The Localization Industry Standards Association (LISA)

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The Localization Industry Standards Association (LISA)

By Rebecca Ray
Global Business Editor

rebecca@lisa.org
www.lisa.org

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What is LISA?

Speaking on behalf of the industry, Localization Industry Standards Association (LISA) presents a clear, consistent, unbiased view of the challenges associated with globalization, the standards that apply to the resolution of those challenges, and the worldwide resources available to focus on these issues.

Founded in 1990, LISA is the premier non-profit organization for the GILT (Globalization, Internationalization, Localization, and Translation) business community. Over 400 leading IT manufacturers and services providers, along with industry professionals representing corporations with an international business focus, have helped establish LISA's best practice guidelines and language-technology standards for enterprise globalization. It's the organization to join when you're serious about international business.

LISA serves as a nexus between the many organizations engaged in helping businesses to become global enterprises. This includes customers, governments, technical and industry-specific standards organizations, research and consulting firms, language technology developers and service providers.

Since 1990, the Localization Industry Standards Association has been helping companies enable global business. LISA is the premier not-for-profit organization in the world for individuals, businesses, associations, and standards organizations involved in language and language technology worldwide. LISA brings together IT manufacturers, translation and localization solutions providers, and internationalization professionals, as well as increasing numbers of vertical market corporations with an international business focus in finance, banking, manufacturing, health care, energy and communications.

Together, these entities help LISA establish best practice guidelines and language technology standards for enterprise globalization. LISA offers other services in the form of standards initiatives, Special Interest Groups, conferences and training programs which help companies implement efficient international business models to provide a return on investment for their Globalization, Internationalization, Localization, and Translation (GILT) efforts.

LISA partners and affiliate groups include the International Organization for Standardization (ISO Liaison Category A Members of TC 37 and TC 46), The World Bank, OASIS, IDEAlliance, AIIM, The Advisory Council (TAC), Fort-Ross, €TTEC, the Japan Technical Communicators Association, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the European Union, the Canadian Translation Bureau, TermNet, the American Translators Association (ATA), IWIPS, Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs (FIT), Termium, JETRO, the Institute of Translating and Interpreting (ITI), The Unicode Consortium, OpenI18N, and other professional and trade organizations.

LISA members and co-founders include some of the largest and best-known companies in the world, including Adobe, Avaya, Cisco Systems, CLS Communication, EMC, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Innodata Isogen, Fuji Xerox, Microsoft, Oracle, Nokia, Logitech, SAP, Siebel Systems, Standard Chartered Bank, FileNet, LionBridge Technologies, Lucent, Sun Microsystems, WH&P, PeopleSoft, Philips Medical Systems, Rockwell Automation, The RWS Group, Xerox Corporation and Canon Research, among others.

Why Do the Leading Corporations and Organizations Around the World Support LISA?

LISA has a proven track record of partnership with governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and multinational corporations. LISA helps these bodies implement best practice and language technology standards, while providing them with access to the best independent information about what it takes to manage their multiple language content efficiently to communicate effectively across cultures. LISA has held more than 45 international forums and global strategies summits in Asia, Europe and North America, as well as workshops, executive roundtables, and other events tailored to meet the needs of specific groups or industry segments. LISA's members and partners know that they can come to LISA as an unbiased information resource to learn about the cost factors, technologies and business trends that affect how they do business in an increasingly globalized and integrated world.

What are LISA's values and principles?

LISA seeks to promote the following values in the localization industry and among its members:

Global Responsibility. Companies doing business around the world have a responsibility to respect the nations and cultures with which they do business. Localization provides the means by which companies can enter multiple markets with sensitivity and respect.
Global Entrepreneurship. Globalization allows for the spreading of prosperity across national boundaries and the extension of benefits around the world. By taking a leading role in global entrepreneurship, LISA’s members are in a position to promote the benefits of globalization.
Global Leadership. LISA’s members represent companies taking a lead in global business. LISA members understand the value of global business and localization and are in a position to lead their partners and others into responsible global business practices.
Global Cooperation. LISA promotes cooperation on a global scale, with companies and individuals coming together to work on areas of common interest.

What services does LISA offer?

Services provided by LISA to its members include the following:

International LISA Global Strategy Summits and Forums in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and developing markets throughout the world
Regular LISA Workshops offering hands-on skills training and in-depth discussion for translation tools, Machine Translation, multiple language workflow, L10N, I18N, and project management, plus ongoing industry development programs
A monthly Newsletter with contributions and news from leading industry players and technology developers
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for consultation and work on specific topics like Terminology, Tools Benchmarking, Web support for multiple languages, and Localization Quality Assurance, Education, and Certification
Industry and Member Surveys, plus information from standards bodies and other sources
A Web site of online resources and industry updates with archive services for previous Forums, Presentations, Surveys, and Special Reports
The LISA Directory listing members and industry support groups with www links
Posting of member want ads, member events and training programs, press releases, articles, and white papers

Who Can Join?

Any legal or natural person, association, or organization working directly or indirectly in the facilitation of enterprise globalization and/or multilingual information management in relation to global business transactions, including, but not limited to, automated workflow technologies, product and services internationalization, localization, translation, industry consultation, and related business practices.

How do I get more information?

Further information on LISA services, contact the LISA Secretariat (Domaine en Praël, 1323 Romainmôtier, Switzerland. Tel: +41 24 453 2310, Fax: +41 24 453 2312, E-mail: admin@lisa.org

LISA Information

Reprinted by permission from the Globalization Insider,
Copyright the Localization Industry Standards Association
(Globalization Insider: www.localization.org, LISA: www.lisa.org)
and S.M.P. Marketing Sarl (SMP) 2005