Interpro, Author at Interpro Translation Solutions https://www.interproinc.com/author/interproinc/ Professional Translation Services | World-Class Language Services to Effectively Reach Your Multilingual Audience Mon, 29 Sep 2025 18:42:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.interproinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/cropped-ITS-ball-32x32.png Interpro, Author at Interpro Translation Solutions https://www.interproinc.com/author/interproinc/ 32 32 The Ultimate Guide to the Translation and Localization Process for Businesses https://www.interproinc.com/translation-and-localization-process-for-businesses/ Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:36:27 +0000 https://interprostgstg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=8004 Translation and localization fuel global growth when they’re managed transparently, with human oversight, standards, and rigorous QA. This guide explains Interpro’s process so teams know when to use translation, localization, or transcreation—and what to expect in quality, timelines, and costs. Interpro does not use AI/MT without your explicit approval and always pairs any automation with…

The post The Ultimate Guide to the Translation and Localization Process for Businesses appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
Translation and localization fuel global growth when they’re managed transparently, with human oversight, standards, and rigorous QA. This guide explains Interpro’s process so teams know when to use translation, localization, or transcreation—and what to expect in quality, timelines, and costs. Interpro does not use AI/MT without your explicit approval and always pairs any automation with professional review.

Definition: The translation and localization process for businesses aligns language, culture, and technology—turning source content into market-ready experiences through discovery/scoping, translation, editing, DTP/engineering, linguistic & functional QA, and in-market validation.

What’s the Translation vs. Localization vs. Transcreation Difference?

Translation converts text from one language to another. Localization adapts content to cultural, linguistic, and regulatory norms (currency, images, idioms, formats) so it feels native. Transcreation creatively adapts high-impact messaging (e.g., slogans) to evoke the same intent in another language.

Interpro presents an example at a TedX event - do you translate, localize, or transcreate this image?

Founder Ralph Strozza presents at a TedX event at Northern Illinois University – do you translate, localize or transcreate this marketing campaign ad?

Do You Need Translation, Localization, or Both?

Translation   

The act of conveying meaning from a source text in one language into a target language, preserving the content and intent as faithfully as possible, typically in a written form. It deals with converting words (and structure) without significant change in style, design, or non-textual elements. 

Localization  A broader process that includes translation of textual content, plus adaptation of non-textual elements (images, units, date formats, currencies, layout, possibly UX or UI choices, etc.) to make the product/content feel native to a specific locale (language + region) rather than just translated. It ensures cultural, technical, regulatory, and stylistic appropriateness for that locale. 
Transcreation   A creative adaptation of content where the focus is not just on meaning but also on emotional impact, style, tone, and brand voice. The transcreated version may depart significantly from literal source text in order to evoke the same response in the target audience. It may involve re-writing or re-imagining copy, slogans, taglines, campaigns, etc.

Example: Localizing an eLearning course can involve voiceover, captions, interactive modules, and downloadable workbooks—translated components are reassembled and QA’d into a single seamless experience.

Industries That Rely on Professional Translation & Localization

  • Healthcare/Life Sciences: Regulatory content, patient comms, research.
  • Legal: Contracts, patents, court filings.
  • Manufacturing: Technical manuals, safety instructions, compliance.
  • Technology/Software: UI strings, help centers, apps.
  • eLearning: Multilingual training programs.
  • Retail/eCommerce: Product pages, checkout flows, service scripts.

Why Cultural Adaptation Protects Your Brand

Language is inseparable from culture. Adapting idioms, imagery, color, and symbols prevents misinterpretation and builds trust. Validate with in-market reviewers; follow i18n best practices for formats and directionality (e.g., W3C i18n).

Common Process Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

  • Relying on raw machine translation without human review.
  • Skipping localization for customer-facing content (dates, currency, visuals).
  • Ignoring text expansion and RTL layout needs in UI/UX (e.g., German length, Arabic/Hebrew direction). See NN/g guidance on international usability.
  • Inconsistent terminology; no glossary or style guide.

How Long Does the Process Take?

Timelines depend on length, complexity, language pairs, and QA. A 1,000-word document may take 1–2 business days; multi-language multimedia projects can take weeks. Clear instructions, references, and preferred terminology accelerate delivery.

How Providers Ensure Quality and Accuracy

  • Subject-matter linguists translate into their native language.
  • Editing/proofreading by a second linguist for accuracy & consistency.
  • Translation Memory (TM) reuses approved phrasing across assets.
  • Client feedback loop aligns tone and brand preferences.
  • Final QC (linguistic + functional checks) before delivery.

What Certifications Should You Look For?

Standards help ensure repeatable quality: ISO 17100 (translation services) and ISO 9001 (quality management). In regulated sectors, additional requirements (e.g., HIPAA context for healthcare) may apply.

What’s the Cost of Translation and How Is It Calculated?

Pricing reflects wordcount, language pairs, complexity, turnaround, DTP/engineering, and testing. Web/app and eLearning projects often require custom scoping. TM and consistent governance reduce cost over time by reusing approved content.

However, AI translation is offering new solutions for companies. Talk to Interpro to explore the AI solutions available to you

How Do You Keep Brand Voice Consistent?

Create a multilingual style guide and glossary with do-not-translate terms, approved phrasing, and tone guidance. Ask for a pilot/sample to confirm fit before full rollout. Interpro assigns dedicated linguists who learn your voice over time.

Professional Translation and Localization Matters

High-quality translation and localization expand reach, protect compliance, and improve customer experience. With the right partner and process, your content lands accurately and authentically in every market.

Talk to Interpro about your translation & localization plan.

8 Common Localization Issues

When localizing a translation, there are a number of potential issues that can arise. Interpro has translated over 350 million words for clients, and here are the top 10 common localization issues.

1. Cultural misunderstandings

This is perhaps the most common issue that can occur when localizing a translation. For example, a company that is localizing its website into Spanish might not realize that the word “vaca” means “cow” in Spanish, but it also has a slang meaning that is offensive to women.

2. Grammatical errors

Even if a translator is fluent in the target language, they may not be familiar with the local grammar rules. This can lead to grammatical errors in the localized text.

3. Phrasal idioms

Phrasal idioms are phrases that have a meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the words. For example, the English phrase “break a leg” means “good luck.” If this phrase is translated literally into another language, it will likely not make sense to the target audience.

4. Cultural references 

Cultural references are references to people, places, or events that are specific to a particular culture. If a localized translation contains cultural references that are not familiar to the target audience, it will likely be ignored, create confusion or even offend.

5. Jargon 

Jargon is specialized language that is used by a particular group of people. If a localized translation contains jargon that is not familiar to the target audience, it will likely be confusing or even incomprehensible.

Spelling errors. Even if a translator is careful, they may still make spelling errors in the localized text. This can be especially problematic if the spelling of words is different in the target language.

6. Font issues 

The font used in a localized translation can also be a problem. If the font is not available or designed for a specific language, it may be replaced with a different font that is available or more readable in the target language.

7. Image issues 

Images can also be a problem when localizing a translation. If an image contains text, the text may not be translated correctly. Additionally, the image itself may not be appropriate or relevant for the target audience.

8. Testing issues 

It is important to test the localized translation thoroughly before it is released. This will help to ensure that there are no errors in the text and that the translation is culturally appropriate.

Cost issues. Localization can be a costly process. This is especially true if the translation needs to be done by a professional translator.

Publicly Documented Examples of Localization Errors 

Here are some examples of companies that have had public localization errors:

1. Heineken 

In 2007, Heineken launched a marketing campaign in China that featured the slogan “Heineken refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach.” However, the Chinese translation of the slogan was interpreted as “Heineken opens your legs.” This caused a great deal of controversy and embarrassment for Heineken.

2. Pepsi 

In 1995, Pepsi launched a marketing campaign in China that featured the slogan “Come alive with the Pepsi generation.” However, the Chinese translation of the slogan was “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead.” Many Chinese consumers were deeply confused and upset by this.

3. Google

In 2009, Google launched a new feature for its Translate app that allowed users to translate text by speaking into the app. However, the feature was not well-tested and it caused a great deal of confusion and laughter when it was used to translate English into Spanish. For example, the English phrase “I’m feeling good” was translated into Spanish as “Estoy sintiendo bueno,” which literally means “I’m feeling good,” but it sounds like “I’m feeling a good.”

4. IKEA

In 2004, IKEA launched a children’s desk called “Fartfull.” However, even if in Swedish the word means “full speed”, in English this brought for sure a lot of giggling.

5. HSBC Bank

The company had to invest millions of dollars in a global rebranding after their slogan “Assume nothing” was translated as “Do nothing” in several non-English speaking markets.

