Localization, Globalization, Internationalization... What Does it Mean?

Localization, globalization, internationalization, translation... All terms and processes that easily create confusion! So what does it all mean?

Let's take the example of a popular North American fast-food chain. It expands and opens new chains worldwide, across Europe, South America, Asia, Australasia... This process is known as globalization.

By thinking ahead, the company plans and creates its products so they can easily be adapted to suit different locales. As part of the expansion, the fast food chain may adapt the menu to cater for differing local tastes or cultural needs. Replacing beef products with chicken or lamb products in Indian countries, or one soft-drink brand with another in others. This process is known as internationalization.

Localization refers to adapting a product or service to a particular language, culture, or other needs of the target market or 'locale'. In the majority of cases, a large part (and cost) of localization involves the translation of content from one language to another.

However, localization is more than just translating text. Other considerations for localization include:

• Ensuring the appropriate regional standards such as measurement terms (metric vs. imperial), Date/Calendar formats (mm/dd/yy vs. dd/mm/yy), paper size (A4 vs. Letter) and so on, are used.
• Including the correct legal requirements in a warranty statement, or the appropriate contact information and telephone number of a technical support department.
• Possibly replacing diagrams or graphics, particularly those that contain text or a screenshot of a differing user interface
• Recognizing any factors that may be specific to a culture or country. Take for example a traffic light (also referred to as a 'stop light'). In the US these lights are red, orange and green. However in Japan, while the colors look the same, they translate to being red, orange and blue...

As you can see, the list goes on. Use the wrong term or the wrong graphic, and your viewers can be left scratching their heads in confusion, or highly offended by your seemingly innocent mistake.