the content matches the cultural preferences of the audience. If a localization team is given a website to handle, they will have to make sure that even the pictures don’t have any elements that would go against the cultural values of the audience.
What is the localization process?
The localization process is the optimization of the content in a way that it becomes culturally appropriate for the target audience. Everything that goes against the culture of the audience is removed from the content during this process. Without this process, companies will not be able to attract a foreign audience.
What is translation agency?
A translation agency is a company that has project managers, proofreaders, and specialist translators. They handle projects of both big and small sizes. An agency has a system in place that helps them make sure that every translation is accurate and error free before it is handed over to the client.
Translation Company
Well, a translating company enjoys higher status compared to localization agency. A translation company involves both localization services as well as internationalization which means it carries out the globalization of a software or website by converting both their front-end and back-end languages. In simple words we can say that localization is one of two basic components of translation—the other one is internationalization.
In website translation, we take all the pages of the website such as the about page, home page, and blogs and translate them into the target language. This is like any other translation where we take into account cultural differences and come up with a version of your content which is perfectly localized to your target market.
What is a LSP (language service provider)?
LSP or a Language Service Provider is an upgraded term used for translation. Translation has conventional familiarity, while LSP has been newly brought into use. Basically, both translation companies and LSP belong to the same area. However, Language Service Providers offer you something beyond just translation. LSP has an edge over a translation company that has nothing to do with any other type of work frame. Still, LSP has its fundamental concern with language conversion or making the software or web-platforms multi-lingual or locale specific just like translation agencies.
Having taken a look at the services offered by these three basic providers, we are in a position to distinguish them clearly from each other. So, it would be wrong to confuse a translation company with a localization agency, or a Language Service Provider. Still, some companies, including Universal Translation Services, provide a full range of language related services while they still call themselves a translation agency or company, which is done just in order to not use a term which is less known to worldwide population.
