SimulTrans has provided localization services for the telecommunications industry for decades, from the translation of shelves of cellular infrastructure hardware documentation to mobile applications.
SDK Access
SimulTrans is a developer for most common mobile platforms, including Android and iOS. SimulTrans has access to software development kits (SDKs) – a set of software tools used to develop applications, including the development environment, interface builder, and simulators used for testing. With access to the SDKs, SimulTrans has all the tools necessary for engineering and testing localized versions of mobile applications.
Mobile Application Localization Process
The process SimulTrans follows to localize mobile applications is very similar to that of computer applications. The source files they are prepared for translation, translated and reviewed in each target country, and compiled into the application. Next, the translated files are tested thoroughly on the simulator, a phone, or both. Any bugs found are then corrected and the application is put through regression until all errors have been resolved.
Screen Real Estate
One of the greatest challenges posed by the localization of mobile applications is the limited screen real estate. Text expands in many target languages, particularly for shorter segments of text, which can grow even 300%. Localized versions of applications may need to be modified to accommodate the necessary text and commands. SimulTrans finds that developers who follow OS recommendations for an uncluttered and well-organized interface tend to have applications that are easier to localize and more likely to please users.
Images
Another challenge comes from working with images. Mobile applications are often rich in images, many of which contain text. While these are compressed in the PNG format used by development tools, it is helpful for developers to save the uncompressed, layered source files. If the images were developed in Photoshop, Fireworks, or another graphics editing application, retaining the original source format will allow your localization partner to easily modify the text and generate new images for each target language. These localized images may then be processed through the SDK to be compressed and linked to the application.
With accessibility to the various platform SDKs and over 25 years of experience in localization, SimulTrans is fully equipped to handle any mobile application’s localization requirements.
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