6. Microsoft

The German debut of XBOX featured mistranslated store phrases that turned “Save (your progress)” into “Save (your money)” was not quite what players had in mind.

These are just a few examples of the many localization errors that have occurred over the years. By being aware of these potential problems, companies can help to ensure that their localized translations are accurate, culturally appropriate, and free of errors.

Why Localization Matters More Than Ever

Localization is no longer just an optional business strategy. It’s a necessity for reaching diverse audiences. Whether you are:

  • Launching a global marketing campaign that requires cultural adaptation
  • Modifying software to function correctly in multiple regions with technical adaptation
  • Developing digital content that needs full integration with a platform localization strategy

Interpro Translation Solutions ensures that your content is accurate, engaging, and fully functional in any language.

Talk to Interpro about your translation & localization plan.

 

FAQs: Translation and Localization Process for Businesses

How do I decide between translation, localization, and transcreation?

Match approach to risk and intent: translation for accuracy, localization for cultural/UX fit, transcreation for creative impact.

What speeds up timelines without hurting quality?

Finalize source content, provide references and preferred terminology, and plan review windows.

Can machine translation help reduce cost?

It can in low-risk contexts when paired with human post-editing and your approval. Interpro never uses AI/MT without consent.

How do we maintain consistency across languages?

Use a glossary, style guide, and Translation Memory; keep a dedicated linguist team on your account.

What should I budget for beyond translation?

Allow for editing, QA, DTP/engineering, and in-market testing—especially for software/eLearning.

 

Explore Services

Consulting Translation eLearning Video & Multimedia Document

References

W3C Internationalization
Nielsen Norman Group
Snopes
The GuardianMental Floss

The post The Ultimate Guide to the Translation and Localization Process for Businesses appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
Insights from Translating 350 Million Words: Get Started Translating for Your Business https://www.interproinc.com/get-started-translating-for-businesses/ Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:32:25 +0000 https://interprostgstg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=8020 As companies expand into global markets, translating business documents accurately is critical for compliance, brand integrity, and trust. This article highlights the most common types of documents businesses translate, best practices for quality assurance, and how Interpro supports organizations with over 350 million words of experience. Whether it’s legal, technical, or marketing materials—getting started with…

The post Insights from Translating 350 Million Words: Get Started Translating for Your Business appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
As companies expand into global markets, translating business documents accurately is critical for compliance, brand integrity, and trust. This article highlights the most common types of documents businesses translate, best practices for quality assurance, and how Interpro supports organizations with over 350 million words of experience. Whether it’s legal, technical, or marketing materials—getting started with translation is easier when guided by experts.

Interpro has been translating since 1995, and we’ve learned a few things during that time. As businesses expand globally, the need for accurate and professional document translation has never been greater. Whether it’s legal contracts, marketing materials, HR policies, or technical manuals, it’s required that documents are translated with precision to maintain compliance, brand integrity, and effective communication.

Poorly translated documents can lead to legal issues, reputational damage, and loss of trust among international stakeholders. 

But what do you need to know before you begin translation and localization?

This guide explores the most critical business documents that typically require translation, best practices for ensuring quality, and the role of human vs. machine translation in business documentation.

What Types of Business Documents are Usually Translated?

Depending on your individual business model, legal requirements, and needs for internal/external communication, you may need to translate different documents. You can conduct a translation needs assessment to get started figuring out your translation needs.

To help determine which materials should be translated, consider:

  • What key business documents can significantly enhance clarity, support compliance, and improve communication across global markets? Especially when engaging with multilingual stakeholders or operating in regulated environments.
  • Are you legally obligated by your industry or market geography to translate or localize specific materials? (Contracts, compliance policies, privacy agreements, and employment laws, etc.)
  • Product technical documentation such as user manuals, product specifications, and safety instructions.
  • Marketing and branding materials for global markets like brochures, websites, advertisements, and product descriptions.
  • Human resources corporate policies and internal communications: employee handbooks, codes of conduct, and training manuals.
  • Financial documents such as annual reports, investor presentations, and tax filings
  • Medical and life sciences documents like clinical trial reports, patient consent forms, and drug labels.

Companies that operate in international markets should develop a translation strategy that prioritizes which documents need translation based on business objectives, compliance requirements, and customer engagement goals.

We’ll cover some of the most usual questions about common documents to help you get started translating for your business.

How Do I Translate Contracts and Legal Agreements?

Legal translation requires absolute precision to ensure that contracts, agreements, and compliance documents retain their original meaning in every language. A single mistranslation in a contract could result in financial losses, legal disputes, or compliance violations. A mistranslation of a term like “shall” vs. “may”, or “termination” vs. “expiration”, can lead to misinterpretation and breach of contract claims.

Best practices for legal translation include:

  • Using certified legal translators with expertise in international law.
  • Maintaining consistency in terminology with a legal glossary.
  • Ensuring localized legal language to reflect jurisdiction-specific requirements.
  • Implementing a legal review process with in-country legal experts. 
  • Using Translation Memory (TM) tools to ensure consistency across documents.

What’s the Best Way to Translate Technical Documents?

Technical translation requires industry-specific knowledge to ensure that terminology, instructions, and specifications are accurately conveyed. 

Additionally, since technical translation is commonly paired with global operations, this will apply to safety and compliance training, engineering and technical manuals, research papers, IT documentation, and user guides. 

Best practices for technical document translation include:

  • Working with subject matter expert translators who specialize in the industry
  • Using controlled language to ensure clarity and consistency
  • Applying Translation Memory (TM) tools to standardize terminology
  • Incorporating Desktop Publishing (DTP) services to maintain formatting integrity
  • Conducting rigorous quality assurance reviews before publication

For example, a U.S.-based engineering company expanding into the Latin American market may have a need for localized conversions for units of measurement to ensure clarity and usability for regional end users and/or stakeholders.

How Does Translation Impact Patents and Intellectual Property?

Patent translation is one of the most complex and legally sensitive types of translation. Companies seeking to protect intellectual property (IP) across international markets must ensure that patent filings, invention disclosures, and technical drawings are accurately translated. Errors in patent translation can result in legal disputes, loss of patent protection, and intellectual property theft.

Key considerations for patent translation:

  • Using expert patent translators familiar with patent law and technical terminology.
  • Ensuring compliance with international patent offices such as the USPTO, EPO, and WIPO.
  • Maintaining absolute accuracy in descriptions, claims, and legal terminology.

Why Is Marketing Collateral Translation Important for Global Businesses?

Marketing requires localization to ensure that messaging resonates with different cultural audiences. A direct translation of an advertising slogan can result in cultural misinterpretation or offensive messaging in another market.

Best practices for translating marketing materials:

  • Using transcreation to adapt brand messaging without losing impact.
  • Customizing visuals, colors, and images for cultural appropriateness.
  • Ensuring SEO optimization for translated digital content.
  • Maintaining brand tone and style across languages.

For instance, Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan had to be adapted in different markets while preserving its core motivational message. A direct translation wouldn’t have had the same effect, so localized versions were created to resonate with different audiences.

How Do I Maintain Brand Consistency in Translated Documents?

Brand consistency is crucial for global businesses to ensure that their messaging, tone, and values remain intact across languages. This is especially important in marketing, corporate communications, and legal documents.

Strategies to maintain brand consistency include:

  • Developing translation support tools like a glossary or style guide.
  • Using a Translation Memory (TM) database to ensure consistency.
  • Assigning dedicated translators who understand the brand’s voice.
  • Conducting post-translation quality checks and brand alignment reviews.

Companies like Coca-Cola and Apple have strict brand guidelines that ensure their global content remains consistent and culturally relevant in every market.

What Are Best Practices for Translating HR Policies?

HR document translation ensures that workplace policies, employee handbooks, and compliance guidelines are clearly understood by a multilingual workforce. Best practices include:

  • Using legally compliant terminology for workplace regulations
  • Maintaining consistency across all translated HR documents
  • Ensuring accessibility for employees with diverse language needs
  • Adapting policies for cultural and legal differences in each market
  • Conducting internal reviews with HR professionals before distribution

For example, Google operates in over 50 countries, requiring localized HR policies that comply with regional labor laws while maintaining the company’s global HR standards.

Need help with translation for your business?

Investing in professional document translation ensures legal compliance, brand consistency, and effective communication in global markets. Whether translating contracts, marketing materials, technical manuals, or HR policies, businesses must work with experienced language service providers to ensure accuracy, cultural relevance, and regulatory compliance.

Interpro Translation Solutions ensures that your content is accurate, engaging, and fully functional in any language.

