Were My Predictions About Europe Right?
by Andrew Joscelyne, 31st December, 2003
Andrew Joscelyne reviews his views at the end of the year
I predicted that the global market for translation in Europe would grow by 10%
Aint wrong, aint right. We just dont know yet.
I predicted that there would naturally be price pressure among big localization buyers.
It was a no-brainer. Moreover, smaller, cheaper vendors have seen an opportunity to cash in with quick fixes. And as always in a downturn, the quality delivered by these corsairs is often beneath contempt.
I predicted the year would show that large-scale users of GILT services would have replaced an obsession with rock bottom prices with a better model of real ROI (return on investment).
Signs are I was wrong about ROI being king. Even the most sophisticated buyers are still working their way up the steep ROI learning curve.
I predicted that more and more independent and small-agency players would invest in productivity technology during 2003.
Well, it would be interesting to know to what extent this truism is really true. By the way, the message to buyers about properly managing and cleaning up their legacy translation memories has not yet sunk in. But tools suppliers report growing sales over the internet.
I predicted that by years end we might even see blueprints for complete translation enterprise resource software emerge.
I fear that blueprints may be an achromatic way of seeing the world through rose-tinted spectacles. Star took its ProActive system off the market, and iLanguage has given up. Which should leave the door wide open for LTC Organiser.
I predicted that large corporate machine translation projects may remain just projects, due to cold feet at the senior management level.
Another no-brainer perhaps. But the need for more customer education in this and other technology areas is patent.
I predicted that 2003 would bring no surprises in the standards area.
But the OASIS international standards consortium launch of the XML.org Focus Area on Localisation to provide domain-specific content on XML standards is most welcome.
Andrew Joscelyn is the European Editor for the Globalization Insider and can be reached at andrewj@NOSPAM.lisa.org.
© 2004, SMP Marketing Sarl. All Rights Reserved.
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