Last summer, Lexitech obtained the ISO 18587:2017 certificate for post-editing of machine translations. Through this, we want to signal to our customers and prospects that we have mastered the technology and processes for machine translation. “Good for you,” you may be thinking, “but what does it have to do with me?”

Is machine translation useful for you? We find this out with these 3 questions:

1. What kind of content do you want to have translated and who is it for?

The accuracy and quality you require for translation may vary considerably. For instance, some texts, such as technical manuals or contracts, are the result of long and careful writing and rewriting, – and the translation of these deserves the same level of attention.

Other texts are drafted rapidly and have only limited relevancy, for instance responses and feedback from your customers on social media, which will soon disappear into the void again – and in these situations, machine translations offer significant added value.

2. What technology do we use for machine translation?

When we establish that machine translation can add value, for instance to the turnaround time or the price, the next question is which technology is the most suitable. Everyone is familiar with free online translation machines, but professional and well-trained translation engines work at a totally different level.

We will help you choose the right technology and train the engines. We also naturally ensure that the software is correctly set up and maintained.

3. Is post-editing necessary for machine translation?

Translation engines are actually exceptionally fast, but the output is not free from errors.

That is because the machine does not “understand” the text so the translation needs to be polished to a quality level that we have agreed together.

However, the machine translation may well meet your requirements without any post-editing. The combination of the content of the source text, the intended target audience, and the intended use of the translation (where, when, which medium) help to determine whether post-editing is necessary.

That is why we talk together about your objectives, budget and timing to find the optimum solution.

Are you a little overwhelmed about everything that is involved? No need to worry, we are here to help you.

Contact us
and together we will open up your content to a wider target audience.