Talk to Interpro about your translation & localization plan.

FAQs

What types of business documents need translation?

Common business documents include contracts, HR policies, technical manuals, financial reports, and marketing materials.

Why is legal document translation so critical?

A mistranslated legal contract can cause compliance violations, lawsuits, or financial loss. Accuracy is essential.

How does translation help with patents and intellectual property?

Accurate translation of patents ensures legal protection across global jurisdictions and prevents IP theft.

How do businesses ensure brand consistency across languages?

By using multilingual style guides, glossaries, and Translation Memory, businesses maintain a unified global voice.

Explore Services

Consulting Translation eLearning Video & Multimedia Document

References

USPTO – Patents

European Patent Office (EPO) 

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Nike Global Campaigns

The post Insights from Translating 350 Million Words: Get Started Translating for Your Business appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
The Three Types of Localization (Cultural, Technical, Platform) https://www.interproinc.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-three-types-of-localization/ Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:59:24 +0000 https://interprostgstg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=8011 AI and modern tooling can speed up localization when used transparently between provider and client—and should always be paired with human oversight and ethical practices. This guide explains Interpro’s approach to the three types of localization (cultural, technical, and platform) so you know when each applies, how they work together, and how to avoid common…

The post The Three Types of Localization (Cultural, Technical, Platform) appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
AI and modern tooling can speed up localization when used transparently between provider and client—and should always be paired with human oversight and ethical practices. This guide explains Interpro’s approach to the three types of localization (cultural, technical, and platform) so you know when each applies, how they work together, and how to avoid common risks. Interpro will not use AI for translation unless specifically approved by our clients.

Definition: Localization adapts language, culture, and functionality so your product or content feels native in every market, not merely translated.

Three Types of Localization: Cultural, Technical, and Platform

Localization is more than word-for-word translation. It adapts content to the communication needs of each audience. Based on Interpro’s hands-on experience since 1995, most clients blend three types of localization:

  • Cultural Localization: Tone, imagery, idioms, and messaging align with local customs and expectations.
  • Technical Localization: Formats, inputs, databases, and workflows match regional conventions and constraints.
  • Platform Localization: Full-scale localization for web/apps, video, and eLearning (language + UX + interactivity).

1) Cultural Localization: Aligning with Local Norms and Expectations

Cultural localization ensures content feels native to each audience by adapting language, tone, imagery, and messaging. It’s sometimes called linguistic localization or cultural adaptation.

Key Aspects of Cultural Localization

  • Adjusting tone and formality
  • Replacing idioms, slang, and metaphors that don’t resonate
  • Modifying visuals and colors to avoid cultural missteps
  • Aligning messaging with regional values

Example: McDonald’s Global Menus

American McDonald’s Menu vs Japanese McDonald’s Menu

Global menus adapt to local tastes (e.g., vegetarian items in India, shrimp burgers in Japan, flatbread in the Middle East).

How Interpro Helps with Cultural Localization

We work with you to understand your goals and connect you with in-country translation and creative teams that can help make your marketing campaigns, eLearning courses, and product information resonate with your audience, improving engagement and trust.

2) Technical Localization: Functional Fit for Every Region

Technical localization aligns systems and content with regional conventions so products work as expected.

Key Aspects of Technical Localization

  • Formatting numbers, dates, and currencies (see CLDR)
  • Converting units of measurement
  • Adapting forms, validation, addresses/phone formats
  • Engineering for RTL, encoding, and locale data (see W3C i18n)
Example: Amazon’s Regional Payment Systems

Amazon localizes its checkout experience: U.S. customers use credit cards and PayPal, Indian users rely on Cash on Delivery, and Chinese users use Alipay or WeChat Pay.

Example: Online Form Field Differences

A form built for U.S. ZIP Codes must be updated to accept Canadian Postal Codes. Phone numbers, address formats, and even character count may differ.

How Interpro Helps with Technical Localization

Interpro can manage technical localization for you during the translation process. We ensure your systems and digital tools work seamlessly in each market so that users can input, interact, and engage without friction.

3) Platform Localization: Seamless Digital Experiences Across Languages

Platform localization integrates language, design, and interactivity for multimedia, eLearning, web, and apps.

Key Aspects of Platform Localization

  • Translating and embedding VO, captions, and multimedia
  • Adapting UI/UX and testing layouts, navigation, and formatting
  • Integrating language files with LMS or web systems
  • Supporting RTL and language expansion in design
Example: Netflix’s Global Strategy

Netflix localizes everything, from dubbing by native voice actors to translating UI elements and adjusting content libraries by region. Change the language on your Netflix account to check it out.

Example: Multilingual eLearning

Platform localization ensures voiceovers, quizzes, PDFs, and interactivity are fully functional across languages like Spanish or Arabic.

How Interpro Helps with Platform Localization

Interpro manages platform localization for you as part of our translation services. We specialize in turnkey solutions for eLearning, video and multimedia, managing the entire localization process so your audience receives a seamless experience.

Ready to localize with confidence?

Work with Interpro’s consultative team to scope the right blend of cultural, technical, and platform localization for your goals. We’ll ensure your content resonates, works technically, and delivers seamless digital experiences.

Talk to Interpro about your translation and localization plan.

FAQs: Three Types of Localization

What are the three types of localization?

Cultural, technical, and platform. Cultural ensures resonance; technical ensures formats and systems work; platform ensures full digital experiences feel native.

Why is cultural localization important?

It adapts tone, visuals, and messaging to local norms, reducing risk and improving engagement.

What’s the difference between technical and platform localization?

Technical focuses on functionality (formats, inputs, engineering). Platform spans end-to-end digital experiences across web, apps, video, and eLearning.

How can a business start?

Assess what you’re launching and where; prioritize by risk and impact; engage a provider that covers culture, engineering, and platform QA.

Explore Services

Consulting Translation eLearning Video & Multimedia Document

Resources

W3C i18n
Unicode CLDR
MDN: Localization

The post The Three Types of Localization (Cultural, Technical, Platform) appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
AI Translation in Business: What Leaders Need to Know https://www.interproinc.com/ai-translation-in-business-what-leaders-need-to-know/ Wed, 03 Sep 2025 21:44:14 +0000 https://interprostgstg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=7919 Interpro has been hitting the road, talking to clients and other translation leaders about AI translation in business FAQs. Interpro Founder, Ralph Strozza, shares what everyone wants to know about AI translation. Ralph Strozza is the Founder and Consigliere of Interpro and is a lifelong leader in the translation industry, which includes leadership roles in machine…

The post AI Translation in Business: What Leaders Need to Know appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
Interpro has been hitting the road, talking to clients and other translation leaders about AI translation in business FAQs. Interpro Founder, Ralph Strozza, shares what everyone wants to know about AI translation.

Ralph Strozza is the Founder and Consigliere of Interpro and is a lifelong leader in the translation industry, which includes leadership roles in machine translation and global team management before launching Interpro in 1995. With a career in translation spanning more than 40 years, Ralph’s journey began with a passion for languages evolved into providing consultative global growth advice to companies like Blue Yonder, Zebra Technologies, and Armstrong International.  Today, his decades of experience and deep knowledge of the industry continue to guide the company’s growth of AI translation services. 

Most Common FAQs About AI Translation in Business

Q: How is AI affecting the translation industry?

Ralph: AI in translation isn’t new. I’ve been in the translation game since before Google Translate was even a concept. Machine Translation has been around since the ‘50s. 

It’s impacting our industry considerably, as it is most industries, but is not affecting how we conduct business. We do what we’ve always done: adapt and help people use new technology where and how it makes sense for their specific needs.

So what is new?

👉 Translation as a Feature (TaaF), like in Articulate Storyline and HubSpot.

👉 Saving “up to” 70% of translation costs with the latest cutting-edge tool.

That said, as a multilingual communications leader, you need to be able to navigate the new AI translation landscape professionally and make recommendations to your company. Here’s what you need to know.

 

Q: Has AI really changed translation? Or is it all hype?

Ralph: AI has definitely changed the way translations are processed. And it’s working for a lot of people. The real question is: how can you make AI translation work for your company?

Speed vs. Standards

Translation today is a hybrid sport. Strategic growth is the game, and revenue through multilingual communications is the prize.

The winning playbook? AI technology + human experts = faster translations you can trust. (And sometimes save money. More on that next.)

But speed without standards? That’s a risk you can’t afford to take.

The Ethical AI Translation Framework

👉 Interpro’s Guide to Ethical Use of AI for Translation outlines the core principles we follow to ensure AI-generated translation is used responsibly, effectively, and without compromising quality, security, or cultural relevance. And more importantly, any translation agency worth their salt should be able to speak to these topics.

