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Idiom Technologies Inc. announced this week version 6 of its flagship WorldServer product, offering new capabilities for automating translation and localization of Web content.
WorldServer, typically used as an add-on to Web content management systems, synchronizes multilingual translations and automates the publishing of content in any language, according to company officials in Waltham, Mass.
This release includes new vendor management capabilities such as project estimates designed to help WorldServer users manage the costs of a given globalization project including scoping capabilities that enable users to apply “what if” scenarios to projects to further reduce costs. Project reporting features, meanwhile, allow users to monitor project progress and identify problems that could lead to cost overruns.
Asset integration with content management systems, source code control systems and databases has also been enhanced in this release. Support has been added for the latest products from Documentum Inc., Interwoven Corp., IBMs Rational division and Oracle Corp., as well as support for emerging XML repositories and standards.
The translator workbench in WorldServer 6.0 has been improved to allow users to launch external applications, including Word or FrontPage, from within WorldServer. WorldServer 6.0 also adds several new filters, including SGML, XML, XSL and filters for native Microsoft .DOC, and .PPT formats.
Translation Memory, a centralized repository for reusing previous translations feature of WorldServer, has been enhanced through improved linguistics and best practices from previous engagements in version 6.
A new capability in this release, Asset Segmentation, enables customers to segment their Translation Memory database for specific translation projects. Translation Memory can be exchanged among disparate translation systems. Version 6.0 provides support for XLIFF, the emerging XML standard for sharing translation assets, in addition to the TMX and MTW standards for exchanging different translation memory systems.
WorldServer 6.0 also provides new support for sharing terminology databases across systems helping companies streamline the translation of company-specific words, sentences and phrases that must always be translated the same way. New content wizards group files according to content logic, not physical location, so that the process of creating rules is simplified. Company officials said up to 70 percent of the globalization process can be automated in this fashion, dramatically reducing the time and support requirements needed to globalize content.
EBay Inc. has used WorldServer since the beginning of the year and is in the companys early adopter program. The site is translated into nine different languages.
Debbie Rafferty, director of global content development for the online auction powerhouse, eBay, said the vendor management application in WorldServer 6.0 has helped lower eBays cost of dealing with translation services vendors while the workflow engine gives the company greater flexibility throughout the content management process. New content editing tools give better access to content as well, Rafferty said.
“We look to Idiom as a complete solution provider for global content management,” Rafferty said, in San Jose. Rafferty said WorldServer adds a lot of efficiencies to managing globalized content.
“The workflows give you a lot of flexibility for different users and tracking of different projects,” she said.
WorldServer 6.0 is available now, with a typical deployment costing around $50,000, company officials said.