 |
wwnavi Top |  |
 |
What is I18N? | |
|
Overview | |
|
Download |
World Wide Navi -- A standard internationalization tool is born!
World Wide Navi (abbreviation: wwnavi) is a software internationalization tool that Business Search Technologies Corporation developed with the latest technology based on its long years of experience.
World Wide Navi analyzes the software's source codes, finds the problems that need to be fixed when making the software internationalized, and indicates how to modify them. Advisory information is also provided. In addition, it counts the number of problems which need to be fixed for estimating development cost, and checks if the important codes for software internationalization exist in the source codes.
>> World Wide Navi Brochure (PDF)
Are you content with localization only?
 |
In the software world, the term "localization" has two different meanings. One is to translate and add language specific components to the software which is already internationalized. The other is to modify software for a specific market directly without internationalization. The latter case is sometimes called direct-localization in order to discriminate between the two cases. The direct-localization to Japanese has been called "Japanization". |
For example, software must be localized into Japanese in order to be sold in Japan. This localization work means to make the software operable in Japanese environment, and cannot usually produce any extra value. That is, most of Japanized software operates only in Japanese environment. Therefore, if you want to sell the software also in Russia, for instance, this time you must localize it into Russian from the beginning.
On the contrary, "internationalization" means to develop versatile programs based on the premise of responsiveness to multiple language environment. If software is internationalized once, it can respond to any new language environment at low cost and create new values. For this reason, it is a highly-effective approach to internationalize software before localizing it into any language.
How can we internationalize software?
Business Search Technologies Corporation developed Software Internationalization Tool World Wide Navi in reply to this question.
Standardization of "software internationalization" has been promoted in various sectors since around 1990, and a method has been established. The method, however, has not been recognized universally yet, software engineers still have to learn about internationalization individually and acquire the method in order to develop software. It is also difficult to find books, materials, or training for studying software internationalization in a systematic manner. Moreover, there is a definite limit to the number of source codes that an engineer can analyze for internationalization manually, even if he/she has acquired knowledge of internationalization.
"World Wide Navi" is a tool which can be used widely by engineers at all levels from programmers with very little knowledge of internationalization to the experts. We hope that as many engineers as possible understand more about software internationalization with the help of "World Wide Navi", and a lot of software competes successfully in global markets.