 

Q: Can AI really save up to 70% on translation costs?

Ralph: Big savings through AI translation is possible, but not always realistic. And certainly not universal. We can’t personally endorse the magic 70% number that some companies promote.

We’re not in the business of inflating numbers just to grab your attention. We’ve seen cost savings hit 50% in the right scenarios and when clients are prepared for the up-front time and financial investments that a successful AI-generated translation process demands.

 

Q: Why isn’t AI translation isn’t a guaranteed cost saver?

Maximizing translation savings with AI requires consideration of the following:

  • Content Type: Structured content saves money, but creative or legal text requires heavy rewriting.
  • Source Quality: Poor grammar or errors in the source drive up post-editing costs.
  • Terminology: Without consistent terms or a glossary, AI may guess wrong, adding rework.
  • Sentence Complexity: Complex sentences confuse AI and increase editing time.
  • Cultural Content: Idioms and metaphors rarely translate well, forcing full rewrites.
  • Formatting: Broken tags or messy formatting reduce AI efficiency.
  • Language Pairs: Mature pairs benefit from AI, but niche or complex languages don’t.

If you’re struggling to understand if and how AI can save you money translating, Interpro offers AI translation consulting. We will only make recommendations that enhance speed, quality, and cost.

 

Q: What should I be asking about AI (but I don’t know what I don’t know)?

Ralph: AI can save money. But the real ROI? Time, efficiency, opportunity.

Let me give you an example:

A while back, we took over a huge 12-month global growth project mid-stream. Another translation vendor had botched the first half of the job. 6 months wasted. But the deadline to expand into the new market didn’t move. Our team reworked all the translation work and delivered before the deadline (on time and done right), but it was a considerable effort.

But if we’d been their first partner equipped with today’s AI tools? 

We could’ve completed that entire project in a month, easy. With quality intact. They could have expanded into the market with 11 extra months to prove ROI, test messaging, and increase revenue.

This is where AI shines: scaling global growth fast. But only if your translator can use it effectively (and can recognize when it doesn’t work).

If you need to enter a new market in 30 days, book an AI consultation to see how we can help you. You no longer have to choose between speed and quality.

 

Q: What should I be doing right now as a multilingual communications leader?

Ralph: I recommend starting with a translation needs assessment. Let’s dive into your people, processes, and problems and see what we can make easier for you.

AI can be an incredibly helpful translation tool. But until you identify your growth goals and challenges, taking next steps can be very difficult.

You can do this internally, or leverage an experienced and ethical team like ours to help. We’ll run discovery calls, audit your technology, content and workflows, and pinpoint:

  • Where your current process is working
  • Where it’s holding you back
  • And where smart use of tech like AI can make a real impact

This isn’t just about translating more. It’s about translating smarter with better tools, clearer processes, and fewer headaches.

(We’re happy to help with that last part.)

👉 Reach out to start your translation assessment.

The post AI Translation in Business: What Leaders Need to Know appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
How to Conduct a Translation Needs Assessment https://www.interproinc.com/how-to-conduct-a-translation-needs-assessment/ Thu, 21 Aug 2025 14:50:06 +0000 https://interprostgstg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=7842 A translation needs assessment helps businesses optimize localization workflows, improve quality, and ensure ROI from translation investments. This guide explains when and why to conduct one, what it includes, and how Interpro supports the process. What Is a Translation Needs Assessment? A translation needs assessment is a structured evaluation of an organization’s current translation and…

The post How to Conduct a Translation Needs Assessment appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
A translation needs assessment helps businesses optimize localization workflows, improve quality, and ensure ROI from translation investments. This guide explains when and why to conduct one, what it includes, and how Interpro supports the process.

What Is a Translation Needs Assessment?

A translation needs assessment is a structured evaluation of an organization’s current translation and localization processes. Its purpose is to identify gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement. For companies translating content across multiple languages, a needs assessment ensures that resources are being used wisely and that the final output supports business goals.

This assessment is not a one-size-fits-all checklist. Instead, it’s a tailored review that takes into account your industry, target markets, content types, and translation history. It lays the foundation for a scalable localization strategy by aligning teams, vendors, technologies, and processes.

In other words, a translation needs assessment helps you go from reactive translation to proactive localization.

Signs You Need a Translation Needs Assessment

How do you know it’s time to assess your translation strategy? Here are a few red flags:

Inconsistent workflows and quality issues

  • Are some documents translated internally while others are outsourced to vendors? 
  • Do different departments follow their own localization processes or apply varying quality standards? 
  • Do you work with different translation teams and are unsure of the translation quality?
  • Are you unsure of how to improve your current translation workflows to help you scale translation efforts?

When workflows are inconsistent across teams, it can lead to a range of issues such as missed deadlines, confusing translations, and increased scope costs. These discrepancies can also dilute your brand voice, confuse end users, and create inefficiencies that are difficult to track or resolve (and make it impossible to get ahead). 

How Interpro Helps: 

Our experts can review your translation process, technology, and linguists and provide actionable advice on how to improve your translation workflows.

The skilled localization experts on the Interpro team can help assist you with any of the questions above and help you establish a unified, transparent localization strategy across departments to align internal teams and external partners.

Difficulty evaluating ROI or translation effectiveness

If you can’t clearly measure whether translation is driving meaningful outcomes (or how much it’s truly costing your organization), you may be missing critical opportunities to optimize both performance and budget. Without visibility into the impact of translation efforts, it becomes difficult to justify investments, prioritize resources, or identify areas for improvement.

A comprehensive needs assessment helps bridge this gap by establishing clear goals and identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your business objectives. These KPIs might include metrics like time-to-market, customer satisfaction scores, engagement rates in localized content, or cost per word across vendors. By tracking these indicators, you can evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of your translation efforts, uncover inefficiencies, and make data-driven decisions that enhance both quality and cost-effectiveness.

Ultimately, a data-informed approach empowers you to treat translation not just as a cost center, but as a strategic asset that supports global growth and customer experience.

How Interpro Helps: 

When reviewing your process, people, and technology, we can provide suggested metrics to track and process improvement opportunities to reduce inefficiencies and maintain consistent translation quality.

Underutilized Translation Technology 

Many organizations invest in powerful localization tools like Trados, Phrase, or develop comprehensive translation memories (TMs), terminology glossaries, and style guides.

But these resources are often underutilized or inconsistently applied across teams and projects. This can lead to duplicated efforts, inconsistent terminology, and missed opportunities for cost savings and quality improvements.

Similarly, AI translation workflows that combine the speed of machine translation with human editing can be highly efficient, but only if editors are trained, quality expectations are clear, and the right content types are selected for automation. 

By identifying gaps in tool usage and workflow alignment, organizations can unlock the full potential of their localization tech stack, improving consistency, reducing turnaround times, and maximizing return on investment.

How Interpro Helps: 

A needs assessment can uncover where these tools are being underused, misused, or where they could deliver greater value. For example, Trados and Phrase offer robust TM and terminology management features, but if teams aren’t aligned on usage protocols or if integrations aren’t optimized, the benefits are diminished. 

Key Components of a Translation Needs Assessment

Vendor performance review

A Vendor Performance Review is a critical step in ensuring your language service providers (LSPs) are aligned with your business goals and translation quality expectations. This process involves a structured evaluation of your current vendors across several key dimensions:

  • Quality: Are the translations accurate, culturally appropriate, and aligned with your brand voice? Are they consistently using your approved terminology, tone, and style guides?
  • Turnaround Time: Are deadlines being met reliably? Are urgent requests handled efficiently without compromising quality?
  • Communication: Is the vendor responsive, proactive, and transparent in their communication? Do they provide clear updates, flag potential issues early, and collaborate effectively with your internal teams?
  • Tool Usage: Are they effectively leveraging your translation memory (TM), glossaries, and preferred platforms like Trados or Phrase? Are they following your MTPE workflows where applicable?
  • Consistency: Are they delivering consistent results across different content types, languages, and projects? Or do you notice variability depending on the translator or project manager?
  • Scalability and Flexibility: Can the vendor scale with your needs as your content volume grows or as you expand into new markets? Are they flexible enough to adapt to evolving requirements?

A thorough review helps you identify high-performing vendors, flag underperformers, and uncover opportunities for process improvements or cost savings. It also opens the door for more strategic partnerships, where vendors become true collaborators in your global content strategy and not just service providers.

How Interpro Helps: 

Interpro has experience building localization workflows for nearly every major platform and professional linguistic teams in 128+ languages. We can help you interview, score, and select the best translation agency for your goals, or provide surveys and quality scoring analyses to review current vendors.

