Is it time to break out the Veuve Clicquot to celebrate this bright, new, shiny, and now global object in the Microsoft arsenal? Not yet. Bill Gates' presentation on SharePoint did not mention SP07's new support for multilingual content. So we'll settle for a beer and a couple of habaneros.

How does SP07 plus translation management change things? Initially, not much since the SP07 release date is not set. But once it's in the market and the fixes-major-bugs second service pack has shipped, things could get a bit more interesting.

Most translation jobs originate at the department level within the enterprise, exactly where SharePoint already has a formidable presence. While Microsoft won't say how many SharePoint servers are out there, we suspect that more content is housed today by SharePoint and flat-file systems than in full-bore content management systems. SP07 could change the playing field by integrating relatively painless file management, CMS functions, and portal functions in one box. Idiom adds the ability to easily route content out of and into SharePoint for translation. Who would benefit from this combination?

• Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and business units of larger corporations. Many departments have opted for document sharing and collaboration rather than a formalized workflow within a highly structured CMS environment. SP07 preserves the flexibility and ad hoc nature of e-mail workflow ("Suzie asked to approve the language in this brochure, so I'd better send her this copy before it goes to layout") while capturing and preserving these activities centrally. WorldServer adds the "combo meal" integration of translation memory and other language tools.
• LSPs targeting SMEs. Since 90% of companies outsource language services, we see this as a solid opportunity for language service providers choosing Idiom's LSP Advantage program. LSPs using the new variations feature can port content in and out for the customary "black box" translation workflow.
• Idiom itself. Last year's pricing and packaging changes moved Idiom's strategy more in line with SME needs. This announcement furthers Idiom's case as a contender in the emerging battle among software suppliers such as SDL, hosted multilingual CMS vendors such as DocZone, and LSPs like Lionbridge, Sajan, Translations.com, and Welocalize with their in-house translation management offerings.