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Thursday, April 10, 2008

Chief Semiglobalization Officer ™, Anyone?*

OK, been waiting 6 or 7 years for that particular slice of the boloney roll to land in the dirt. Been reviewing the book “Redefining Global Strategies: Crossing Borders in a World Where Differences Still Remain” by Pankaj Ghemawat. 

It’s based on the fact that the world ain’t so “flat” (in the Friedman sense) or “borderless” after all, and that political, cultural, and economic differences abound and will continue to do so for a long time. There’s a lot going in the the book that I’ll cover in the published review in Multilingual.

But is this “semiglobalization” really a revelation to anyone? The people who will read this book will be aware of the semiglobalization (semi? You’re joking) premise already. None of the fancy terminology or models will cut any ice in the boardroom when it comes to obtaining budgets for localization anymore than a PowerPoint slide that says “Pope Not Protestant” and “Bears Spurn J C Decaux Stock Issue”. Does anyone really buy into that EEC/EC/EU old guff about eliminating restrictions on movement of labour and capital and the equalization of taxes and removal of barriers to competition anymore?

Ever tried buying a car in the UK and importing it into the Republic Ireland because it was cheaper to do so? You’re hit with a massive vehicle registration tax by the Irish government. Or try buying an iPhone in the Republic of Ireland and then the same phone 10 yards up the road in Northern Ireland, or in another EU state. Or buying songs from iTunes in different parts of Europe. Consider what’s being revealed by the Tolkienesque Olympic Torch garbage. Or what’s still going on in Balkans. Or what Bono and Bob Geldof are always banging on about.

I was reminded of all this globalization stuff yesterday as my hired car took me to Rajiv Ghandi International Airport in Hyderabad. Passing thousands – and I mean thousands – of people living like dogs on the side of street in cardboard boxes and abandoned earthmover tires is something I’ll bear in mind the next time I’m told the world is “flat”. I’ll remind the source that anyone who calls a spade a spade should be compelled to use one (apologies to Oscar Wilde).

Watch out for my review of Ghemawat’s book in the magazine soon.

* © Copyright 2007, 2008, kisstheblarneystone productions

Friday, March 28, 2008

Basque Language Craiglist On The Way

Craig Newmark from Craigslist tells us that a Basque version is on the way. 

Craigslist is already available with Spanish, French, Canadian French, Portuguese, Italian and German language versions.

As for Klingon...

Friday, March 21, 2008

Localization Project Management Blog Of Interest

I met John White of 1-for-All Marketing Inc , based out of San Diego, at the Localization UnConference. John reminded me about his localization project management blog - he’s been maintaining it for a few years now.

You can check out John’s blog here.

If there are other blogs of interest, then let me know.

Friday, March 14, 2008

The Future For Local Startups Includes Globalization

Great article on TechCrunch called Global Or Die: Is There A Future For Local Startups? by Michael Arrington, featuring his friend Loic who writes about the necessity for startups to avoid the lure of focusing only on local markets. 

If you’re in the Internet business, then there’s some good advice for you. I particularly liked:

Create an application that lets your community translate the site by themselves

the way Facebook translated its site in many languages using an application where members could do inline translation and then vote when there was a discussion on the best term to use. This was a brilliant way to come back with high quality and fast translation. It also helps you have languages you would have not even thought of launching. Do not forget what it takes to maintain them though.

Hat tip: Shawna Wolverton

Friday, December 28, 2007

Why There is No Starbucks in Italy

According to the Financial Times, Starbucks has bowed to the Italian baristi.

This is an interesting case study for students of global business (or people stuck for a blog entry over the holidays.) Starbucks appeared in six more countries this year, including Russia and Egypt, bringing the total to 43 countries. But they have no presence in Djibouti, Mongolia - or Italy, claims the FT. I wonder about this claim. Is there really a Starbucks store in India? I couldn’t find any when I was there.

Anyway, in the case of Italy, it seems that factors like pricing, customer impatience, and obtaining the necessary planning permission for a chain of stores are major factors in keeping Starbucks out. But wait a minute, wouldn’t McDonalds have the similar problems with planning and pricing, and there are plenty of McDonalds er, “restaurants” in Italy selling cheap food and competing with local vendors offering great fare of world renown? I don’t understand the logic here. Plus the Starbucks product line is a lot more diversified than just coffee. There’s got to be some other major factor at play here. According to the FT, Starbucks say the lack of an Italian presence is “more out of humility and respect” and “it’s not for business reasons and Italy is not less of a strategic priority.” I suspect it’s because Starbucks can’t source those tiny little cups with a big enough logo.

