I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men and German to my horse. - Charles I, King of Spain (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) (1500–1558). 


Domestic Vendors
Foreign Vendors
In Summary

“All over the world, translation rates vary according to the difficulty in finding qualified translators who are fluent in both the target and source languages, and who are knowledgeable in the subject matter”. 

Domestic Vendors

   Domestic Translators: If you are a newcomer to the international information age process, there are often local vendors available depending upon the size of the market in which you are working. There are certainly a large number of translation vendors doing business in the U.S.A. 

   Accessibility: The closer you are physically to a vendor, the easier it can be to identify a potential vendor, and to conduct business with that vendor. 

   Higher Price: Depending upon your local market, you may pay a higher price for translation work. Domestic translation services often contract resources in your target market, coordinate the project, and then pass the costs on to you. 

   Speed: Most domestic vendors claim to be able to turnaround a medium-sized translation job in two to four weeks. 

Foreign Vendors

   Foreign Translators: If you are more experienced in the international information age process, there are certainly vendors available in most overseas markets. If you work for a larger company, your company’s foreign field offices may be able to facilitate locating a qualified vendor in that field office’s market.

   Not as Accessible: Besides the physical space between you and your vendor, there may be legal and customs barriers. Be sure to know about any laws governing the import and export of technology information of your target market.

   Lower Price: Companies often use foreign labor markets to produce goods to save on labor costs. You can save on overhead if you are willing to take on more of the project management duties.

   Sometimes Speed: Your experiences with timely delivery of the finished translation may vary from country to country, depending upon that country’s customary work ethic.

In summary

   Dollars versus Quality: Your vendor selection may be based upon a business decision. Here are some points to consider.

   Shelf Life: If your translated product is supporting an ever-changing product or technology, it might be better to follow a translation strategy that involves less cost. 

   Profit Margin: Your information product may be supporting a high-volume, high-profit product that requires only the best translation available. 

   Audience Expectations: Audience analysis is important internationally as well as locally. A less than top quality translation may insult some readers in some markets. Then again, some product users in some markets may never refer to the documentation.