magazine for international information management news focus strategy solutions business culture community directory 70906 November/ December 2008 The translation market in ten years’ time – a forecast How companies can prepare themselves for the increasing demand for translations Intercultural management at Škoda Auto How the tradition-based car manufacturer maintained its local values while going global Overcoming the global downturn Why the technical communication and language sectors buck the trend Time to Change! SPECIAL OFFER for users of legacy systems crossGrade Across takes care of the migration; Break free from bad compromises and proprietary solutions. call us for details Break free from complicated processes and missing interfaces. $ The time has come to make the break! The time has come to opt for the No. 1 independent technology. 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Phone +1 877 922 7677 [email protected] Across Systems GmbH Phone +49 7248 925 425 The No. 1 independent technology [email protected] for the linguistic supply chain. www.across.net AZ_tcworld_KW26.indd 1 23.06.2008 14:32:48 Uhr imprint editorial publisher TC and more GmbH in collaboration with tekom, Europe’s largest association for technical communication managing director Dr. Michael Fritz Rotebühlstraße 64 70178 Stuttgart These days the historic city of Wi- Organizations will be confronted esbaden will once again become the with an increased amount of docu- ph: +49(0)711-6 57 04-0 fax: +49(0)711-6 57 04-99 arena of an international gathering ments for translation as well as a www.tekom.de of technical communicators, lo- greater number of languages. To [email protected] calization experts and information avoid bottlenecks the author advises managers. The growing number of companies to get prepared early on advertising participants at the tekom Annual for the challenges of the future. Conference and tcworld conference As the creation and translation of TC and more GmbH reflects the health of the industries technical documents are usually not Ursula Wirtz Rotebühlstraße 64 they represent. While many sectors part of a company’s core business, 70178 Stuttgart have been affected by the down- they have become typical areas for ph: +49(0)711-6 57 04-44 turn of the global economy, three outsourcing. However, a successful fax: +49(0)711-6 57 04-99 industry sectors represented at the outsourcing experience requires www.tekom.de conferences have been spared from thorough planning and support. [email protected] any loss: the technical communica- Rob Heemels and Sabine Grosser tion, localization and translation give an overview (page 17). layout industries. Ironically, these three José Gambín and Igor Zubicaray sectors might have even been fueled elucidate the differences between Atelier Schmidt-Römhild by the recession in other industries: US Spanish, Latin American Span- Werner Knopp Mengstraße 16 The worldwide economic downturn ish and the so-called International magazine23522 Lübeck for international information management has proven to many companies how and Neutral Spanish (page 24). ph: +49(0)451-70 31-0 important professional and tailor- Lenka Bilá gives an interesting fax: +49(0)451-70 31-284 made communication really is. insight into the successful manage- www.schmidt-roemhild.de However, while thriving on the ment of Škoda Auto. The Joint Ven- [email protected] abundance of work, these sectors ture partner of German Volkswagen tcworld is published every two are facing a different challenge: The AG has maintained its Czech values months. Subscriptions can lack of skilled workers. and traditions much to the approval be ordered at the publishing Featuring new industry research, of its employees and customers house. For tekom members this issue of our magazine focuses (page 20). the price for the tcworld on the economic developments of For more information regarding the magazine is included in the membership fee. localization, translation and techni- tcworld conference, please refer to cal communication (page 10). our conference preview on page 29. editor On the translation market the We wish you an enjoyable and suc- workload will become even bigger cessful conference! TC and more GmbH over the next years, predicts Astrid Corinna Ritter magazine for international Hager in her article (page14). Corinna Ritter Rotebühlstraße 64 in70178formation Stuttgart management ph: +49(0)711-6 57 04-41 fax: +49(0)711-6 57 04-99 www.tekom.de [email protected] magazine for international