SlatorPod

Capping off a hectic week with a Friday 13th special, Florian and Esther unpack the state of the language industry as Coronavirus goes global. From reports of demand surges for video remote interpreting and from some retail and e-commerce customers, to slowdowns in IT, e-learning and multimedia translation requests, how are the world’s language service providers faring in the face of the pandemic? The two discuss localization at asset and wealth management firm Fisher Investments, where the in-house team of five linguists, one project manager and one localization manager have shifted from outsourcing 70% of language tasks to handling more than half internally.Links to the stories discussed in this episode:The State of the Language Industry as Coronavirus Goes Globalhttps://slator.com/industry-news/the-state-of-the-language-industry-as-coronavirus-goes-global/At Fisher Investments, Localization Drives Revenue Through Client Retentionhttps://slator.com/features/at-fisher-investments-localization-drives-revenue-through-client-retention/

Esther gives a short briefing on the AILIA conference she attended in Ottawa last week. The two discuss how the ongoing economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus are impacting the language industry and freelance linguists. They review the ranking of the fastest growing language service providers of 2019 and wonder about a recent RFP published by US Department of Homeland Security, which is looking to procure a quasi-magic translation and interpreting device for less than a million US-Dollars.Links to the stories discussed in this episode:The Slator 2020 Language Service Provider Indexhttps://slator.com/data-research/the-slator-2020-language-service-provider-index/US Coast Guard Opens RFP to Replace ‘Human Translator’ with ‘Portable Translator’https://slator.com/technology/us-coast-guard-opens-rfp-to-replace-human-translator-with-portable-translator/Here Are the 20 Fastest-Growing Language Service Providers of 2019https://slator.com/data-research/here-are-the-20-fastest-growing-language-service-providers-of-2019/

Who came in top? Who grew fastest? Who struggled? Florian and Esther discuss the newly released Slator 2020 Language Service Provider Index (LSPI), featuring 130 language service providers on first release. Breaking down the landscape of providers into four segments: Super Agencies, Leaders, Challengers and Boutiques, the two analyze some of the best performances across each of the categories, and look at factors that influenced growth.The fasting growing segment was the Leaders, at 14.85%, which outpaced growth across the three other segments through a mix of organic and acquisitive growth. Growth across the 130 LSPs who participated in the LSPI was around 15%. Stripping away acquisitions, LSPs are growing in the mid-single digits, Florian estimated.

Florian and Esther share a sneak peak of 2019’s LSP results ahead of publishing the Slator 2020 LSPI next week. Get an exclusive look at the top 10 language service providers by revenue in 2019, as Florian and Esther discuss language industry Super Agencies and Leaders, and reveal which media localizer made it into the top 10 for the first time. What could go wrong? As several US airports have taken to using Google Assistant Interpreter to help foreign travellers interact with airport staff, Florian live-tests the software on air with German to English! See how it fares (and whether Esther understands) as Florian tries out some tourist lingo.Esther talks about Capita plc’s planned sale of its translation and interpreting business (Capita TI), along with eight other “specialized services” businesses, which come with a total price tag of GBP 200m plus for the lot. UK outsourcing giant Capita plc is offloading its sideline translation and interpreting business as part of its efforts to refocus on high-margin digital and software solutions.Florian unpacks the information shared by game localization provider Keywords Studios during its recent Capital Markets event, highlighting how the company plans to use machine translation (through recently acquired KantanMT) for its player support operations. Links to the stories discussed in this episode:Capita Plans to Sell Translation and Interpreting Business, UK Media Reportshttps://slator.com/ma-and-funding/capita-plans-to-sell-translation-and-interpreting-business-uk-media-reports/Keywords Studios Updates Investors on M&A, Media Loc, and an Intriguing Use Case for KantanMThttps://slator.com/financial-results/keywords-studios-updates-investors-on-ma-media-loc-and-an-intriguing-use-case-for-kantanmt/After Watchdog Fine, Norway’s Police Opens Bidding for Nationwide Interpreting Contracthttps://slator.com/demand-drivers/after-watchdog-fine-norways-police-opens-bidding-for-nationwide-interpreting-contract/

