Businesses often refer to the challenge of working in a global market place and with industries such as the oil and gas sector expanding in locations as far flung as Azerbaijan, the Far East and South America, it is vital that businesses are able to respond to the demands of operating in multiple countries. When participating in business trips to foreign shores, business representatives often take the trouble to ensure that they are well informed in relation to the etiquette of their host country. According to software solution company, Codify, businesses should also be considering how their software can be developed to handle their changing business requirements as they expand into new markets.
Mark Griffiths, managing director of Codify comments, ìSoftware is a vital component of todayís hectic business world and is generally used by companies on a daily basis to deal with their operational needs. If businesses are working in locations around the globe it is often necessary for the staff, no matter where they are based, to have access to the same software. By using modern programming tools it is entirely possible to develop an application that can automatically present information in the native languages of the end-user, whatever that may be.î
ìSetting up such a localised system is not without challenges,î continues Mark. ìNot only should the software be able to display all labels, text and messages in the native language of the end user but it should also format dates and numbers in line with local conventions. For example, in France it is customary to use a comma in place of a decimal point.
ìThere are also language considerations to be taken into account as well. When searching or sorting data it is necessary to follow the local language conventions, such as in German ëí is sorted with ëaí but in Swedish it would appear at the end of the alphabet after ëzí. Things become more complex in Chinese as there are two sort orders ñ one based on pronunciation and the other on the number of strokes that a character contains. Type setting can also differ, particularly for languages such as Arabic and Hebrew which run from right to left.î
Software programming has progressed considerably over the last decade and the advent of the Microsoft .NET platform has been instrumental in aiding advancement in the area of software localisation. Mark comments, ìThe .NET platform was designed with internationalisation and localisation software issues in mind. By using this technology along with Unicode it has been possible to programme a software application which can adapt to the language and local conventions of the end user.
The software, which will ultimately be used in 80 countries, detects the language that each PC it is installed on is configured to use and will then display the appropriate language on screen. It also detects the local formatting conventions for dates, time and numbers and these too will be automatically followed.î
ìThe availability of such technology is becoming increasingly widespread and consequently this has an impact on price. This means that what would once have been possible but prohibitively expensive is now well within the reach of the companies who are likely to benefit most from having access to localised software applications. Such packages will facilitate working in a global marketplace.î
Codify is a software solution company providing companies with custom software solutions. Codify also support and maintain software solutions on behalf of a wide range of clients. For more information contact Codify on 01224 251166 or visit www.codify.ltd.uk
ëItís a small world after allí - software in a global marketplace
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