SDL, the leading provider of Global Information Management (GIM) solutions and Language Weaver, a leader in statistically-based automated language translation, today announced a strategic partnership to deliver Language Weaver’s translation software tightly integrated into SDL’s GIM platform and as part of SDL Knowledge-based Translation System® (SDL KbTS™).

SDL customers such as Best Western, CNH, IFS, Renault and RIM have already deployed SDL’s automated translation as part of an enterprise GIM solution for applications such as online support, technical documentation and e-commerce. Translation volumes through SDL Automated Translation Solutions™ grew by 20 percent in 2008. Integrations with terminology, translation memory, translation management and translation editing are essential for successful deployments and SDL will leverage this experience to integrate Language Weaver’s broader language support into SDL’s GIM solutions.

Language Weaver automated translation solutions have been deployed for the enterprise and large web properties to deliver compelling translations of digital content. This partnership will give SDL customers the opportunity to deliver effective communication to customers across many more languages.

The companies announced that the agreement encompasses a number of different applications of automated translation, including:

• Translation of content that is otherwise too expensive or time consuming to translate, such as online support content that re-directs customers from expensive call centers to more cost-effective self-service on the web 

•  Integrating automated translation into the translation process for high-quality technical documentation, taking up to 40 percent of the cost and 50 percent of the time out of the process without sacrificing quality and enabling translation teams to translate more, reduce backlog and serve more markets 

•  Providing ubiquitous access to automated translation, through integration into the industry-standard desktop translation technology, SDL Trados®, and integration into the world’s most popular translation website www.freetranslation.com

SDL Translation Management System™ and www.freetranslation.com will be the first solutions to provide tightly integrated connectors with Language Weaver under this strategic partnership. Integration with SDL Trados and the addition of new language support within SDL Knowledge-based Translation System are planned for the second half of 2009.

“We want to offer our customers the widest possible choice of translation solutions, all integrated into a single managed environment,” said Mark Lancaster, chairman and CEO of SDL. “We consider Language Weaver automated translation solutions to be leading edge and proven, having done extensive tests to validate the technology and translation quality. The partnership will allow our customers to maximize the leverage of previous translations held in translation memory and achieve the best possible quality for automated translation. This offers enterprises new opportunities to drive cost out of global content translation processes, which is particularly important in these tough economic times.”

“SDL has a number of proven solutions and leads the field in getting commercial deployments in place for automated translation, so partnering with SDL, the standard in Global Information Management, is a key step for us,” said Mark Tapling, CEO of Language Weaver. “The integration into SDL GIM solutions removes the complexities of deploying integrated solutions, and makes it easier for customers to leverage existing translation resources and tackle the growing amount of digital content that will never be translated without automation.”

To find out more information on the benefits of the partnership between SDL and Language Weaver and to listen to a podcast on this topic, please go to www.sdl.com/lwsdl.