Workflow and process analysis

Taking a detailed look at your translation process from the moment content is created to its final review and approval can reveal hidden inefficiencies that drain both time and resources. 

This kind of analysis often uncovers redundant steps, unclear responsibilities, or manual processes that could be automated. For instance, content might be passed back and forth between departments without a clear owner, or reviewers may be working from outdated versions due to a lack of centralized tools.

Another equally important process to examine is how translation tasks are handed off between teams: 

  • Are source files being prepared in a way that’s compatible with your translation tools?
  • Are translators receiving the context they need to work efficiently and accurately?
  • Are reviewers and approvers looped in at the right stages, or are they brought in too late and causing delays or even rework?

By mapping out these handoffs and identifying where breakdowns occur, you can streamline collaboration, reduce turnaround times, and ensure that everyone involved in the localization process is working from the same playbook. This not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances the overall quality and consistency of your multilingual content.

How Interpro Helps: 

We partner with you to find gaps in your translation workflows and train your team on how to close those gaps. From identifying bottlenecks, to writing localization-friendly source files, and how to QA final translations in a different language, we make sure your team is prepared on handling the localization process.

Technology and tool audit

This step involves a comprehensive evaluation of:

  • your current localization technology stack
  • machine translation engines
  • AI translation tools or translation as a feature (TaaF) tools
  • computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools
  • translation memories (TMs)
  • glossaries
  • content management system (CMS) integrations
  • review and quality assurance processes

The goal is to understand how effectively these tools are supporting your workflows and where they may be introducing unnecessary complexity or inefficiencies.

For example:

  • Are your CAT tools (like Trados or Phrase) fully integrated with your CMS, or are teams manually exporting and importing content? 
  • Are your TMs and glossaries centralized and consistently updated, or are different teams using outdated or conflicting versions? 
  • Are your review platforms intuitive and collaborative, or do they create bottlenecks in the feedback loop?

How Interpro Helps: 

We provide analysis that helps identify:

  • Redundant or underused tools that could be consolidated or retired.
  • Gaps in automation where manual processes could be streamlined.
  • Integration issues that slow down content flow between systems.
  • User adoption challenges, such as lack of training or unclear processes.

By pinpointing which tools are truly adding value and which are causing friction, you can make informed decisions about optimizing your tech stack to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability across your localization program.

Stakeholder interviews and documentation review

Gathering input from key stakeholders is essential for understanding the real-world challenges and inefficiencies within your localization process. To get a complete picture of your needs, collaborate with:

  • technical writers
  • content creators
  • reviewers
  • translators
  • project managers
  • localization engineers

These individuals are closest to the day-to-day operations and can provide valuable insights into what’s working, what’s not, and where improvements are needed. 

For example:

In parallel, reviewing existing documentation (such as brand guidelines, translation style guides, tone-of-voice documents, and workflow SOPs) helps assess how well your current processes support consistency, quality, and scalability. Are these resources up to date? Are they being followed consistently across teams and languages? Are they accessible and easy to use?

This dual approach of combining stakeholder feedback with documentation review provides a holistic view of your localization ecosystem. It helps identify both systemic issues and quick wins, ensuring that your strategy is grounded in real-world needs and aligned with your brand’s standards.

Interpro team meeting reviewing quality standards during a translation needs assessment.

Interpro provides consultative advice to clients over many different growth strategies through language, such as translation needs assessments.

How Interpro Helps: 

Interpro can help you conduct stakeholder interviews and review existing workflow documentation. Let us know how our team can support you

Benefits of Conducting the Assessment

The real value of a translation needs assessment lies in what it unlocks for your business.

Identifying hidden inefficiencies and cost savings

A comprehensive audit of your localization operations can reveal hidden inefficiencies that may be costing your organization time and money. These often include duplicated efforts, such as multiple teams translating the same content independently, or maintaining separate translation memories that aren’t shared across departments. It can also uncover outdated tools that no longer integrate well with your current systems, or lack the automation features needed to support modern workflows.

Additionally, many teams still rely on manual processes (like copy-pasting content between systems, or tracking terminology in spreadsheets) that could be streamlined or fully automated using integrated platforms and workflow tools. These inefficiencies not only slow down delivery but also increase the risk of errors and inconsistencies.

Aligning localization efforts with business objectives

With a clear understanding of your translation landscape including tools, workflows, stakeholder needs, and vendor performance, you can better align your localization strategy with your broader business objectives. This alignment ensures that translation is not just a support function, but a strategic enabler of growth and efficiency.

Examples of localization strategy for business growth:

  • Entering new markets: If your company is expanding into Latin America or Southeast Asia, a well-aligned translation strategy ensures that product documentation, marketing materials, and customer support content are localized accurately and are culturally adapted. This helps build trust with new audiences and accelerates market entry.
  • Improving customer experience: For global customers, accessing content in their native language (whether it’s onboarding guides, FAQs, or in-app messages) can significantly improve satisfaction and reduce support tickets. A consistent translation process ensures that messaging is clear, helpful, and aligned with your brand voice across all touchpoints.
  • Supporting multilingual staff: In organizations with a diverse workforce, translating internal communications, training materials, and HR policies helps ensure inclusivity, compliance, and employee engagement. A streamlined translation process ensures that all employees receive timely and accurate information, regardless of language.

By aligning your translation efforts with these kinds of strategic goals, you can demonstrate clear ROI, improve operational efficiency, and deliver a more cohesive global experience for both customers and employees.

Setting measurable KPIs and quality standards

A needs assessment helps transform vague perceptions of translation performance into clear, measurable benchmarks that can be tracked and acted upon. 

Rather than relying on anecdotal feedback or gut feelings, you gain concrete data points that reflect how well your localization efforts are functioning. We recommend tracking these benchmarks:

  • turnaround times
  • cost efficiency
  • review accuracy
  • user satisfaction

These KPIs become essential tools for guiding strategic decisions. They allow you to monitor progress over time, identify areas for improvement, and demonstrate the tangible value of your translation program to stakeholders. With this clarity, you can shift from reactive problem-solving to proactive optimization, ensuring that your localization efforts are not only efficient but also aligned with broader business goals.

Common Translation Needs Assessment FAQs

What is a translation needs assessment?

It’s a systematic evaluation of your translation and localization practices, aimed at improving efficiency, consistency, and ROI.

How do we know if our current process is working?

If you’re experiencing delays, quality issues, or confusion about how translation decisions are made, it’s time for a review.

What should be included in the assessment?

A vendor review, workflow analysis, tech audit, and stakeholder feedback are essential. You should also assess terminology management, project scoping, and quality control processes.

How long does the assessment take?

This depends on your organization’s size and complexity, but most assessments can be completed in a few weeks with the right partner.

Will the results justify the investment?

Yes. Clients often realize cost savings, faster delivery times, and higher translation quality after implementing recommendations.

Interpro’s Approach to Conduct A Translation Needs Assessment

At Interpro, we take a consultative approach to translation needs assessments. Here’s how we support our clients:

Tailored assessments by industry

Whether you operate in healthcare, education, manufacturing, or the nonprofit sector, Interpro Translation Solutions customizes every assessment to reflect the unique demands of your industry. 

We understand that each field comes with its own specialized terminology, compliance standards, and audience expectations. For example:

By aligning our assessments with your industry’s language, regulatory landscape, and user needs, we help you deliver high-quality, impactful content across every market you serve.

Get an end-to-end evaluation of systems, vendors, and workflows.

Work with our team to go far beyond surface-level analysis. We take a deep dive into how translation fits into your broader content ecosystem and provide consultative advice. We examine not just the words on the page, but how our team can support your brand, user experience, and global communication goals. 

Our assessments are comprehensive, evaluating every stage of the localization workflow, from initial file preparation and content formatting to translator handoffs, in-context reviews, and final quality assurance. We look at how content flows between systems, how teams collaborate, and where friction points may be slowing you down or compromising quality. By understanding the full lifecycle of your content, we help you build a translation process that’s not only accurate and efficient, but also fully aligned with your strategic objectives.

Actionable roadmap for scalable localization success

After conducting a thorough assessment, we provide a prioritized, actionable roadmap designed to elevate your localization program. This plan goes beyond general recommendations; it’s tailored to your specific goals, challenges, and infrastructure. We outline which improvements will have the greatest impact and in what order they should be tackled for maximum efficiency.