Personally, I think Starbucks would do well in Italy - even if its only from tourist business. I’ve always been irritated by those tiny little cups of coffee the Italians drink. For me, if it ain’t in a 20 ounce cup, then it’s not a proper drink. And coffee needs to be drunk sitting down. Can you imagine if the Irish decided that Guinness should be drunk out of tiny little glasses, standing at a bar? Ridiculous.

Oh well, I am off to Firenze shortly to buy shoes, so I shall try and ascertain the opinions of the locals. I’m bringing my 20 oz travel mug with me though.

More: Starbucks Geek (Il weblog per i veri amanti di Starbucks)

Monday, November 19, 2007

China Launches China Cyber Recreation District

China has launched the China Cyber Recreation District (CRD), an ambitious virtual business world akin to SecondLife, in a bid to capitalize on their fantastic economic growth, intending to cater for 150 million Chinese people and companies by 2010. According to the Irish Times (reg. req.), its backers include heavy hitters like Rupert Murdoch.

The CRD web site tells us:

“‘China Virtual Economy District’ it will play the leading role of virtual economy industry in the world. With a series of trading rules and data exchange standards, virtual enterprises with different resources and advantages can cooperate and help each other raising their abilities in doing business. ‘China Virtual Economy District’ creates a wide and whole new platform for traditional enterprises, internet companies and individuals to participate in.”

According to one of the chief scientists behind the project:

"A shirt is $1 when we make it in China. When it goes into a department store in Europe or the USA it will be $20. If we can get more of that $20, and we need to get $4 or $5, then China will be up there with developed countries. We know that $19 goes on design, marketing, advertising, but virtual worlds change that. In the virtual world, population counts for more than in the real world… we will convert the whole nation to virtual commerce so they can be in line with developed countries."

But will it succeed? There are already serious issues with the nature of trust and security that determine consumer’s adoption of Internet transactions, so what challenges must the virtual environment hold in this regard is anyone’s guess. The EU has just launched the “Howard“ online consumer shopping assistant to help address this issue.

And the CRD folks are certainly not doing themselves any favors in addressing concerns over the quality of Chinese products with that dismal translation.

However, it is an interesting development, worth watching closely. On a related subject I’ll be reviewing Ian Bogost‘s impressive exploration of procedural rhetoric and electronic gaming in “Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames “ in a forthcoming issue of Multilingual.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Japan v Google

The Financial Times is reporting that “Tokyo, alarmed by the global dominance of Google and other foreign internet services, is spearheading a project to try to seize the lead in new search technologies for electronic devices.”

Accordingly, partnerships have been fostered by the Japanese government with such players as NTT Data, Toyota InfoTechnology Center, and Toyota Mapmaster as well as NEC, Hitachi and Sony Computer Science Laboratories. A budget of up to Y15bn (120bn USD) has been allocated to the project.

It’s going to be a interesting cultural as well as technological experiment to see if this will work. All the evidence of such attempts to catch US search innovation so far haven’t been anything to write home about. The money might be better spent elsewhere…

Meanwhile, anyone in the San Francisco Bay Area interested in search technology should check out the upcoming IMUG meeting with Peter Linsey of Ask.com called “Challenges of Searching the Global Internet."

Sunday, August 26, 2007

When Monolingual Makes Sense

If you were under the impression that academics know what’s best for business when it comes to the issue of language, then think again says the Financial Times. 

State examination results in the UK show that young people are running for the door when it comes to opting for languages in school, and the business sector supports them:

A survey of leading companies last year by the Association of Graduate Recruiters found the law firms, banks and consumer goods groups involved were more interested in graduates able to work as a team and solve problems. Of the 19 skills surveyed, competence in a foreign tongue was the only one employers deemed unimportant.

This conflicts with the well-worn adage that “foreign” language options in high school and college should always be mandatory and that we all need them, especially if a career in business is desired. And the kicker:

Business knows that if it needs people fluent in both English and Mandarin it will find no shortage in China.

Two points:

1) One of the main drivers for Foreign Direct Investment in Ireland since 1957 has not been the workforce’s proficiency in French, Spanish, or German, but the fact that Irish people spoke English (there are others factors too - check out John O’Hagan’s Economy of Ireland if you are interested). Now, that competitive edge is gone as English becomes a commonly spoken language amongst Europe’s young people in the ever-expanding EU.

2) It justifies my argument for removing the language requirement we often see as “mandatory” or “preferred” for localization project management jobs. Why this obsession with language proficiency for PMs? They’d be better off understanding how technology deals with language if any real value-add is the true goal of this function.