SlatorPod #8! Esther shares details about localization at US-based coaching app BetterUp, which works with enterprise customers across 62 countries and 30 languages. BetterUp’s Localization Program Manager, Ella Pętlicka spoke to Slator about localization operations at BetterUp including the Trans-Adaptation workflow — Florian and Esther discuss this and other workflows (e.g., transcreation and linguistic validation) that aim to deliver hyper locale-aware content. Florian runs through the latest financial results for Japan’s largest translation company, Honyaku Center, and unpacks Straker Translations’ recent acquisition of New Zealand’s oldest company, NZTC International. Esther talks about new subtitling standards in Finland that seek to promote consistency across streaming platforms. The two discuss online language provision for Indian languages, and how Oxford Languages (a division of Oxford University Press) is driving better access and experiences for India’s internet users through wordlists, dictionary entries, bilingual lexicons etc. in 12 major Indian languages. Datasets for such low-resource languages can be used to improve machine translation, voice recognition and speech-to-text solutions and more.Links to the stories discussed in this episode:Why BetterUp’s Localization Process Starts at Content Creationhttps://slator.com/features/trans-adaptation-why-betterups-localization-process-starts-at-content-creation/Shares in Japan’s Largest Translation Company Slide on Declining Revenueshttps://slator.com/financial-results/shares-in-japans-largest-translation-company-slide-on-declining-revenues/Straker Translations Pays USD 1.1Million for New Zealand Rival NZTChttps://slator.com/ma-and-funding/straker-translations-pays-usd-1-1-million-for-new-zealand-rival-nztc/Finland Introduces Subtitling Standards for Consistency Across Platformshttps://slator.com/demand-drivers/finland-introduces-subtitling-standards-for-consistency-across-platforms/How Oxford Languages is Transforming Indian Language Internet Users’ Online Experienceshttps://slator.com/sponsored-content/how-oxford-languages-is-transforming-indian-language-internet-users-online-experiences/

Florian talks about DeepL’s claims of making yet another “breakthrough” in what they call “AI translation quality”. Esther unpacks a recent survey of UK gaming professionals by industry association ukie, which finds that localization workers in gaming are better educated, and less depressed and anxious than their counterparts in other functions. According to the survey, game loc professionals are also the most diverse bunch in gaming: if looked at in terms of gender, nationality and ethnicity. Esther and Florian also discuss the Slator Job Index, which rebounded from a dip in January to reach record highs, +9% above the benchmark of July 2018.Florian talks about Straker Translations’ latest quarterly results and how the strategic shift to serving enterprise customers impacts results.Esther shares news of a debate that’s developing in Mexico around the idea of increasing the use of dubbing in Mexican movie theaters. Pro-dubbing campaigners, including voice actors, want all foreign-language films to have dubbed versions. In the other camp, film purists want to protect what they see as the audience’s right to experience film content in its intended form. Lastly, Florian highlights a small acquisition in Switzerland by LSP Apostroph Group, which acquired Swiss rival boutique provider USG - the fourth M&A deal Slator covered in 2020.Links to the stories discussed in this episode:Localization Pros are Best Educated and Least Depressed, UK Gaming Industry Survey Findshttps://slator.com/industry-news/localization-pros-are-best-educated-and-least-depressed-uk-gaming-industry-survey-finds/Slator Job Index Rebounds in February 2020, Hits Record Highhttps://slator.com/industry-news/slator-job-index-rebounds-in-february-2020-hits-record-high/Straker’s Growth Slows as Enterprise Shift Subdues Third Quarter FY 2020 Resultshttps://slator.com/financial-results/strakers-growth-slows-as-enterprise-shift-subdues-third-quarter-fy-2020-results/Pro-dubbing Senator Sparks Debate in Mexico Over Foreign-Language Film Proposalhttps://slator.com/demand-drivers/pro-dubbing-senator-sparks-debate-in-mexico-over-foreign-language-film-proposal/Apostroph Group Tucks in Boutique Language Service Provider USG in Switzerlandhttps://slator.com/ma-and-funding/apostroph-group-tucks-in-boutique-language-service-provider-usg-in-switzerland/

SlatorPod #6! Florian Faes and Esther Bond unpack ASICS’ localization strategy and weigh up the benefits of centralized and local procurement strategies. The two also discuss when to use a vendor-agnostic (pureplay) translation management system (TMS), or one offered by an LSP. Florian analyzes the acquisition of US-based video interpreting provider Stratus Video by healthcare service giant AMN Healthcare for a whopping USD 475m, while Esther shares highlights from the UK Association of Translation Companies (UK ATC)’s newly published manifesto on public sector translation and interpreting. Links to the stories discussed in this episode:How ASICS Runs Localization: Insights on Vendors, Processes, Technologieshttps://slator.com/features/how-asics-runs-localization-insights-on-vendors-processes-technologies/AMN Healthcare to Buy Interpreting Provider Stratus Video for USD 475 Millionhttps://slator.com/ma-and-funding/amn-healthcare-to-buy-interpreting-provider-stratus-video-for-usd-475-million/UK ATC Manifesto Tackles Issues in Public Sector Translation and Interpretinghttps://slator.com/industry-news/uk-atc-manifesto-tackles-issues-in-public-sector-translation-and-interpreting/