Our action plan may include tool recommendations such as:

  • Adopting or optimizing translation technology like CAT tools, translation management systems, glossaries, or style guides.
  • Implementing internal client reviews (ICRs) and quality scoring.
  • Developing processes that streamline workflows to eliminate bottlenecks, reduce manual effort, and enhance collaboration between teams.
  • Formulating content development approaches for source language files.
  • Monitoring vendor performance with strategic evaluation for partner consolidation or diversification to ensure quality and scalability.
  • Defining key performance indicators (KPIs) like turnaround time, cost-per-word, or quality scores so you can track improvements and demonstrate ROI over time.

We equip you with a clear, strategic path forward: one that transforms insights into measurable results.

For example, when SEIU 775 Benefits Group needed to streamline multilingual caregiver training, Interpro developed an integrated localization strategy and training bootcamp for their team that now supports over 9,000 ESL caregivers with accurate, culturally-relevant content. Our partnership included not only translation, but glossary development, DTP, and continuous process improvement.

Start Your Translation Needs Assessment

Meet with our team to discover our service solutions and how we can help support you in building a translation workflow that can scale with your business’ operations.

If you’re managing translation across departments or languages and wondering how to improve, a translation needs assessment is the right place to start. It gives you the data, clarity, and direction needed to build a smart, scalable localization strategy.

Whether you’re refining your current approach or building one from scratch, we’re here to help you achieve better results across every language and market.

The post How to Conduct a Translation Needs Assessment appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
AI in Translation: Interpro’s Consent-First Policy for Quality, Privacy, and Transparency https://www.interproinc.com/interpros-ai-translation-policy-for-ethical-transparent-use/ Mon, 18 Aug 2025 14:50:04 +0000 https://interprostgstg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=7839 AI can enhance the efficiency of translation workflows when included as part of a transparent strategy between translation provider and client, and paired with human oversight and ethical practices. This article outlines Interpro’s approach to translating with AI to keep our clients informed of its advantages and disadvantages.  Interpro will not use AI for translation…

The post AI in Translation: Interpro’s Consent-First Policy for Quality, Privacy, and Transparency appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
AI can enhance the efficiency of translation workflows when included as part of a transparent strategy between translation provider and client, and paired with human oversight and ethical practices. This article outlines Interpro’s approach to translating with AI to keep our clients informed of its advantages and disadvantages.  Interpro will not use AI for translation unless specifically approved for use by our clients.

AI Translation is Changing the Industry

Artificial intelligence is transforming the translation industry. While machine translation tools have been around since the 1950s, more modern technology, such as DeepL, are increasingly becoming part of daily business workflows. For companies aiming to scale multilingual content quickly and affordably, AI offers a tempting promise: speed, accessibility, and cost savings. But this efficiency comes with caveats. 

Teams are all asking the same questions about AI translation:

  • Do we still need human translators?
  • Will AI translation affect pricing?
  • How do I know if AI was used to translate my content?
  • What are the risks of using AI for translation?
  • Can I opt out of AI translation?
  • How can we take advantage of AI translation but make sure it’s accurate?

Jump to:

Without consultative expertise and human linguistic oversight, AI translations can easily compromise brand integrity, introduce errors, or expose organizations to legal risk. As demand for AI-assisted translation grows, so does the need for transparency from your translation service provider to disclose when AI is used in translation, ensure the translation output is of high-quality, and that it reflects the original message intent.

Definition: An ethical AI translation policy is a consent-first, transparent approach that discloses when AI will be used, protects data privacy, and requires human review to ensure linguistic quality and brand integrity.

Why transparency matters now:

Clients deserve to know when AI is in the loop, what it will do, and how their data will be protected. Risk-based adoption and clear disclosure align with global guidance on trustworthy AI and transparency obligations (e.g., EU AI Act Article 50; NIST AI RMF). Interpro’s stance is simple: no AI without consent, ever.

Interpro’s Ethical AI Translation Policy (what it means in practice)

Read Interpro’s complete AI translation policy, but here’s what it means:

Informed consent & disclosure

  • We discuss AI options during intake and document your decision. No AI is used without your written approval.
  • We specify scope (content types, languages, risk level) and expected review steps.

Human-in-the-loop (MTPE)

  • Our professional linguists post-edit any AI output to ensure accuracy, fluency, tone, and brand voice.
  • We make recommendations based on the AI services to build a responsible workflow by knowing when AI fits (and when it doesn’t).

Data protection & platform selection

  • We only use professional translation tools for security and protection of your private materials; we do not send confidential data to public models.
  • Translators are evaluated for security certifications and data handling (e.g., ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2; HIPAA when applicable)
  • We log consent decisions, system choices, and QA outcomes for auditability.

Mitigating AI Translation Risk: How to Choose an Ethical Partner

If you’re seeking to implement AI translation into your localization workflow, consider the following risks of using AI for translation, and ensure your provider meets your expectations.

Transparency

Clients and internal stakeholders should always be informed when AI is part of the translation process. Transparency builds trust and sets realistic expectations for quality, especially when AI output is enhanced by human post-editing. 

We’ve seen time and time again that AI is appropriate for some things and not for others. Some content types, such as those found in technical documents, do very well with AI translation. A translation partner like Interpro will be able to provide recommendations on when AI translation is a cost or time-efficient solution.

How do I know if AI was used to translate?

It can be difficult to know if AI was used to produce a translation, especially if you don’t speak the native language. It is much easier and more important to work with a language partner that is transparent and discloses their AI translation policy before work begins.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Professional translation agencies should protect sensitive, proprietary, and confidential content and only translate using secure, controlled AI models within a closed-loop workflow.

Interpro only uses industry standard AI translation technology that keeps your confidential information secure. Our team operates as if we are under an NDA, even if there is not one in place, and that extends to our AI translation technology too.

We don’t ever recommend placing confidential, proprietary, or sensitive information into a public AI model. Translating with AI platforms like ChatGPT may result in your information being saved for model improvement unless data-sharing is explicitly disabled. For regulated industries this can introduce compliance risks. 

Machine Translation Post Editing (Human Linguist Review)

AI is not a replacement for professional translation. Rather, it is a tool that can support the work of expert linguists. Human-in-the-loop workflows are essential for:

  • Cultural nuance: AI doesn’t fully grasp idiomatic expressions, regional sensitivities, or audience expectations the way a trained linguist does.
  • Accuracy: AI may often translate basic terms incorrectly particularly in technical, medical, or legal contexts.
  • Consistency: Training AI models on specific terminology across documents and campaigns.

At Interpro, every project involving AI includes thorough machine translation post-editing (MTPE) by professional, human linguists.

Our team evaluates raw machine output for meaning, fluency, tone, and brand voice. MTPE corrects errors and enhances clarity. We also apply domain-specific knowledge to ensure the final translation is not just technically correct, but formatted for your file type or platform.

Do I need human translators?

The role of the professional human translator is shifting, but professional experts who can manage the AI translation process are still critical.

AI Translation Pricing

One of the most common reasons organizations explore AI-assisted translation is price. And it’s true: under the right circumstances, AI translation can reduce costs. But understanding when and where those savings actually apply is key.

At Interpro, we’ve seen that long-term translation strategies have always offered clients meaningful cost savings. These efficiencies have been a hallmark of professional translation services for decades. Strategic partnership paired with AI translation workflows generally results in cost savings that compounds over time. 

AI-assisted translation can be a great fit and cost-effective choice for many industries, content types, or languages. Our team will help you navigate your AI service options to make the best quality and cost effective solution.

At Interpro, our goal is to help you make informed decisions to help you choose the right translation service for your project. We’ll show you when AI translation offers real savings and when a traditional approach is a better investment. And as always, we’ll help you plan ahead to make your long-term translation strategy more cost-effective.

Brand Alignment

Language is an extension of your brand. AI doesn’t know your company’s style guide, tone, or preferred terminology. Without strategic guidance, AI-generated content can dilute your message or offend in a different language.

Best Practices for Brand Alignment when using AI:
  • Use custom glossaries and style guides to inform AI prompts.
  • Train the AI technology to generate translations that require less human-review over time.
  • Implement a review process that includes brand managers and native speaker reviewers.

Interpro supports clients by offering translation glossary and style guide development to support voice consistency, even when AI tools are used in the translation workflow. 

AI and Sustainability

To support AI translation services, Interpro uses industry-standard AI translation technology. AI has made translation workflows faster and more scalable, but it also raises important questions about energy consumption and sustainability. At Interpro, we occasionally receive inquiries about the environmental impact of using AI translation tools. While we are not an authority on AI sustainability research, we understand that this is an emerging area of concern for responsible businesses. 

