Professional translation software: advantages and limitations

Today's global and multilingual society has brought us head to head with challenges related to language translation. One of the most competitive ways to take on this challenge on different fronts is through the use of professional translation software.

The latest technologies work to make things easier for you, without sacrificing the manual intervention needed to perfect what the machine executed. Below, we go over the advantages and limitations of a software program with these characteristics.

 

Advantages of professional translation software

Speed is one of the most obvious advantages of using software of this type. In fact, in some cases, translation software can perform a simultaneous translation in real time. What's more, it allows you to translate more content for less money, as there is no direct relationship between volume and cost. This is where companies that automate the translation of their texts are able to take advantage of significant cost savings, whether translating legal texts or content for a website. These two advantages bring us to the third: Increased productivity.

Maintaining personal glossaries and dictionaries is a highly valuable corporate asset. This is possible because, at Linguaserve, we have a program that trains itself using the specific materials of each client. Furthermore, we have a database that grows exponentially thanks to the input of validated terminology and revised content. These glossaries are constantly being updated, leaving the exact style and language of each company within reach for consultation.

Lastly, you should be aware of another key advantage: improved fluidity of communication at all levels, thanks to a program that translates any text related to the client company's activity. This makes a company much more competitive within its economic sector and the global market.

 

Limitations of professional translation software

Among the drawbacks of using a program of this type, there are certain technological limitations. Despite each client having their own individual language repository, the machine can make mistakes. However, this is easily solved by subsequent review by a native translator.

By combining these two services, we are able to cancel out this limitation, as professional revision works to rectify any errors made in the initial translation. Here we are referring to non-translatable words such as a person's name, brands, or highly technical terminology. These are revised manually by a professional, who adds these new exceptions to the specific glossary of each client.

The revision and editing process increases the time it takes to complete a translation, as does the prior preparation needed to train the engines that instruct the software. Nevertheless, it increases the quality of the service, meaning these limitations and minor disadvantages are secondary to the advantages of professional translation software.