SDL Idiom Acquisition- thebigword’s Opinion
SDL has announced the acquisition of Idiom, the translation management software provider for $21.7m. Again we see SDL focussing on developing software; this latest deal follows SDL’s acquisition of Trados in 2005 and Tridion in 2007.
Effective translation management systems are essential for global companies who need to manage growing volumes of multilingual content; such systems allow all stakeholders in the localisation process to communicate and interact efficiently and benefit from centralised content repositories.
Before the acquisition, both SDL and Idiom had discreet and competing translation management systems. Customers now have less choice and thebigword believe that many customers will want to properly explore the market to ensure that they consider all the options available to them.
LanguageDirector™ is a translation management platform from thebigword. thebigword’s approach is to allow customers to choose the technology that best fits their organisations' needs. Using the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, and SOAP-based Web Services, LanguageDirector™ will integrate with customers' systems (such as CMS Systems, Document Management Systems (DMS) or e-procurement platforms). This approach is flexible, quick to implement and is based around the use of accepted industry standards. Customers have the perfect balance of integration without tightly coupling applications together.
Translation Management Systems can be expensive and the purchase and implementation of any such system represents a significant investment decision. thebigword recommends that Customers should:
- not pay anything until the system is delivering what they expect,
- only pay for the functionality that they need
- pay on a monthly basis i.e. no long term contracts or tie ins
- avoid proprietary technology that may tie you to a particular vendor or process.
LanguageDirector™ Standard is free and can be upgraded easily to accommodate the changing needs of a customer. LanguageDirector™ Enterprise is a fully fledged translation management system allowing all stakeholders in your localisation process to access the information and technology that they need.
For more information please contact Simon Otter, Group Technology Manager