What is localization?
Localization is the cultural adaptation of a project. To achieve the best possible communication message targeting a foreign language audience, we must also take cultural differences into account. Before we begin each project, a careful evaluation is made of the cultural appeal and appropriateness for the intended target audience. Languages, images, symbols and icons, typography, color, and overall design may carry different meaning in different cultures. Culturally sensitive alterations may be necessary to avoid possible misunderstandings. Also, communication messages and publications which are tailored to the target audience in this manner typically are more effective because they have specific visual appeal, are clearly understandable, and suggest respect for the audiences preferences.
Localization is the process of adapting a program for use in a specific locale. A locale is a geographic or political region that shares the same language and customs. Localization includes the translation of text such as user interface labels, error messages, and online help. It also includes the culture-specific formatting of data items such as monetary values, times, dates, and numbers.
Localization is the term used when a product is introduced to another country. It is not simply a case of translating instructions and text on packaging into the language of the intended country; it is a way of marketing the product to the target audience of the country. Localization integrates the product into the both the language and the culture of the intended country. If localization has been successfully implemented, then a Swiss or French purchaser will now own a product that they will perceive as having been developed and produced in their own country. The product may have originated and been exported from America, but the foreign purchaser will assume that it is a product of their own country. Localization is a tool that helps in the sale of the product. A product must be highly attuned to the expectations of the target audience and those who influence that audience. To be successful, localization must pay particular attention to the age-range, language, and sub-culture of the
The WFO-Advanced workstation and data ingest software have been installed in every National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO), River Forecast Center (RFC), and Regional Headquarters in the nation, as well as at some national centers. While a great deal of the system functions and data sets are common to nearly all of these offices, much will be unique to each site. The localization process is defined as automatically providing a satisfactory version of the site specific data required to support operations at a local office based on a single national configuration data set. The form of the national configuration data set has been designed in a joint effort between the NWS and FSL, and is still under development. The national configuration data set currently contains information about counties, cities, zones, topography, rivers, etc., and is maintained at NWS headquarters in cooperation with the local offices. Changes to these basic data sets will be distributed to each
Increasing technological sophistication in many countries of the world and the resulting large world trade imply greater need to pay attention to international aspects of technical communication. Developing and translating information for the international market involves a targeted perspective on users’ differences, that “has to do with cultural, ethnic, racial, or linguistic background” Fernandes, 1995). The GLOSSASOFT defines localization as the process that combines “the four skill areas of translation, publishing, software engineering and project management, with the objective of creating a quality local version of the product at a minimum cost and time.” Localization helps develop information to be translated and exported to foreign countries. Its ultimate goal is to create an information product in the target language that the target users will find easy to understand as though it had been produced in their own country. With reference to the context of design, Fernandes (1995) p
