Microsoft Corporation has launched a Local Language Program, a global initiative that fosters the development and proliferation of regional language groups, thus enabling them to preserve and promote their languages and cultures while benefiting from continuing IT advancements.

Through the Local Language Program, local and regional government participants can localise Windows XP Home and Professional and Office 2003 to one language interface through a Language Interface Pack. Language Interface Packs are developed by Microsoft in cooperation with local governments, universities and communities to ensure that the local languages are defined, standardised and agreed on by users of the language, thereby resulting in consistent local terminology across components.

Microsoft has already created a Hindi version of its software and plans to make Windows and Office available in nine other languages spoken in India within a year. In total, Microsoft hopes that Windows will soon be available in 80 tongues, up from 40 at present.

SDL International, a leading provider of translation services and technology solutions, has released its new SDL Knowledge-based Translation (KbT) System. KbT is "the intelligent combination of translation automation software with human translation skills," according to SDL. For the first time, Translation Memory (TM) technology is tightly integrated with terminology extraction and adaptive machine translation to automate the majority of the translation process.

The new KbT System combines five new, or updated, translation automation components in a single, integrated system, namely SDL Enterprise Translation, SDL Enterprise Translation Server, SDL Phrase Finder, SDLWorkFlow and SDL Translation Memory Server. SDL's knowledge-base repository holds translation memories, terminology databases and the adaptive machine translation dictionaries. The KbT System is built on the open standards XML and TMX, which enable it to integrate easily with other existing systems.

CrownPeak Technology, a provider of hosted content management systems, and Lionbridge Technologies, Inc., a provider of solutions for worldwide deployment of technology and content, have entered into an alliance to jointly deliver a content management solution for Lionbridge's language applications.

Under the alliance, CrownPeak clients will be able to outsource the full cycle of content management, content translation and translation publishing. CrownPeak's Advantage CMS, an open system, will connect to the Lionbridge Globalization Platform technologies. The Lionbridge Alliance Program will provide CrownPeak with resources and tools to jointly develop, market, sell and deliver its solutions to global customers.