What Has 2021 Brought To The Localization Sector?
In this article, we introduce you to the localization trends of 2021, along with insights on localization and marketing strategies that will shape the next year.
- Translation management systems (TMS) are a very good area for investment because growth in leading TMS companies has increased by 30%. With the lockdowns coming to an end at the end of July, a dramatic increase in the demand for localization was observed in the post-COVID market.
- The rapid rise in the demand for video localization continues to take the lead among translation services. This demand in the translation industry emerged in our lives with the pandemic and continues to increase exponentially. According to experts, videos will cover 80% of the world’s internet traffic by 2021. Video localization is no longer an option but a necessity. In the past years, subtitle creation became a number one trend in the market due to 85% of Facebook users watching videos with audio off. Also, efficient and cost-effective localized voice-overs were preferred by global companies to give international access to their products.
- Another factor is GPT-3, which is evaluated to have the potential to be groundbreaking. GPT-3, created by OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research company, is described as the most important and useful progress that has taken place in the field of artificial intelligence for many years. GPT-3 has made great progress in processing natural language and has performed tremendously in the translation tasks assigned to it in open beta, but cost and speed are currently two major obstacles in front of it.
- With providers like BeLazy that offer custom software solutions to simplify the localization process the market for “connectors” is growing. Smaller language service providers are adopting this technology to expand their existing supply chains.
Here is more from the best trends of 2021:
#1. E-Commerce Localization
Website and e-commerce localization are currently quite popular. While many e-commerce firms are considering investing in localization, some need a little more incentive to understand the importance of the localization industry. With the rapid growth of e-commerce due to the pandemic and curfew restrictions, the business volume of e-commerce localization is still deeply affected and is expected to continue to increase.
#2. E-Learning Translation
E-learning is another market that had been growing before the current pandemic and is now becoming more widespread with most activities being done from home. At the same time, the e-learning industry is where the latest technology and creative innovative trends are on the rise. Providers are aware that they have global customers. All e-learning documents, course materials, and brochures must be presented in a variety of languages to achieve success in the market.
#3. Transcreation
Transcreation is essential in many localization projects. By transcreation, the content is translated and localized to sound as if it was created in the target language. As globalization continues, companies’ need to connect with their international target market increases. Transcreation is the adaptation of existing marketing material and its conversion to content that is suitable for international customers.
#4. Medical Translation
It’s not surprising that medical translation is on our list. EU-MDR regulations require that descriptions and specifications of medical devices be translated. The EU-MDR regulation stipulates that medical device content is available in all 24 official EU languages. Therefore, if you are currently translating only for certain languages, you will need to increase the volume of work to meet the needs of all 24 official EU languages.
Bonus: Machine Translation
In terms of workflow, the first thing that needs to be adjusted in your TMS is the advantages specific to the machine translation. Machine translation personalization capabilities make TMS expertise less necessary, especially when combined with other CAT tools. When used together with translation memories and terminology management, machine translation improves the speed, accuracy, and consistency of your projects. Allowing machine translation to overcome the challenge of batch translations allows your translators to better focus on localization. Small companies can adapt to market changes more quickly, and with machine translation, this increases exponentially. In addition, machine translation also allows small companies to take on jobs that were previously out of reach.