MadCap Software announced MadCap Lingo, an XML-based, integrated translation memory system and authoring tool, aimed at eliminating the need for file transfers in order to complete translation. Document components, such as tables of content, topics, index keywords, concepts, glossaries, and variables all remain intact throughout the translation and localization process, so there is never a need to recreate them. MadCap Lingo also is integrated with MadCap Flare and MadCap Blaze, and it is Unicode enabled to help documentation professionals deliver a consistent user experience in print, online, and in any language. MadCap Lingo is being announced in conjunction with the new MadCap Analyzer, software that proactively recommends documentation content and design improvements. MadCap Lingo works with MadCap Flare, the company’s native-XML authoring product, and MadCap Blaze, the native-XML tool for publishing long print documents, which will be generally available in early 2008. A user creates a MadCap Lingo project to access the source content in a Flare or Blaze project via a shared file structure. Working through Lingo’s interface, the user accesses and translates the content. Because the content never actually leaves the structure of the original Flare or Blaze project, all the content and formatting is preserved in the translated version. Once a project is translated, it is opened in either Flare or Blaze, which generates the output and facilitates publishing. At the front end of the process, Flare and Blaze can import a range of document types to create the source content. Following translation, the products provide single-source delivery to multiple formats online and off, including the Internet, intranets, CDs, and print. MadCap Lingo is available and is priced at $2,199 per license, but is available at an introductory price of $899 for a limited time. MadCap Lingo also is available on a subscription basis for $649 per year. Fees for support start at $449 per year. http://www.madcapsoftware.com/
Category: Content management & strategy (Page 165 of 479)
This category includes editorial and news blog posts related to content management and content strategy. For older, long form reports, papers, and research on these topics see our Resources page.
Content management is a broad topic that refers to the management of unstructured or semi-structured content as a standalone system or a component of another system. Varieties of content management systems (CMS) include: web content management (WCM), enterprise content management (ECM), component content management (CCM), and digital asset management (DAM) systems. Content management systems are also now widely marketed as Digital Experience Management (DEM or DXM, DXP), and Customer Experience Management (CEM or CXM) systems or platforms, and may include additional marketing technology functions.
Content strategy topics include information architecture, content and information models, content globalization, and localization.
For some historical perspective see:
https://gilbane.com/gilbane-report-vol-8-num-8-what-is-content-management/
IBM (NYSE: IBM) unveiled new software and research aimed at improving the way employees across an organization collaborate in a globally integrated enterprise. The challenges of globalization are forcing companies to become more nimble, using an increasingly geographically-dispersed and virtual workforce to remain competitive. In the world of software development, this means 24×7 collaboration with specialized teams around the globe to pick up where another left off. IBM is also examining how virtual worlds can help software development teams break down the barriers caused by globalization. IBM is announcing it is opening up its development platform based on Web 2.0 technologies for developers to collaborate and contribute to software under development at jazz.net. Jazz.net is an open, commercial community designed to help companies globally and transparently collaborate on the development of Jazz-based technology. Previously only available to IBM customers, academics and partners, Jazz.net is now open to the greater software development community. IBM also announced IBM Rational Team Concert Express, available later this year, which will help small and mid-sized development teams enable real-time collaboration across a geographically dispersed software delivery team. IBM will also offer IBM Rational Team Concert Express free of charge to qualified open source projects and to academic institutions for use in accredited course programs or academic research projects. IBM Rational Team Concert Express beta 2 includes Web dashboards to help software project teams see real-time project status data such as the status of work items and project health. IBM Rational Team Concert Express beta 2 allows software development teams to use DB2 and other databases to host the IBM Rational Team Concert repository. IBM Rational Team Concert Express is based on middleware including IBM WebSphere, IBM Lotus Sametime, Apache Tomcat, Apache Derby and Jabber. To register for the Jazz project or download IBM Rational Team Concert, beta 2, visit http://www.ibm.com/
Globalization is a strategy rather than a project. Global customer experience is a mindset, not a deliverable. In turn, supporting these objectives requires complimentary strategic initiatives driven by subject matter experts that utilize a range of rapidly evolving processes and technologies in innovative ways.
