Lingotek Ebook 2018
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LINGOTEK EBOOK 2018 How the connector integrates--its features, functions & capabilities-- is the key differentiator between translation technology providers. All translation connectors are not created equal. When exploring the multilingual plugins offered by the Language Services Provider (LSP) for your content management system, remember that it is not only about the platforms it supports, but how well it will integrate with your system. There are several connectors in the marketplace that can help integrate translation with your existing enterprise applications, but finding the best one can be difficult if you aren’t familiar with the features and functions that are available. To find the best fit for your organization, you need to know what to look for. This buyer’s guide reviews what connectors are, why you should use them, and the benefits of a tool that is quite simply, the future of translation. It will highlight the most important functions of connectors and the range of capabilities to help you make an informed decision on an integration that will automate and simplify translation now and well into the future. Translation Connector Buyer’s Guide Page | 1 Table of Contents Connectors 101 3 Apps Supported 4 How Do Connectors Work? 5 Connector Benefits 5 Key Features & Functions 8 Robust Application Interface (API) 8 CMS Integration 9 Multilingual Readiness 9 Cost of Ownership 9 Feature Comparison Table 10 How to Buy Connectors 11 Connector Certification & App Exchanges 11 Conclusion 11 Translation Connector Buyer’s Guide Page | 2 Translation connectors are the linchpin of interoperability between multiple marketing tools, translation and localization, and an agile globalization strategy. Connectors 101 Translation connectors are the link between your content’s native environment and a translation management system (TMS). They are sometimes referred to as translation plugins or integrations. Connectors offer out-of-the-box integration with all of the most popular web applications: CRM, CMS, eCommerce platforms, knowledge bases, product and support documentation, social business software, marketing automation suites, desktop files, and even software. The connector provides access to a TMS to continuously translate and publish multilingual content back into your applications in a single, uninterrupted workflow. As a result, translations are accelerated and the localization of global content becomes faster and more streamlined. Differing levels of integration Connectors provide the link between two integrations, but it’s how they integrate that is a key differentiator. Some connectors are more deeply integrated, like those available for Drupal and WordPress, and actually become part of the UI of the platform when installed. ® Some apps, like Marketo , don’t allow UI integration, so they won’t be as deeply integrated, but it should keep the user as close to that platform’s user experience as possible. A lot of connectors take the user away from the platform so they have to login to a separate system to request translation. Top-tier connectors, however, allow the user to stay within the platform via a browser extension. The browser extension enables one-click translation requests and tracks where the user is within the application. It also is able to display translation status of any content they are viewing in the platform. Is it a connector or just middleware? Many companies claim to have a connector, but in reality they are just offering a middleware solution using a file transfer protocol (FTP) connection. This will not eliminate any of the process management or project management steps in the translation workflow. When some translation technology companies talk about connectors, what they mean is they will push your content to a translation provider, a process that takes your content and puts it in someone else’s hands to control. If the vendor doesn’t have an integration with Adobe CQ or Sitecore, for example, they will offer an integration with Clay Tablet Technologies, a middleware provider that integrates language services providers (LSP) with CMSs. A top-tier connector won’t require the help of a middleware provider like Clay Tablet in order to integrate with your CMS. It will directly integrate its technology and language services with a number of CMS providers, such as Drupal, Oracle WebCenter, Oracle Sites (e.g. FatWire), Microsoft SharePoint, and Atlassian Confluence. Your IT/Dev team will not have to put in extra time, they only have to install and configure the connector and they are done. When researching which Connector is best for your organization, make sure to determine if it is built specifically for each app you use and if the translation vendor will be relying on middleware. Translation Connector Buyer’s Guide Page | 3 Apps Supported Connectors pair with all of the top enterprise applications to automate and integrate translation. ● Customer Engagement ● Desktop Files ● Marketing Automation Platforms ● Desktop Publishing ● Software ● Customer Relationship ● Digital Asset ● Version Control (VCS) Management (CRM) Management (DAM) ● Website Content ● Content Management ● eCommerce Management Systems Systems (CMS) ● Knowledge Bases (WCMS) Translation Connector Buyer’s Guide Page | 4 How Do Connectors Work? Connectors are often called plugins because that’s exactly how they work. Think of a connector as a plug. The prongs are the multilingual API that are needed to integrate with a TMS. In this analogy, the TMS serves as the outlet for creating translation. Together, these parts enable continuous translation that flows, just like electricity, throughout the entire system in a continuous cycle. With a multilingual API, you can easily upload source content for translation, have the content automatically translated, and download the translated content back into the original application. There is no need to switch back and forth between apps, or import and export content. It happens automatically. Multilingual APIs and connector technology combine to round trip translation of your content in a continuous cycle. Connector Benefits Interoperability A single marketing department might have several enterprise applications for email marketing, website, knowledge bases, etc. The average marketer today is using more than 12 different tools. Translation connectors are the linchpin of interoperability between multiple marketing tools, translation and localization, and an agile globalization strategy. Look for a connector that can integrate with the enterprise software tools you use now, or may use in the future. When choosing a translation connector, you need to consider interoperability. According to McKinsey & Company, a lack of integration when building digital ecosystems is one of the biggest reasons why digital transformation strategies fail. Familiar UI Because connectors facilitate translation inside your application, users can work in a familiar user interface (UI). You don’t have to leave a system you’re comfortable with to request translation, which saves your team both--time and money. Translation Connector Buyer’s Guide Page | 5 Centralized Governance & Control Connectors let you centralize your linguistics assets, glossaries and style guides, which gives you greater governance and control. By automatically enforcing the use of keywords, phrases, and sentences, your global content and brand messaging will be more consistent in any language. Connectors give you added control because you own all of your content and your information resides in your system, and not downloaded on an unknown linguist’s server. Ease of Use Connectors are easy and intuitive to use, they are basically plug and play. They offer out-of-the-box integration with all of the popular web applications and let you manage translation without ever leaving your content’s native environment. TMS Integration Top-tier cloud TMSs include a computer-assisted translation (CAT) workbench with project management software, terminology management, TM, spelling, and grammar checks. An industry-leading TMS will also include apps for vendor management, quality evaluation and scoring, and business intelligence as well. Connectors help you automate continuous translation and delivery of multilingual content inside your existing applications. Continuous Delivery Connectors continuously pull, translate, and push content back into your existing application in a single, uninterrupted workflow. They are specifically designed to simplify the continuous global delivery of multilingual content. With connectors, translations are accelerated and the localization of global content becomes faster and more streamlined, helping your enterprise to enter new markets faster. Translation Connector Buyer’s Guide Page | 6 Cost-Efficient TM Leverage The downside to translating the content in several different marketing tools separately is that you can’t take advantage of translation memories (TM). When different departments translate in silos, the enterprise ends up paying for the same translated words over and over again. The integration that translation connectors optimizes localization by centralizing linguistic assets for cost-efficient reuse. Connectors automatically capture, reuse, and recycle translated content, so you only have to pay for new translated terms. Security Centralized file management using connectors ends the unsecured practice of sending confidential content offline to a freelance linguist’s desktop where data theft and security vulnerability