Some developers of machine translation (MT) engines, which are distinct from large language models (LLMs) or emerging small language models (SLMs), have begun taking steps toward more sustainable practices. You can learn more directly from these translation technology providers about how they’re addressing energy use and environmental impact:

Setting Up a Responsible AI Translation Workflow

To responsibly integrate AI into your translation process, follow these steps:

  1. Identify content type and risk level: Use AI for non-sensitive, high-volume, low-risk content
  2. Configure secure AI tools: Use private NMTs or local deployments to protect data
  3. Train the AI on your terminology: Incorporate glossaries and TMs into prompts
  4. Apply professional post-editing: Use expert linguists to edit and review the machine output
  5. Quality Assurance: Ensure translation accuracy, nuance, and compliance
  6. Stay updated on AI regulations: Monitor evolving legal standards around AI and data usage.
Interpro’s team of experts can help you choose AI language services based on your challenges:
  • AI Translation delivers fast, cost-effective translations using advanced artificial intelligence while maintaining high linguistic quality.
  • AI Translation Consulting provides expert guidance on integrating AI-powered translation solutions into your business processes for maximum efficiency.
  • AI Multimedia Localization adapts audio, video, and interactive content for global audiences using AI-enhanced tools and workflows.
  • AI Event Interpreting enables real-time multilingual communication at events through AI-driven interpreting technology and professional oversight.
  • Machine Translation Post Editing refines AI-generated translations through expert human editing to ensure accuracy, tone, and cultural relevance.

Need help implementing AI for translation?

Set up a reliable, ethical AI translation workflow with Interpro here to guide you. Schedule a consultation today to start translating smarter.

As a consultative translation partner, Interpro has guided organizations across industries (including healthcare, education, and nonprofit associations) through the complexities of integrating AI into their translation workflows.

FAQs: Ethical AI in translation

Will Interpro ever use AI without my approval?

No. We only use AI after you opt in and the scope is documented.

How do you protect confidential content?

We avoid public models for sensitive data and use secure, access-controlled systems with strong vendor due-diligence.

Why keep humans in the loop?

Professional linguists ensure accuracy, cultural nuance, and brand voice especially for technical or high-stakes content.

Which standards guide your approach?

We align with ISO 17100 for translation quality processes; consider ISO/IEC 27001 and SOC 2 for security; and follow HIPAA where applicable. We also track EU AI Act transparency duties and NIST’s AI RMF for risk management.

Resources:
EU AI Act transparency ·
NIST AI RMF ·
ISO 17100 ·
ISO/IEC 27001 ·
SOC 2 ·
HIPAA Privacy Rule

Explore services: Translation · Consulting · Document · eLearning · Video & Multimedia

The post AI in Translation: Interpro’s Consent-First Policy for Quality, Privacy, and Transparency appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
Interpro’s Company History: The Stories Behind Our 30-Year Legacy https://www.interproinc.com/interpro-company-history/ Fri, 15 Aug 2025 20:01:03 +0000 https://interprostgstg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=7782 To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Interpro Translation Solutions reflects on three decades of growth powered by innovative people on a mission to make a global impact. From humble beginnings in a Chicago basement to becoming a trusted multilingual partner for international brands, this article highlights key milestones, employee stories, and the legacy that made Interpro…

The post Interpro’s Company History: The Stories Behind Our 30-Year Legacy appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Interpro Translation Solutions reflects on three decades of growth powered by innovative people on a mission to make a global impact. From humble beginnings in a Chicago basement to becoming a trusted multilingual partner for international brands, this article highlights key milestones, employee stories, and the legacy that made Interpro what it is today. 

Before the Beginning: A Founder’s Introduction

From Chicago to Italy, Switzerland to Argentina, Interpro’s story has always been global.

While sorting through old files, Ralph Strozza found memories. Among the clutter was a commencement program from his graduation at Northwestern University, a business plan scribbled with guesses, and the story of how Interpro came to be

“It’s incredible to look back and see how much we’ve grown in 30 years. You never know when you’ll stumble across something that still holds value, like the dream that started it all. Tucked between expired passports and old policies was the blueprint of a dream that somehow became a 30-year legacy.”

— Ralph Strozza, Interpro’s Founder

Here’s to looking back on the 30 years of becoming Interpro, and to the many milestones ahead.

Image of Interpro’s Original Business Plan for Translation Services in 1995

From Ralph: “Shown above is page 10 of the Business Plan I developed, dated August 22, 1994. The cover of the Plan was for Global Translation (GLOBTRAN), but as you can see, there were other names I was bouncing around: Technology Translation Group (TTG), DigiTran, and SST (System Software Translation). The name I eventually decided on was TriniSys Translations, but if you ask me why I came up with this, I can honestly tell you that I have no idea what I was thinking. Maybe I just thought it sounded cool. A few months later I changed the company name to InterPro Translation Solutions, Inc. I wanted something that reflected that we were 1) International (Inter), 2) Professionals (Pro). It’s incredible to look back and see how much we’ve grown in 30 years.”

1995: Interpro Opens its Doors

In the mid-1980s and early 1990s, Ralph held leadership roles at WCC (Worldwide Communications Corporation), TAO International in Toulouse, France, Intergraph Corporation, and System Software Associates (SSA), managing localization of complex ERP software into ten languages. While leading these efforts, he saw a growing demand for high-quality technical translation services that few vendors could meet effectively.

Clients kept asking who could help translate their customized software,” Ralph recalls. “There just wasn’t a good answer.

Armed with firsthand experience in managing complex translation workflows and understanding the unique needs of global business software, Ralph recognized a gap in the market. That insight, paired with his deep love of language and emerging tech, became the catalyst for founding Interpro. He envisioned a firm built on world-class language services, in-house expertise, and long-term client partnerships. Essentially, a firm grounded in professional localization and technical excellence.

This led to the beginning of Interpro’s story with a commitment to delivering high-quality, client-focused translation services.

In 1995, Ralph launched Interpro Translation Solutions with a bold promise: to make high-quality, tech-enabled translation both easy and human.

Early company principles (that still stand to this day) at Interpro included:

  • A consultative, solution-focused mindset
  • In-country, native-speaking professional linguists paired by subject matter expertise
  • Long-term language team partnerships
  • Smart use of translation technology
  • In-house project management, desktop publishing, and engineering

And famously, the Interpro standard, penned by Ralph: “Nordstrom, not Walmart.” The goal wasn’t to be the cheapest. It was to be the best.

Early Interpro team members Yuko Kato and Abdelkader Daoudi

Pictured left is Yuko Kato and on the right is Abdelkader Daoudi, early Project Managers on the Interpro team.

Other notable stories in 1995:

  • Abdelkader Daoudi joins as Project Manager, beginning a legacy of leadership and excellence for our project management team.
  • Interpro localizes InstallShield into 20+ languages (and Interpro’s first major multilingual project).
  • Interpro is one of the first businesses on the nascent worldwide web to have a multilingual website (French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish).

1996: Expanding Services

As global business expanded online, Interpro quickly adapted. Launching complex Multilingual Desktop Publishing (MDTP) in 1996 would eventually lead to Interpro becoming a full-service translation agency. Future services would expand to providing consultative advice for website localization and eLearning course translation. Clients would begin to turn to us not just for translation, but for complete support and consultative advice for expanding across new platforms and global audiences.

Key client relationships with Honeywell Sensing and Control (now M45 Marketing) and IBM’s MAPICS division began to thrive. Mack Campbell, our former client partner for MAPICS, recalls, “Interpro’s strength was never just in the words it translated. It was in how the company operated: with integrity, with urgency, and with genuine care.”

 

1997: Interpro’s Future Manager, eLearning and DTP Joins the Team

Many at Interpro are multilingual, and Larry Pilotto is no exception. His languages just happen to be HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. 

Since joining Interpro in 1997, Larry has been at the forefront of tackling some of the toughest technical challenges for formatting translations. Originally hired as a Multilingual Desktop Publishing Specialist, he quickly became the go-to expert for solving complex layout and language support issues across hundreds of thousands of pages and dozens of languages. In addition to DTP and eLearning work, he helped create interproinc.com and remains an integral part of Interpro’s online website initiatives to this day.

The one thing that sticks with me over all these years is the stories from clients about how we’ve helped them help diverse groups overcome language barriers. It’s one of the most satisfying aspects of the work,” Larry says. “The technical challenges are fun, but helping spread information is really at the heart of what we do.”

Everyone at Interpro agrees – Larry is a loyal team player and critical to Interpro’s decades of success. 

