Business Can’t Do Without ICT and ICT Can’t Do Without Translation ─ Here’s Why

Probably like air, water and pop music!

In our globalized world, information and communication technology (ICT) is increasingly becoming part and parcel of our daily lives as well as the daily operations of almost every and each industry. Divided roughly into the categories of hardware, software, electronics, and any equipment related to data storage and processing, ICT is generally helping businesses to cut production costs across the board ─ thus boosting global competition as well as improving quality and efficiency.

While we might agree that English is the most widely used language in the ICT sector, yet it goes without saying that for ICT businesses to thrive on a global scale, they need to translate their documents into various other languages.

When it comes to software packages, websites, e-shops, manuals (for printers, PCs, etc.) and ICT training courses, can you imagine their content created and published in a single language and a single version? If this happens, won’t it certainly end in total failure?!

So, ICT translation services are thus playing an integral part in the entire industry of information and communication technology. Significantly, there’s something special about this particular type of translation.

ICT translation requires a high level of subject knowledge plus a full command of the specific jargon used in the ICT sector. Thus, the translation of any content in this area requires full attention, as the smallest error in the translation of ICT texts might wreak havoc in systems and business processes on a worldwide scale.

What’s more, this specific type of translation has to cope with the ICT industry that is characterized by fast growth and rapid developments. Subsequently, accuracy and speed in ICT translation may mean the difference between failure and success.

Sectors That Use IT Technologies

Thanks to the wide-scale use of computers, the internet and telecommunications systems all over the world, ICT is regarded as the backbone of all the industries. In a world of data, ICT is becoming a matter of to be or not to be! 

Businesses that have computer-based processes and use electronic infrastructures consistently leverage ICT to manage, store, retrieve, share and transfer data in an easy and efficient way. This happens in almost all sectors and niches.

Truth is, in our 21st-century world, there’s hardly any industry or sector that does not use information and communication technology. They include:

ICT Documents

In the ICT sphere, experts usually translate a wide variety of documents, including:

Language Solutions for the ICT Industry

It’s getting larger and more pervasive day by day! According to the International Data Corporation IDC, global spending on the sector of information and communications technology ICT will hit $4.3 trillion in 2020, an increase of 3.6% over 2019. Therefore, it’s quite natural that businesses in the ICT industry are and will always be outsourcing many language solutions that help them operate efficiently and expand consistently into new markets across the globe. Let’s dive in to have a look at some of these services. 

1- Content Writing

Before ICT translation, which is vital to the sector, comes the important step of creating the very content that compels, engages, and attracts ICT businesses’ clients. Let’s have a look at some of the top ICT companies. Look, just for example, at such giants as Apple, Samsung Electronics, Intel, IBM, Oracle, América Móvil, Qualcomm. Let’s ask ourselves: How on earth would any of these big brands communicate with their prospective audiences in Khartoum, Baghdad, Fujairah, Jeddah, Cairo, etc.? Won’t they have to create and publish some content in Arabic?!

That’s it! Good product understanding delivers a good customer experience. To acquire and retain clients in every market, an ICT company certainly needs to partner with a professional content marketing agency that is up to the standard of such industry.

2- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Any ICT company has to outsource a professional provider of translation and SEO services that would help them increase their visibility in search results on search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo and others. This would definitely result in more website traffic, more leads, and, unsurprisingly, more revenue.  

3- Localization

Like almost all industries, ICT companies need professional localization services that would adapt their products and messages to multiple local audiences across overseas markets. This language service, known as l10n, incorporates cultural dimensions and pays full attention to local sensitivities. The result would definitely be a product or software program that makes a good impression on a new market by adopting local conventions.

4- Software Localization

Software localization is the language service that software developers need the most! It’s a service that goes beyond just translating interface texts to moving into such essential areas as protecting code, checking the length of display texts, working with text out of context, and resizing dialog elements. The aim is to finally come out with a package ─ comprising documentation, user interfaces, online help, etc. ─ that is available in good time and in multiple languages.

5- Interpreting

It goes without saying that ICT businesses sometimes need to partner with the right language services vendor that would help them make their conferences, negotiations, presentations, discussions and meetings a huge success.

The Challenges Facing ICT Translation

When it comes to translating ICT documents, it isn’t so rosy down the road. Let’s look at some of the challenges, with a view to seeing how we should effectively face them.

In the ICT field, translators face an exploding flood of new terminology every day. So, in each and every case, the translator has to discern if the term or phrase she’s translating has a differently recorded name in other parts of the world. Translation in this sphere incorporates a big deal of searching and researching ─ that actually becomes an integral part of the very act of translation from the source language into the target language.

However, terminology may not be the biggest obstacle. Even though technical ICT documentation is full of terminology, the translator in this sphere should also have overall subject matter expertise in addition to mastery of the relevant ICT jargon.

Finally, let’s admit that even though a certain part of ICT content is terminology, yet the largest part is natural language. So, it is similarly important that translators in this area should be fully aware of the cultural dimension when they translate ICT material. Thus they must translate in a culturally appropriate style that conveys the correct message with full attention to each market’s corresponding cultural nuances.  

Why Torjoman?

There’s consensus in the ICT industry circles that when it comes to ICT translation, accuracy is the primary criterion for choosing the right partner. In fact, this is why Torjoman has been the language services provider of choice for ICT businesses in the Middle East and globally over the past 25 years.

Torjoman takes pride in a professional team of translators who are familiar with the relevant terminology and have long, rock-solid experience in translating all types of ICT documents.

As we leverage the latest technology in translation management systems and translation memories, Torjoman thus ensures that your translated content will always be highly consistent. Besides, we guarantee it’ll also be less expensive and will be delivered much faster.

At Torjoman, with our combination of professional linguists, editors, software gurus, design experts and project managers, we’ve earned a great reputation for translating ICT materials in any format you need.

Should you need to further discuss how we can help your ICT business thrive in overseas markets, contact us today and we will be at your service!