The Guide from MultiLingual Computing & Technology GOING GLOBAL: ASIA #61 Supplement January/February 2004 4 Preparing to Enter the China Markets Terry Shidner 8 Strategies for Introducing Products to Japan Steve Kemper 13 Reengineering Software for Asia Helen Trainor contents contents 15 Chinese-to-Chinese Conversion in a Nutshell Jack Halpern 16 Web Site Translation for Japan Ken F. Sakai 18 Experiences in Marketing MT for Indonesian Helen McKay GETTING GUIDE GUIDE STARTED GETTING GUIDE STARTED GOING GLOBAL: ASIA MultiLingual Computing & Technology Publisher, Editor-in-Chief Donna Parrish Managing Editor Laurel Wagers Translation Department Editor Jim Healey Copy Editor Cecilia Spence Research Jerry Luther, David Shadbolt News Kendra Gray, Becky Bennett ‘tree) ’ Illustrator Doug Jones Production Sandy Compton Photographer Seth Schneider Editorial Board 1-650-966-8468. + Jeff Allen, Henri Broekmate, Bill Hall, pronounced Tow-in Andres Heuberger, Chris Langewis, ( Ken Lunde, John O’Conner, Mandy Pet, Reinhard Schäler Advertising Director Jennifer Del Carlo Advertising Kevin Watson, Bonnie Merrell Webmaster Aric Spence Interns Rael Ammon, Kyle Elsasser Advertising: [email protected] www.multilingual.com/advertising 208-263-8178 Subscriptions, customer service, back issues: [email protected] www.multilingual.com/subscribe 208-263-8178 Submissions: [email protected] Editorial guidelines are available at www.toin-america.com or call us at our American office our or call us at www.toin-america.com www.multilingual.com/editorialWriter Reprints: [email protected] 208-263-8178 a solid partner when it comes to web or software adaptation. or software a solid partner it comes to web when For more information visit This guide is published as a supplement to MultiLingual Computing & Technology, the magazine about language technology, What’s in a word? Regarding Asia, Regarding in a word? What’s the surface language is only of complex cultural differences. Japanese roots and 40 years of experience in bridging cultures make TOIN TOIN of experience roots and 40 years in bridging Japanese cultures make localization, Web globalization and international software development. Adding the Asian perspective MultiLingual Computing, Inc. 319 North First Avenue Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 USA 208-263-8178 • Fax: 208-263-6310 [email protected] www.multilingual.com GETTING GOING GLOBAL: ASIA GUIDE STARTED The Journey to Asia Begins With Careful Study Many guidelines for doing business apply no matter where a company may choose to go, but “going to Asia” presents special challenges. Among these are cultural assump- tions and expectations; languages that may appear to be the same but are significantly different; varied ideograph-based scripts and double-byte encodings; differing ways to deliver a physical product; and the kinds of partnerships and networking necessary in each country to bring a project to fruition. This complex undertaking is as fraught with dangers as any adventure game Web site. But successful navigation translates into real-life international rewards. Any adven- turer, virtual or real-world, knows that nothing helps along the way more than a guide with local knowledge and experience. So, for this supplement we have asked several authors with experience in Asian languages and business to offer their insights into this often delicate process — their stories of safe roads to take and pitfalls to avoid. In his overview article, Terry Shidner describes the historical and cultural context in which a foreign company enters the Chinese business world — a context built in terms not of decades but of centuries. Steve Kemper tells the story of how one US company studied the Japanese mar- ket and adapted its Web-based offering to suit a radically different group of potential customers to ensure success — and describes how others can profit by this example. Helen Trainor explains the linguistic and technical factors that are involved in reengineering a software product for double-byte Asian languages. And Jack Halpern briefly summarizes the complexities of Chinese-to-Chinese (Simplified <> Traditional) character conversion. Ken F. Sakai advises people who do business on the Web regarding when it is desirable to translate a site for Japanese Internet viewers and how to go about it. As Shidner and Kemper point out — and as one would realistically expect — not all of the “tales from the front” are success stories. In an unusual history, Helen McKay describes the hard lessons she and her colleagues learned when their company’s best efforts weren’t enough to guarantee the success of a product for the Indonesian market. Our list of Web resources for planning a foray into the Asian markets was provided by David Fine, president of Manjiro International ([email protected]) with additional input from Jin Kang, marketing manager of E4NET. May your journey be a great success. —Laurel Wagers, Managing Editor