The terms internationalization and localization have taken on great importance in the world of translation.
Internationalization is the process used to design software so that it can be easily adapted to different languages and regions without changes to the engineering or code. Internationalization, in short, is the capability of a Web site to be translated.
Localization is the process of adapting software to a specific region through he addition of specific components and the translation of texts. Given this criteria, it could also be referred to as “regionalization”. Localization is the process of translation of a page. Nevertheless, the most common practice is the literal translation of the English text.
Some companies, such as Microsoft and IBM, use the term globalization to refer to the combination of internationalization and localization.
Internationalization and localization are two concepts that are in vogue in the modern language industry.
The Internet knows no one language; better yet, it knows all of them. Offering a website in multiple languages eliminates all language barriers that might prevent a visitor from appreciating the content and thus multiplies the possibilities of establishing links with clients all around the world.
Any website translation project should consider the aspect of internationalization from the beginning. In this way, when the moment arrives, there will not be any need to throw all of the work away and start from scratch late in the process.
For a website to be localizable, it is essential that it has a modular structure in which the content is independent of the presentation.
Once we begin translating the site, we come across several problems related to the diversity and differences of the languages.
To find out more, find out more about globalization, internationalization, and localization at Trusted Translations‘ pages on those subjects.
(Spanish version: https://www.trustedtranslations.com/internacionalizacion-y-localizacion-2010-05-05.html)