SlatorPod #5! Florian Faes and Esther Bond discuss the 1,500-strong interpreter strike in the Netherlands. Florian talks about Amazon’s foray into automatic machine dubbing, which combines machine translation, text-to-speech, and audio rendering models. Esther unpacks the 2019 financial results for two Super Agencies — SDL and TransPerfect. TransPerfect’s acquisition of no less than seven media localizers in 2019 made it the most acquisitive LSP in 2019, just one of a number of highlights Esther shared from the recently released Slator 2019 Language Industry M&A and Funding Report.Links to the stories discussed in this episode:We’re On Strike: Dutch Linguists Oppose the Use of ‘Less Qualified’ Interpretershttps://slator.com/industry-news/were-on-strike-dutch-linguists-oppose-the-use-of-less-qualified-interpreters/Machine Dubbing: Amazon AI Opens New Chapter in Automating Media Localizationhttps://slator.com/technology/machine-dubbing-amazon-ai-opens-new-chapter-in-automating-media-localization/SDL Expects 2019 Revenues of Roughly USD 488mhttps://slator.com/financial-results/sdl-expects-2019-revenues-of-roughly-usd-488m/TransPerfect Revenue Climbs to Record USD 764m in 2019 but Growth Slowshttps://slator.com/financial-results/transperfect-revenue-climbs-to-record-usd-764m-in-2019-but-growth-slows/Slator 2019 Language Industry M&A and Funding Reporthttps://slator.com/data-research/slator-2019-language-industry-ma-and-funding-report/

SlatorPod #4! Florian Faes and Esther Bond discuss South-East Asia streaming joint-venture HOOQ and their localization efforts across a handful of Asian languages. The two also talk about Lionbridge being sued over earn-out payments by the founders of Geotext, a legal translation company they acquired in 2015. Translation scams continue to be a problem with fake translators impersonating real ones. Esther talks about how those scams work and what can be done about it. Finally, the two discuss the ubiquitous “translation earpieces” which apparently were a hot topic at the Consumer Electronic Shows (CES) in Las Vegas.Links to the stories discussed in this episode:Streaming Platform HOOQ Sees ‘Great Return’ on Localization, Sets 100 Originals for 2020 Releasehttps://slator.com/features/streaming-platform-hooq-sees-great-return-on-localization-sets-100-originals-for-2020-release/Here’s What Translator Scammers Were Up to in 2019https://slator.com/industry-news/heres-what-translator-scammers-were-up-to-in-2019/Geotext Founders Sue Lionbridge Over Earn-Out From 2015 Acquisitionhttps://slator.com/industry-news/geotext-founders-sue-lionbridge-over-earn-out-from-2015-acquisition/Subscribe to SlatorSweep and SlatorPro herehttps://slator.com/slator-market-intelligence

SlatorPod #3! Florian Faes and Esther Bond discuss London localization meet-ups, the European Parliament’s giant Translation Directorate’s EUR 60m translation award, Amazon hiring new media localizers, and the scorecard of the handful of publicly listed language service providers. Esther talks about the January reading of the Slator Language Industry Job Index and Florian plucks Amazon’s new batch translation and two other stories featured in this week’s SlatorSweep. Then the two do some crystal ball gazing and make predictions for 2020 language industry M&A and startup funding as well as trends in MT, and talk about their Q1 conference speaking schedule.Links to the stories discussed in this episode:EU Awards EUR 63 Million in Translation Contracts to Kick Off 2020https://slator.com/deal-wins/eu-awards-eur-63-million-in-translation-contracts-to-kick-off-2020/Slator Language Industry Buyer Tracker January 2020https://slator.com/people-moves/slator-language-industry-buyer-tracker-january-2020/Ranking and Analysis: 2019 Full-Year Performance of Listed Language Service Providershttps://slator.com/financial-results/ranking-and-analysis-2019-full-year-performance-of-listed-language-service-providers/Slator Job Index Edges Down Slightly in January 2020https://slator.com/industry-news/slator-job-index-edges-down-slightly-in-january-2020/What It Takes to Be a Lawyer-Linguist at the European Unionhttps://slator.com/features/what-it-takes-to-be-a-lawyer-linguist-at-the-european-union/Subscribe to SlatorSweep and SlatorPro herehttps://slator.com/slator-market-intelligence