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Evolution and Revolution in Translation Management
 
Keywords
translation management, globalization management, workflow, global content management, enterprise content management, GCM, ECM, enterprise software, content management, document management, globalization, ERP, business software, ASP, SaaS, collaboration,

Abstract
In this report, we review the state of the market today and outline where it is going. We cover four major areas of interest:
  • TMS defined. The first translation management systems debuted a full decade ago and achieved limited commercial recognition over the last two years. In this section we discuss the business drivers, the opportunity, and the benefits that suppliers promise to their customers. Here we present our updated definition of the sector, a taxonomy of the market, and an overview of the design centers – that is, corporate buyers or LSPs – around which these products were built.
  • Future directions. This section looks forward to what will happen in this sector over the coming five years. This part of the report also discusses the partnerships into which some vendors have entered in order to fill in gaps in their offerings. It also outlines major development themes.
  • Market potential. In this section we discuss corporate and LSP demand, estimate the size of the market, outline potential adoption curves, and discuss major trends that could accelerate or hobble the market.
  • Assessment criteria. We extend our earlier outlines of the category to include features and functions that we have since determined to be critical differentiators. Our upcoming update to the “Translation Management System Scorecards” report (Feb07) will assess product and service offerings on these feature matrices.

Benefits
In General:  This report provides an overview of the software products available for managing the manifold business activities in and around translation workflow. The report is directly relevant both to enterprise buyers of translation services and technology as well as to language service providers looking to automate their translation operations.
For Buyers: Globalization service buyers. Planners at multinational companies, government agencies, military and intelligence units, and non-governmental organizations that globalize their websites, documents, products, and other materials will learn what technology is available to support translation and related business activities. Many organizations will turn to web-hosted or software-enabled service providers to obtain some or all of these capabilities, and the solutions discussed in this report include those options.
For Suppliers: Language service providers (LSPs) rely on software tools and vertically oriented business systems to increase the efficiency of their knowledge-based services activity. This report will help them select and perfect their systems for operational and business management. Managers, marketers, engineers, and business consultants responsible for developing, selling, and integrating software products that support translation management will benefit from the discussion of industry, market, and technology dynamics.

Physical Details
Authors: Donald A. DePalma and Benjamin B. Sargent
Date: 30 May 2008
ISBN: Pending
Pages: 35

Companies
  • Commercial software. Across Language Server AIT Projetex; Beetext Flow; Kilgray MemoQ; Language Networks Expresso; Language Technology Centre Worx; Lido-Lang XTRF; Lingotek Language Search Engine; MultiCorpora MultiTrans; Plunet Business Manager; Project-Open ]project-open[;SDL GWT, Synergy, TeamWorks, TMS, SDL-Idiom WorldServer; Translations.com GlobalLink GMS and its Alchemy Language Exchange.
  • Service-related offerings. CrossGap FastBiz; Elanex ElanexINSIDE; Globalization Partners Project Management Suite; Lingo Systems LingoNET; Lionbridge Freeway; Merrill Brink Otto; Omnilingua OTIS; Prisma PrismaOnline; Sajan GCMS 2006; thebigword LanguageDirector; and Welocalize Ambassador.

Table of Contents
  • Topic
    • What a Difference a Year Makes
    • Research Methodology Structure of this Report
    • Translation Management Products under Consideration
  • TMS Defined
      • Translation Management and Why It Matters
      • Enter Formal Translation Management Systems
      • TMS Roughly Equates to ERP for Translation Companies or Departments
      • Your Need for TMS Depends on What It Is You Do
      • What Comes in the TMS Box Often Depends on Its Origin
      • Time for a Reality Check: Alternatives Often Win the Decision
    • Future Directions
      • TMS Must Overcome Substantial Marketing Challenges
      • Two-Year Feature/Function Makeover for Translation Management
      • Task 1: Fit in with Corporate Solutions and Improve the Technology
      • Task 2: Improve the People-Process Dynamic
      • Task 3: Prove Value with Strong ROI and Analytics Metrics
    • Market Potential
      • Sizing the Market for Commercial TMS Solutions
      • As Measured by Actual Sales, COTS Demand Remains Weak
      • House TMS Solutions Win by Melding Service with Software
      • Adoption Rates Vary by Component, Region, and Buyer Size
      • What If? Scenarios for TMS Changes
    • Assessment Criteria
      • Five Major Feature Sets Distinguish Translation Management Systems
      • Business: Project, Vendor Resources, and Finances
      • Process: Workflow, Collaboration, and Portal-based Interactions
      • Language: Translation, Review, and Authoring
      • Connectivity: Integrating with Systems of Record
      • Oversight: Business Intelligence, Analytics, and Process Monitoring
      • Bibliography: Previous Research on Translation Management Systems
    • Figures
      • Figure 1: The Long, Cyclical March to Good Translations
      • Figure 2: Enterprise Resources for Translation Management
      • Figure 3: Alternatives to Dedicated Translation Management Software
      • Figure 4: COTS TMS Software Show Low Penetration Today
      • Figure 5: COTS TMS Software Project to Hit US$140 Million by 2013
      • Figure 6: Breakout of Buyer Types for Extant Deployments
      • Figure 7: Breakout of Regions for Extant Deployments
      • Figure 8: Translation Management Components
    • Tables
      • Table 1: Demand-Side Needs by Buyer Category
      • Table 2: Business Management Checklist Items for TMS
      • Table 3: Process Management Checklist Items for TMS
      • Table 4: Language Management Tools Checklist Items for TMS
      • Table 5: Connection Management Tools Checklist Items for TMS
      • Table 6: Business Intelligence, Analytical, and BPM Functions