The Irish Government’s concern about Irish students’ lack of interest in technology courses would seem to bear out the UK business argument too.

When it comes to deciding on language options in education, economics should be the main driver.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Microsoft is world's top tech brand

ENN reports that “Microsoft is the most valuable technology brand in the world, according to Business Week magazine’s latest ranking of global brands released Tuesday.”

Just goes to show there’s life in the old dog yet! Never underestimate Microsoft. You can read more of the ENN report here.

(Disclosure: I am a former MS employee, and hold MSFT stock. And proud of it.)

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

The International Power Of a Good Name

Luke Johnson, writing in today’s Financial Times reminds us that “the power of words - how they sound, how they look, what connotations they bring - should never be underestimated.” and goes on to say “the internet has only intensified competition for English (business) names, since domains like dotcom are instantly international.”

In today’s Business Without Borders environment, Johnson reminds us that:

Online search engines have amplified the value of a good name. Every technically literate entrepreneur knows their company’s web address is vital if there are to attract digital traffic.

He cites examples of good globalization friendly names: Viagra, Youtube, and Blackberry, and illustrates how a balance must be struck (Diageo instead of Guinness), and how the dynamics of today’s economy can turn tradition on its head:

Avoid being too precious, obscure or stuffy about names. The French have clung on to their complex system for designating wine, part of the reason they have relentlessly lost export market share to New World rivals. But some growers are beginning to learn: the fastest growing French white in the US is called Fat Bastard Chardonnay.

Funny, I thought it was Scottish...

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Common Sense Advisory Report on European Online Sales : So much for Globalization

Global Watchtower, the Common Sense Advisory blog, carries a posting about a European Parliament report citing European lack of confidence in online sales. Seems the major contributing factor is the difficulty Europeans face in buying goods outside their home countries.

Now, this may seem remarkable to anyone outside the EU, but if you live inside it then you’ll be aware than there are tons (or is it tonnes?) of barriers to free trade and free movement of labor, despite the lofty EU ideals. Try buying a car in the UK and importing it to Ireland, and see how fast the Irish taxman comes a-knockin’ on your door to collect the difference.

I have some recent experience of this myself - a relative in the UK bought me some iTunes song vouchers/coupons as a gift. I live in Ireland. Could I retrieve those songs? No way! You can only buy and download within your country of residence.

I read recently that Apple who now face an European Commission antitrust probe after Brussels issued formal charges alleging that the deals underpinning the sale of music through the hugely popular iTunes platform violated EU competition rules.

The Commission’s main concern is that iTunes’ set-up in the European market prohibits users in one country from downloading music from a website intended to serve another. Its move was triggered by a 2004 complaint from Which?, the UK consumer organisation, criticising the fact that the UK version of iTunes was more expensive than the version in other European markets.

That’s good news, but I guess I’ll be waiting for a while to get those iTunes songs.

Tip to Common Sense Advisory: Forget about the Members of the European Parliament. It’s the European Commission that calls the shots ...

Friday, April 27, 2007

Rupert Murdoch Take on Localization: We Have to Make MySpace a Very Chinese Site

Picked this up from the Financial Times Tech Blog:

MySpace China says no to foreign interference

Mure Dickie tells us:

Local executives will be in full control of MySpace China’s operations, technology development and marketing, insisted CEO Luo Chuan on Thursday, ahead of the launch of a beta test version of the http://www.myspace.cn site.

Wendi Deng (Deng Wen Di), Rupert’s wife, is on the board of MySpace.cn, a board composed entirely of “locals” says Mure.

"I have sent my wife across there because she understands the language.”

Could this be one way of allaying Chinese government fears about “outside” interference, and control over the Internet, as well as a good business strategy? Seems smart. But will it work? There’s been enough problems policing MySpace in any country. Let’s see....

MySpace.cn will also have to compete against social networking sites such as Mop.com and WangYou.com, started by Chinese entrepreneurs, and now with millions of users.

And why all this effort?

China has 137 million people online, and is on track to surpass the United States as the largest online population in two years.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 28-April-2007

More on Google and MySpace in China.

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Blogos covers language through multilinguality and translation, localization and global markets, individual skills and emerging technologies, enablers and barriers, knowledge and speculation.

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• Localization in the Time of Love and Cholera
• Microsoft launches Language Portal
• That Faulty Localization Is a Real Killer: Cell Phones
• Chief Semiglobalization Officer ™, Anyone?*
• Hazaar Fundas of Indian-English
• Misinterpretation Abounds in Irish Court Rooms
• Another Blog of Interest: T&I Business
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• Basque Language Craiglist On The Way
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