ALPHA IN THE CLOUDS

A new translation system in a cloud environment that allows real-time sharing of translation memories and glossaries among translators, editors and the project manager of a workgroup.

Why we have developed it
The most obvious and immediate benefit for the client is the possibility of a progressive reduction in translation costs. Everything that is translated once is yours forever. This means that what has been translated in the past, even after many years, is not charged a second time. However, what most interests us is that this way of working makes it possible to respond in an effective and simple way to the complex needs of our clients. We often have to handle large volumes of work at very short notice, having to coordinate the translation of a single document or package of documents among four or five translators and editors (see some examples in the Projects section). By sharing Translation Memories and Glossaries in real time, we are able to guarantee uniformity of terminology and style which would otherwise be impossible. On other occasions, it is necessary to use specific terminology that the customer wants to maintain constant over time. This system makes it possible not only to create dedicated glossaries that recreate automatically validated terms for any translator, but also to report any discrepancies.

How it works
Texts are broken down into segments called Translation Units. Once translated, these units are stored in a database (Translation Memory) which is made available in real time to all the translators in a workgroup. During translation, the system constantly consults the memory and when it detects a previously translated Unit, it suggests the translation already in the database. The same applies to terminology glossaries. In fact, during the translation process, it is possible to enter terms of greater relevance or with a high recurrence in the glossary, making them automatically available to the rest of the workgroup. The system continuously scans the document being processed and when it detects terms in the glossary, it suggests the translation. None of this resembles in any way machine translation tools. Translation Memories and Glossaries are compiled by professional translators and subjected to verification and updating by our Project Managers. This is what we mean when we say that we practice a craftsmanship as old as the word itself, skilfully enriched by new technologies.