Jack Halpern Steve Kemper Ken F. Sakai Terry Shidner Helen Trainor JACK HALPERN is CEO of the Japan-based CJK Dictionary Institute and author of seve- ral comprehensive Japanese and Chinese dictionaries. He can be reached at [email protected] STEVE KEMPER is the managing director of Ion Global in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached at [email protected] HELEN MCKAY is the director of ToggleText, which specializes in the development of MT systems for the Asian market. She can be reached at [email protected] authors authors KEN F. SAKAI is president of Pacific Dreams, Inc., a translation and business consulting company. He can be reached at [email protected] TERRY SHIDNER is an account manager for Moravia Worldwide’s Global Business Services group. He can be reached at [email protected] HELEN TRAINOR is a senior manager at Symbio Group. She can be reached at htrainor @symbio-group.com 3 GETTING GUIDE STARTED GOING GLOBAL: ASIA Since Deng Xiaoping assumed the reins of power in the late 1970s, no country has modernized as fast — or as drastically — as PrPreparingeparing toto EnterEnter China. During the last quarter century, China has transformed from a collective agricultural society to a juggernaut of capitalism, invest- the China Markets ment and high-tech manufacturing. This rise the China Markets from a mainly agrarian economy to one which boasts 200 urban centers with a population of at least a million people each is truly stagger- Terry Shidner ing and unequaled in the history of modern civilization. Coupled with the reunification of Hong Kong and the mainland in 1997 and the nothing new. Those who truly understand Chinese growth has been fueled by a will- growing financial inter-dependency with China realize that the country is now emerg- ingness from the Chinese government to allow Taiwan, China is looming on the horizon as a ing from a 150-year slumber that saw China foreign investment into Chinese enterprises leader in the new world business order. In go from one of the centers of world culture to and the establishment of centers of develop- 2002, China accounted for 16% of the growth a society that had been carved up and exploit- ment for global, multinational corporations. in the world economy, ranking second only to ed by the West. This emergence is merely a Beijing has allowed foreign corporations to the United States. And since 1970, China’s once-proud nation regaining its stride and pump over $450 billion into its economy, which gross domestic product has ballooned from reestablishing its prominence in the world. makes China tied for fifth in total foreign direct $106 billion to a lofty $1.3 trillion, all of which Arguments can be made that the Chinese investment (FDI) behind the United States, provides both optimists and pessimists with empires of the past are much different than United Kingdom, Benelux Economic Union food for thought. As the Asian market, prima- the China of today. The spirit of the Chinese countries and Germany. And according to rily mainland China, continues to open its people, however, has endured through the recently published accounts in Foreign Affairs doors of opportunity to western businesses, good times and the bad times. They are a peo- magazine, China could surpass all but the many will find that their first experience into ple proud of their culture and history and United States in FDI by 2004. This influx of China will be ripe with obstacles and pitfalls. eager to shake off a temporary feeling of inse- investment is also enhanced by cash remit- These difficulties stem from the fact that many curity to once again regain their role as a dom- tances from China’s large expatriate community companies fail to pay proper respect to the inant society. According to a finely written and through the recently reunited Hong Kong intricacies and nuances of this new and article by long-time China watchers Evan S. Special Administrative Region (SAR). emerging market because in China, business is Medeiros and M. Taylor Fravel, a series of While the majority of Chinese investment guided by a culture and history centuries in provocative articles have recently run in major is directed into China, it is also important to the making. This is often overlooked by those Chinese newspapers and journals that advo- note that China, like other Asian nations, has of us from the western world. cate China abandon its victim mentality been investing heavily, not only into other Where many companies have faltered or (shouhaizhe xintai) and instead reaffirm its countries within the region, but also into the have outright failed when approaching China standing in history. This view was endorsed in West.In an attempt to stabilize its national cur- is that they underestimate the market. When 2001 by the former President of China, Jiang rency, China has been buying US dollars en thinking of China, these companies get caught Zemin, who in a speech marking the 80th masse.