information management 3 (FUZPVS GSFF TVCTDSJQUJPO O P X O 'JSTUOBNF :FT *XBOUBGSFFTVCTDSJQUJPOPGUDXPSMEo NBHB[JOFGPSJOUFSOBUJPOBMJOGPSNBUJPONBOBHFNFOU -BTUOBNF 5PSFDFJWFZPVSGSFFTVCTDSJQUJPOPGUDXPSMEQMFBTFmMMJOZPVS $PNQBOZ BEESFTTBOEGBYUIJTGPSNUPUIFOVNCFSCFMPXPSTFOEJUUP UFLPN 3PUFCàIMTUSBF 4UVUUHBSU (FSNBOZ 4USFFU 'BY ;*1$JUZ5PXO $PVOUSZ /PUFUDXPSMEXJMMCFTFOUBTBQSJOUFEFEJUJPO UDXPSMEJTQVCMJTIFEFWFSZUXPNPOUIT &NBJMBEESFTT POMZUPTVCTDSJCFSTJO&VSPQFBOE/PSUI"NFSJDB *GZPVXJTIUPVOTVCTDSJCFQMFBTFNBJMUP 3FBEFSTGSPNPVUTJEFUIFTFSFHJPOTDBOTVCTDSJCF JOGP!UFLPNEF UPPVSUDXPSMEFNBJMOFXTMFUUFSBOESFBEUIF 5FMFQIPOF5FMFGBY POMJOFWFSTJPOPGUIFNBHB[JOF'PSGVSUIFS :PVSQFSTPOBMEBUBXJMMOPUCFQBTTFEPO JOGPSNBUJPOTFFXXXUFLPNEe UPCVTJOFTTQBSUOFSTPSBOZUIJSEQBSUZ 1MFBTFQSPWJEFJOGPSNBUJPOGPSBMMmFMET strategycontent Overcoming the global downturn 6 news solutions While many industries have suffered severe 20 Intercultural management losses in earnings and staff members, the focus at Škoda Auto localization and translation industry as well as the technical communications sector have 10 Overcoming the global marked significant growth. New research downturn business culture reveals interesting facts and figures. 11 Language and localization 24 Spanish for local and global page 10 industry shows robust growth markets Localizing for different Spanish target 13 Technical communication groups sector faces new challenges community strategy 28 International information 14 The translation market in management – a sector with a ten years’ time – a forecast promising future A preview of the tcworld conference 2008 17 Change Management – an underestimated success factor 31 tcworld calendar Enabling a smooth outsourcing project through thorough planning and support 32 directory 3 editorial 3 imprint The translation market in ten years’ time – a forecast The expansion of the EU contributes to the rising volume of documents for translation. How can companies prepare themselves to avoid bottlenecks? page 14 Intercultural manage- ment at Škoda Auto The merger with VW AG confronted Škoda Auto with the challenges of globalization. Today the Czech company has become a glo- bal player while maintaining its local values. page 20 DECEMBER 2008 5 news IT budgets in US more likely to be cut than those in Europe Impact of economic downturn on tech spending varies by region and sector More than 40 percent of large busi- in the global economy, while 24 ment, and leisure industry, where President and Principal Analyst nesses have cut their IT budgets this percent of firms have put discre- only 39 percent of respondents said John C. McCarthy. “With regard to year due to the global economic tionary spending on hold. Twenty- they have had to reduce spending. the services sector, the slowdown slowdown, according to a new sur- eight percent of respondents said IT departments in North America has firms renegotiating rates, being vey by independent research firm the economy has had no impact on have been affected by the econ- more selective in choosing vendors, Forrester Research, Inc.. The For- their IT budgets. omy more than their European and examining spending plans rester Business Data Services report Asked how the economy will affect counterparts: 49 percent of North more thoroughly, but they are still “The State of Enterprise IT Services: IT services spending, 70 percent American firms have cut their IT expecting to pay more for services. 2008” surveyed nearly 950 senior of respondents said they will budgets compared with 31 percent The demand for enterprise IT serv- IT managers across North America likely negotiate lower rates with of respondents in Europe; although ices has not dropped significantly.” and Europe regarding their IT serv- suppliers, and 16 percent said they it should be noted that the Forrester The report also illustrates a number ices spending and overall services have already cut their IT services survey was fielded in Q2 2008 prior of trends regarding the state of strategies and priorities. spending. to the deteriorating economic con- spending on enterprise IT services. The economy’s effect on IT spend- IT departments in the financial ditions in Europe. “The State Of Enterprise IT Serv- ing is evident in some specific data services industry were hit hardest – “This is not an across-the-board ices: 2008” is currently available to points contained in the report: 49 percent of IT shops in the finan- spending slowdown; the impact of Forrester RoleView™ clients and can Forty-three percent of firms have cial services