SDL Desktop Products, a division of SDL International, the world’s largest provider of language translation software, announced today that it has surpassed the 1500 license mark of its flagship product SDLX into Universities around the world.

 The SDL University Alliance Program is designed to provide academic institutions and students with access to the latest translation and localization technology. Over the last year, the number of Universities joining the program has more than doubled and there are now more than 1500 licenses in classrooms across the globe, with that number expected to double again before the end of 2005.  

“A good practical knowledge of many of the TM tools on the market today benefits students once they graduate and enter the job market,” said Mark Shuttleworth, Senior Lecturer at the Imperial College, London. “We look to send our graduates out in the world fully equipped with the knowledge about TM tools that they will need in order to play an active part in today's translation industry."

"We have seen interest in SDLX climb dramatically in the last year as the preferred translation memory software," said Keith Laska, General Manager of SDL Desktop Products. “As such, an important part of sustaining this leadership position is our ongoing investment in the translation industry at a grass roots level. We believe that to achieve sustainable levels of excellence we need to look at the translators, engineers and project managers of tomorrow and invest in them. Providing support for classroom learning enables students to be well prepared for their careers ahead and exposes them to the latest technologies and standards in the industry, such as XML and TMX*."