JAPANtranslation is pleased to announce that our parent company WIP Japan is partnering with SDL International (SDL plc). We’re one of the first SDL LSP Partners in East Asia. The arrangement is a strategic business innovation created by SDL to benefit both SDL and participating language service providers (LSPs) mutually.
We’re “Advantage Plus” partners, one of three options within the LSP Partner Program. Part of that level of participation includes training from SDL on their Global Information Management (GIM) solutions. This enables your agency to offer skillful consulting to your enterprise clients that use SDL’s GIM platform — the SDL Translation Management System application suite, SDL WorldServer, the SDL TeamWorks collaborative workflow environment, etc.
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One major step in developing the translation/localization industry
The Program’s purpose
If you’re working in the translation/localization industry you probably know that SDL’s business can be divided into two main areas — 1) translation, localization, interpretation and content development, and 2) software development, software testing, and promotion of the GIM platform for enterprises. Of course SDL’s departments working together can cross-support a considerable chunk of the translation/localization market internally; but they’re also aware that there are hundreds of other LSPs out there covering the rest of the market. And, as we all know, the rest of the market is gigantic and growing. With a goal to reach out widely and broaden its sales and support network, SDL has been building its various partner programs. One overarching objective of the LSP Partner Program is to increase translation/localization demand globally and, in so doing, contribute to the development of the entire industry. In short, working together to enlarge the market pie is in everyone’s interests.
SDL Certification
If your agency isn’t already participating, you might want to consider becoming an SDL LSP Partner. There are all sorts of benefits. First of all, participating in the Program helps you to keep your company’s SDL Trados expertise up to date. All SDL LSP Partners have their expertise validated by SDL. Your project managers have to pass the SDL Certification Program. And at least one member of your team (at each of your offices) is required to test at the highest level (SDL Level 3 Certified).
When you buy translation from JAPANtranslation, you can rest assured that our SDL Trados expertise is certified.
Other benefits for LSP Partners
You may already know that LSP Partners get discounts on SDL Trados software licenses and support from SDL. In fact, Associate level LSP Partners receive three free licenses for SDL Trados Studio 2009 when signing up. (And Advantage Plus and Premier level LSP Partners receive five!)
But there are broader benefits for LSPs that work together with SDL that you may not notice just by skimming the Program brochure. Participation in the Program gives your agency and SDL the chance to build alliances. Sometimes SDL’s technology division sales staff meet customers who want to buy their products but don’t have contact with translation vendors that can utilize SDL Trados. So it helps their technology division to know reliable vendors to introduce. Naturally their LSP Partners are frequent recipients of these jobs based on a combination of factors — mainly expertise, cost and schedule.
And, further on the topic of alliances…
Collaborative support for your larger enterprise clients
In 2010, large enterprise clients have become more and more savvy about TM technologies. If you have clients with offices spread out around the globe that you know will benefit from working with enterprise-level SDL solutions such as TM Server or MultiTerm Server, as an LSP Partner you can work together with SDL to introduce the right solution to the client. Or if your agency receives an inquiry from a client that’s already using TM Server, for example, you’ll be better equipped as an SDL LSP Partner to support them. It appears that this joint consulting aspect of the Program is going to continue to grow.
As the Program keeps evolving, there’s a lot of information to keep up with. SDL knows this and has been producing webinars that you can participate in live via the web or download and watch later.
If you’re looking for translation support from an LSP Partner in East Asia, feel free to contact me (Lawrence LaFerla)
http://japan-translation.japanese-web.com/about/staff/
More information about the SDL LSP Partner Program
http://www.lspzone.com/en/partners/lsp-partners-overview.asp
SDL LSP Partners group on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2970604
About the author
- Lawrence LaFerla is the division head for JAPANtranslation and blogger in chief at “Marketing on the Japanese web.” He works in sunny Osaka.