In April 2014, The Business Times approached Lingua Technologies International with a list of questions on the state of the Translation Industry here in Singapore. The CEO of Lingua Technologies International replied with a very interesting perspective.
We will be sharing his viewpoints over 3 parts with you.
Part 1
- Has the demand for translation services increased/decreased in recent months or years?
We have seen our sales on a rising trend over the first 3 months of 2014. Traditionally, the periods after Christmas and CNY are quiet. This year seemed a little different.
- Is this demand mostly contained within Singapore or within the region or even globally?
Our sales can come from anywhere but at the moment, local sales is still a major contributor of our total monthly sales.
- Based on your evaluation, what are the possible reasons for the change in demand for translation services?
Generally, translation is and has always been the last thing any business will consider in their global “dominance” plan.It is only when local market, be it pressure from local government or organically from consumers, demand for localized version of their product literature, marketing materials etc, will they embark on the translation route.As such, an increase in the demand for translation services, may somehow be reflective of an increased in trade activities, abide, a late one. Of course, for organisations who are more aware of the impact of localized products and services on their revenue, translation would always be part of their global marketing plan.Unfortunately, these are the minority. Thus requests for translation services into different languages, more than often, come in “fast & furious”.