Sourcing a Reliable Translation Service Provider

There is free flow of information and resources across the globe today, generating a fresh demand for rendering information, technology and expertise in many different languages professional translation service providers.It is estimated that there are over 4000 known languages spoken in different parts of the world. The free flow of data and resources to even the most remote places, thanks to the ever expanding Internet usage has resulted in whetting the appetite of people to acquire knowledge, expertise and technology in fields that were never open or available to them in the past.If your company is doing business with an overseas client or supplier, your need for translation services may arise frequently. Even otherwise, the need for a good translation may often arise when you least expect it. Whether you're in the business of banking, manufacturing or in the IT sector, there are times when business documents, letters or even operating manuals may have to be translated into English, German, French, Spanish, Mandarin or Japanese, or any one of the known languages depending on where you may be located.A Swiss firm specializing in cosmetic products - made from rare herbs collected from the Swiss Alps - found it fit to hire the services of a translator residing in India to translate their web page content and operating manual from French to English. In another case, a French law firm acting as advisors to a company dealing in real estate development engaged an Asian English speaker to translate their estate development contracts into German, as the financing company had its head quarters in Germany! Thus there are private as well as corporate clients who require translation services from time to time, and they would certainly want to ensure that they are hiring the right company or individual for their translation needs.The following are the key factors that determine a good business translation agency:Credentials: It's important to select a service provider with established credentials. If it's an individual translator, is there anyone you know, who can vouch for the quality of his or her service? If it's a translation service company, check to see if they have been established since long, what are the language pairs they offer, and the kind of industries they cater to. All this information will be available on the company website for sure.Ethics: You can make a cursory check to find out the ethical values the service provider promises to uphold. Maintaining confidentiality of your documents is a very crucial aspect of the job. For instance, you may ascertain whether they provide a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).Expertise: Does your translator or business translation provider have people with subject matter expertise? Mere knowledge of source and target languages will not suffice. For instance, a translator having some knowledge of finance may do well in corporate translation services, but may be all at sea if engaged in translating a treatise on stem cell therapy.Localization: When translating product literature for printing a catalog or brochure, localization is vital to marketing success. Your business translation company must be briefed about the cultural beliefs and preferences of the target audience, and they must be able to provide appropriate localization services when rendering their final translation document. Only through localization can you achieve the right fit for your product in the new area within the framework of local laws and cultural norms, so that your audience will accept your product.