ArchiText Announces Solution for Lowering Localization Costs; Globalization Service Improves Content and Heightens Customer Acceptance.

Business/Technology Editors

METHUEN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2001

ArchiText Inc., a language service solutions provider, today announced ABREVE(sm), a service to contain localization costs by effectively reducing the volume of content needed for translation into global markets. The ABREVE solution, which is already being implemented by several Fortune 500 companies, combines human editing and state-of-the-art translation-memory software, which can reduce source text content by 50 percent or more without forfeiting the integrity or significance of the information.

"As globalization becomes a critical, strategic business issue, we believe companies will see the immediate benefits of ABREVE, particularly as it increases sales opportunities and lowers localization costs," said Hans Fenstermacher, founder and president of ArchiText. "Our clients, including Xerox, Motorola, and Kodak have realized that there is a valuable return on investment and that the process pays for itself and then some."

Michael Wilcox, program manager of special projects at Xerox Corporation, is implementing ABREVE into the company's "Smart Move" campaign, a system where content passes through the ABREVE process and is stored in a database for use or reuse.

"Every word we have to translate has a cost associated with it," said Wilcox, who works with the Global Knowledge and Language Services Group that supports all Xerox products including operating manuals, user guides and training programs in up to 26 languages. "Our research showed that if we reduced word count, we would save a lot of money and create greater customer satisfaction. Because of this, we are now beginning the process of certifying our content creators in ABREVE."

Like Xerox, ArchiText has found many Fortune 500 companies are scrutinizing their content creation and translation processes, looking for ways to globalize content while improving quality and saving money on an increasing volume of localization in the age of e-business.

"Within the globalization and localization space, the service opportunity around structuring text and content for optimal accessibility and usability over wireless devices and communications systems will be an increasingly important market space," said Christopher Hoffman, director of IDC's eGlobalization and Localization Services research program. "ArchiText's ABREVE process is targeted squarely at this opportunity, and should serve to raise awareness among senior management of the need to condense text for the wireless world, and consider globalization and localization projects as strategic business initiatives."

ArchiText also offers ABREVE training led by Fenstermacher who speaks six languages and has more than 20 years' experience producing English and multilingual content. In the training sessions, content creators learn how to evaluate and streamline texts with a focus on making them clearer, more consistent and much more concise.

"ArchiText's ABREVE is a succinct method for reducing unneeded, unwanted and confusing text in technical writing," said Cynthia M. Shaler, documentation editor for Minitab, Inc. "Our two days of ABREVE training demonstrated clearly how we can compress and clarify our documents, with benefits not only in English but for localized versions, too. The techniques are easy to learn and immediately usable."

On Thursday, January 18, at the monthly program of the Boston Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), ArchiText's Fenstermacher will join a panel discussion on how better content development and reduced volume can save substantial money and time in the localization process. Entitled "There's a Pony in There Somewhere," this program discusses profiting from waste in the product development cycle and how technical communicators can help transform some of the wasteful processes in the product development cycle to profitable ones. For more information on this program, visit http://www.stc-boston.org.

About ArchiText Inc.

Founded in 1994 by Hans Fenstermacher, ArchiText Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Methuen, Massachusetts. The company offers translation and software localization, as well as globalization and content creation services. ArchiText has pioneered ABREVESM, a global content solution that streamlines and reduces content volume prior to translation while maintaining the integrity of the information. ABREVE saves companies money in localization and ensures clear, concise and consistent communications for all global audiences. For more information about ArchiText and ABREVE, visit www.architext-usa.com.