ABSTRACT
A way to reduce translation costs, as suggested by localization service providers, is using Machine Translation and Translation Memory Software (TMS). Based on experience in editing localized documentation, this study shows some localization pitfalls and their indirect costs. TMS tools reduce some translation costs by identifying and reusing already translated text. Saving 30% of the costs apply to the whole localization cost but exclusively to the translation costs, that is, to 50% of the localization budget. Running a PP only saves translation costs because it translates in only one language and then fixes the bugs before launching the translation in other languages, it also saves a large number of expensive engineering hours. Apart from the translation costs of its site and the pertinent documentation, the ISP was faced with legal costs both in the United States and in Europe, not to mention loss of image.
