Globally Speaking

Does crowdsourcing deliver on the promise of cost-saving convenience and quality assurance for localization managers? What happens when global brands rely on multiple translators with varied backgrounds? Does widespread collaboration actually help or hinder the workflow process—and the outcome? Renato Beninatto and Michael Stevens discuss the pros and pitfalls of using crowdsourcing for translation and localization services.

Roughly 60% of international travelers now book their reservations online. Travelers who don't find what they’re looking for right away are far more likely to become lost opportunities than confirmed reservations. Global travel brands aren’t the only ones feeling the pressure. So are LSPs who provide global travel companies with translations and destination-specific content under tighter and tighter deadlines. John Jimenez, Portfolio Director of e-Commerce at Interstate Hotels & Resorts, joins us to discuss how digital marketing has changed the travel industry’s marketing priorities—and what it means for LSPs.

Dino Pick, Chairman of Board of the Defense Language Institute, and Deputy City Manager of the City of Monterey, California, joins us to discuss why Monterey is known as the world’s language capital. And why a one-of-a-kind hub of linguistic talent is such a critical resource for national defense—and for global brand communications.

Every translator today seems to be asking one question above all others. And the question is this--will we continue to have jobs in the future? Or will machine translation, better translation software, more speech, voice and text translator apps—and who knows what else—eventually make our jobs obsolete? The answers may surprise you.