Based on our community discussions, organizations that focus on combining the practices of localization design, content management, and translation management achieve results. And that focus in no way equates to a series of siloed application implementations.
We believe there is no better way to demonstrate this truth than by encouraging collaboration and promoting success stories. Agree? Here’s two opportunities to do so, in the form of a Call for Papers for synergistic events:
Gilbane San Francisco: June 17 – 19, 2008
Localization World Berlin: June 9-11, 2008
Collaboration yields knowledge. Sharing experiences spurs innovation for all organizations. Here’s your chance to contribute — our experience shows that it’s well worth the effort.
SiberLogic announced SiberSafe On-Demand, a monthly subscription approach to XML content management for technical documentation teams who are looking for significant efficiency gains in producing long-lived, complex, evolving content. SiberSafe On-Demand delivers full SiberSafe functionality as an ASP service in a secure data center. Each team has full access/administrative rights to their server for system administration and configuration. SiberSafe On-Demand also includes daily content backups and SiberLogic’s technical support service. SiberSafe On-Demand “out of the box” configuration offers your choice of DTD – DITA, DocBook, or MIL-STD 2361 – with sample templates and stylesheets. Also included are SiberSafe Communicator (our XML authoring tool) and our integrated publishing tool. Alternatively, you can continue to use your own editor, such as XMetaL, Epic, or FrameMaker, or your own publishing tools. SiberSafe On-Demand costs only $799 per month for the first pair of users (one author and one reviewer) and as little as $275 per user monthly for 10+ users. There are no additional upfront costs. Anyone who signs up for SiberSafe On-Demand before the end of January 2008 will receive access for one additional author free of charge for the first year. http://www.siberlogic.com/
NetXposure, Inc. announced the availability of NETXPOSURE 5, a new enterprise digital asset management (DAM) system that combines the flexibility of the Web with the responsiveness of the desktop. Re-architected as a rich Internet application utilizing Adobe AIR and Adobe Flex technologies, NETXPOSURE 5 delivers a user experience that runs identically in all major browsers and operating systems. It also provides real-time, seamless interactivity with digital assets from virtually any application, including built-in integration with Adobe Creative Suite 3. NETXPOSURE 5 helps streamline the creation, management and delivery of marketing assets and brand imagery. New features and capabilities include: Adobe Flex-powered user interface including cascading pull-down menus, slider resizing capabilities, and the ability to visually sort thousands of files; Automatic offline synching capabilities enabled by Adobe AIR, including the ability to drag-and-drop between the DAM repository and desktop applications and bulk upload- and download capabilities; Adobe Creative Suite 3 Connector, an add-on module that transparently links the DAM repository and Creative Suite 3, allowing users to access and interact with NetXposure from within their production applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and others; New support for Digital Negative (DNG) specification; and Enhanced support capabilities for the latest Macintosh, Windows and Linux operating systems. NETXPOSURE 5 is available now. http://www.netx.net
SpringCM announced the availability of SpringCM 4.1, the newest version of the company’s document management and workflow software as a service. This new version includes major updates in search, advanced view and markup, preview mode and electronic signatures. SpringCM’s Electronic Signature feature enables documents to be signed electronically, even by people who are not SpringCM licensees. Documents may be sent for electronic signature with a single click in SpringCM the recipient receives an e-mail containing a link to the document and the steps required to complete the electronic signature. SpringCM now supports CAD, MS Project, Microstation and 85 other drawing, document and imaging formats. Advanced View and Markup expedites the review and comment cycles by extending the annotation capabilities of SpringCM beyond hand-editing printed copies or the “sticky notes” annotation, already available within the system. Areas of concern can be circled, or marked with a variety of “stamps” (like directional arrows and names) and highlight points that need further development. SpringCM’s Document Preview features have been upgraded to better serve collaboration and indexing needs. Lock Zoom enables the user to focus on a fixed area of a document as pages are scrolled. To allow for more horizontal workspace, the left and right panes are now collapsible. The Information Panel buttons are wired with hot keys to further expedite indexing. New collapsible and expandable menu options display only the Advanced Search options that are relevant to specific business needs. SpringCM retains the Advanced Search display options after every modification. Basic, Personal and Account views are provided to introduce a new level of configuration to the Search menu. A selection process is used to include and exclude specific attribute groups in search results. http://www.springcm.com/
Mediasurface (UK, AIM: MSR) announced a new extension to its Morello web content management solution that adds benefits to allowing enterprise users to work together on content creation using MOSS 2007. The new Morello MOSS 2007 Connector makes it easier and quicker to find, organise and publish MOSS generated content through an enterprise web delivery infrastructure on one or more websites, intranets and extranets. Mediasurface addresses this with the new Morello MOSS Connector which integrates MOSS tools with Mediasurface’s Morello enterprise web content management solution. Automated processes keep information synchronized, ensuring that websites always display the very latest, approved version of a document whilst SharePoint users will always have direct access to information captured on the websites. In addition, the Morello MOSS 2007 Connector plugs into the generally available standard collaboration and communication services of SharePoint (called WSS), so there is no technical setup required. Users can collaborate, create and review documents, images and pages using familiar tools such as MS Word and Outlook. The connection to Morello helps ensure users know which MOSS generated content is approved for use, avoiding duplication and speeding up the publishing cycle. http://www.mediasurface.com
When applying the “one word” phrase to translation or localization processes, the “it” can be either accuracy or complete gaffe. Given the velocity of the Internet, an offensive or comical translation of just one word can proliferate faster than the designers of the age-old Faberge commercial could have imagined.
In fact, just one skewed word changes meaning, invites misinterpretation, and erodes quality. One inaccuracy; many consequences. Terminology Management (TM) should be a no-brainer, right? Unfortunately, we’ve seen TM listed toward the bottom of the priority list — or not at all — when discussing imperatives for the global content lifecycle within the content management community.
When I read SDL’s report on the TM benefits realized by the European Institute of Romania (EIR) during their accession process, I thought it was an impressive story. 158,000 pages of translation; 54,000 terms covering more than 8 languages; 23,000 validated terms submitted to the EU’s terminology database, Inter-Active Terminology for Europe (IATE). Hmmm. A collaborative, jointly-managed, and centralized terminology database with more than 8 million terms? Even more impressive.
Intrigue led me to SDL’s Christie Fidura, Senior Product Marketing Manager, which led me to Karl-Johan Lönnroth, the Director General of The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation (DGT). The Faberge commercial in action.
Described as one of the largest translation services in the world, the DGT provides translation services for all 23 of the European Union’s official languages, has a permanent staff of 1,750 linguists and 600 support staff, and currently translates over 1.7 million pages per year. If that’s not impressive enough, my interview with a very cordial Lönnroth provided even more insight in the EU’s commitment to citizen expectations for translated content, the value of TM, and the impact of cross-country collaboration.
Lönnroth began the interview with a simple, but compelling statement: “The support of 23 languages equates to 506 possible language combinations. Managing this is impossible without terminology management.” In managing the DGT as a service provider based on supply and demand, he also noted the continuing rise in expectations for translated content and with it, Web access to that content. Echoing the theme of the Globalization Track at Gilbane Boston 2007, Lönnroth’s message was that EU citizens are less and less tolerant of institutional and legislative information that is not in their native language.
So how does the IATE fit in? Lönnroth sees the multi-year effort as both a government and public service in “reinforcing the EU’s global interest in providing quality translations.” Over the last year, the merger of all European term banks resulted in a remarkable — and free — knowledge repository comprising 50 years of work. The repository is essential for candidate countries seeking accession and faced with the requirement to translate the EU’s Acquis Communautaire into their native language according to mandated deadlines. Such was the case for Romania and Bulgaria, which became Member States on January 1st, 2007.
As the Director-General of the DGT since 2004, Lönnroth is steadfast in promoting the EU principle of “unity in diversity” as well as the fact that multilingualism is essential. His focus on translation management is a critical part of the DGT blueprint for a multilingual European Union.
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