First Interprospectives edition showing Interpro’s early company insights

Featured in an 2002 edition of Interprospectives, this snapshot highlights the contributions of John Greenwood, Abdelkader Daoudi, Beshar Bahjat, and Larry Pilotto. These four team members helped shape Interpro’s early success through dedication,  leadership and technical skill.

1999: Interpro’s Future Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Joins the Team

It was during these formative years that Beshar Bahjat joined the team. Originally hired on a temporary contract in 1997, Beshar quickly became a pillar of Interpro’s technical innovation and service delivery. 

I was working as a software engineer at a Consulting firm that was a sister-company to Interpro Translation Solutions back in 1999,” Beshar says “asked to help Interpro on a temporary basis with some localization engineering, and I never left!”

A software engineer by training and an incredible technical problem-solver, he has:

  • designed scalable systems to support every function of the organization,
  • led the development of custom workflows and integrations with client tools,
  • and guided the backend operations that power our evolving service lines, including AI translation and consulting services.

His early contributions included helping a dot-com-era firm launch a multilingual website and supporting major clients like IBM and Qualcomm through technically demanding localization projects.

Beshar has been integral from the beginning,” Ralph says. “His ability to develop engineering solutions for our client’s language needs shaped the way we deliver our services today.

Now Interpro’s CTO, Beshar has spent over 27 years helping build, refine, and future-proof the systems that power multilingual success. He can be found behind the scenes speaking a different language at any given time – Arabic, C++, SQL, and many more. (We really don’t know how he remembers it all!)

CTO Beshar Bahjat with Lei Meng during the early 2000s

Beshar Bahjat, shown training a coworker in the mid-2000s, brought deep technical expertise and innovative thinking that started by transforming Interpro’s engineering operations and eventually shaping the systems behind our global services.

 

1999: Building Brand Awareness

While Beshar was innovating behind the scenes, others were working to grow Interpro’s presence around the globe. 

Former business development lead John Greenwood recalls, “What truly set Interpro apart, then and now, was its relentless commitment to excellence.” John joined the company in 1999 after collaborating with Ralph Strozza during the AS/400 era, and helped extend Interpro’s reach across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

This is what would officially launch Interpro’s marketing and sales efforts, building an undeniable reputation around the globe. 

Building Interpro’s global presence through media and outreach

John Greenwood and the early sales team helped launch Interpro’s global brand presence, laying the foundation for decades of trusted multilingual service.

 

2000: Localization for the Olympics

By 1998, we were delivering document translation services and managing fulfillment for IBM Personal Systems Group Latin America. This relationship would lead to localizing IBM’s 2000 Sydney Olympics website into six languages: Simplified Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, French, German, and Spanish for the 2000 Sydney games. This would be an early example of Interpro’s global translation services.

Olympics localization team during Sydney Games website project

An early snapshot of the Interpro team, featuring Larry Pilotto and Beshar Bahjat (back row, second and fourth from left). This group laid the foundation for Interpro’s legacy of technical excellence, global collaboration, and people-powered growth.

 

2001: Opening an International Office in Argentina

To support our highest-volume language – Latin American Spanish – we decided to open  a regional office in Rosario, Argentina in 2001.

Interpro opens Argentina office in Rosario to support LATAM Spanish localization

Interpro Argentina joined the ranks of our Worldwide Partner Network teams of skilled translators from around the world, growing across time zones and countries.. Our Argentina office has now evolved and grown into what we call today into our international partners around the world – like Interpro Team Chile.

 

2002: Ralph Strozza is 100% Owner of Interpro

When Ralph Strozza became the 100% owner of Interpro, it was a big moment for the company. It gave him full control to shape the future of the business and focus on what mattered most: building long-term partnerships, delivering high-quality work, and hiring people who truly care about making a difference. 

Ralph needed to grow the business to ensure its success, but he also wanted to create a strong, stable company that would last for decades. This decision helped Interpro stay focused, financially healthy, and grow into the trusted company it is today. It’s one of the main reasons we’re still here, 30 years later, ready for what’s next. 

It must have worked, because in 2002 Interpro completed their first multi-language mobile localization project for Qualcomm’s BREW platform, a pioneering move in the mobile translation space. 

 

2003: Supporting NIU’s Foreign Language Department

As a company proudly based in Wheaton, Illinois and part of the greater Chicago area, Interpro has always felt a strong connection to Northern Illinois University (NIU). Founder Ralph Strozza and current CEO Nick Strozza are both NIU alumni who studied in the foreign language department, and many members of our leadership team share a similar background.

Because of this close connection, Interpro has made it a priority to give back. Over the years, we’ve supported NIU with in-kind donations and monetary support: donating Trados software so students can practice translation skills, providing presentations and guest lectures, offering internships and scholarships for students who are passionate about language and looking to build a future in translation.

Building a successful business means giving back to our local community and helping the next generation of professionals succeed.

Interpro team giving back to Northern Illinois University’s language department

Interpro’s team proudly supports Northern Illinois University because their language department has helped shape many of our leaders.

 

2004: eLearning Localization Services Changed Interpro’s Future

In 2004, our growing team proudly completed our first eLearning localization project, and became proficient in tools like Storyline, Rise, and Captivate. Little did we know this would shape our company for decades to come.

Educational courses are notoriously complex to localize. A single module in a course can include video, captions, voiceover, downloadable workbooks, forms, quizzes, and certifications – and most courses aren’t just one video. They’re entire libraries.

Expanding into eLearning was a challenge but also a reflection of our commitment to growing with our clients’ language needs. Today, Interpro is recognized as one of the most trusted eLearning localization partners in the industry for custom learning management systems, or commonly used tools like Articulate Storyline and Rise. 

We’ll carry this commitment to expand our services with your needs into the future of Interpro.

eLearning localization into Arabic in Articulate Rise

Localization of an eLearning course into Arabic in Articulate Rise.

 

2005: InterProspectives Brings Language Insights to Our Community 

In 2005, Interpro launched its first edition of Interprospectives, a publication created to share what we were learning and seeing inside the world of translation. Our goal was simple: keep our clients, team members, and industry partners informed with real insights from behind the scenes.

We’re proud to say that nearly 20 years later, Interprospectives is still going strong. Thanks to modern technology, it’s now a fully digital publication. Today, we send out a monthly Interpro Insights newsletter that highlights our latest blogs, resources, and company updates. From time to time, we still publish special Interprospectives editions written by our leadership team, giving readers a closer look at the ideas and trends shaping Interpro’s future.

Want to receive the next issue? Subscribe here.

First Interprospectives edition showing Interpro’s early industry insights

An early edition of InterProspectives (now rebranded to Interprospectives), Interpro’s original print publication, showcasing our commitment to technical expertise, multilingual accessibility, and knowledge sharing across the translation and localization industry.

 

2007: Creating a Brand Designed for Growth

As our services grew and our team expanded around the world, it became clear that our brand needed to show who we were becoming: a trusted, consultative language partner dedicated to long-term client relationships.

In 2007, Interpro updated its logo to better reflect something that had always been at the heart of our company: partnership. 

But that wasn’t the first (or last) time we’d change our visual identity.

Our very first logo in 1995 was simple and technical, created at a time when Interpro was just getting started. As the years passed, our look evolved alongside the company itself. Each version of our logo reflects the evolution from a small, passionate startup to a full-service, global language solutions provider.

In 2025, we proudly introduced our most modern brand yet. This updated look was built to reflect not just what we do, but how we do it. It represents:

  • the subject matter expertise that our clients rely on, 
  • the high standards we’re known for, 
  • and the dedicated people behind every successful translation.

Interpro logo evolution

The evolution of Interpro’s brand from 1995 to today.


2008: Supporting Enterprise Localization Goals

Over the years, Interpro has been proud to support hundreds of organizations with their global communication needs. One project that stands out as a major milestone took place in 2008, when Interpro was selected for the State of California SB 853 Translation Project, launched by then governor (and star of one of our current CEO’s favorite holiday classics):  Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

This major effort involved translating over 2 million words of critical healthcare materials into five threshold languages: Spanish, Tagalog, Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. It was a huge responsibility, and one that proved Interpro was ready and scalable to handle large, complex projects with accuracy and care. 

This project would set the stage for future growth. Since then, we’ve translated more than 350 million words and partnered with global organizations across multiple industries.

 

2010: Interpro Wins Award for Small Business Excellence

In 2010, Interpro was honored to receive the Annual Award for Business Excellence in the Small Company category. This award, presented by the Daily Herald Business Ledger, recognizes outstanding businesses in the Chicago area for growth, innovation, and community involvement.

Winning this award was a meaningful moment for Interpro. It showed that our hard work, strong client relationships, and dedication to quality were making an impact in our industry and our local business community. The award is proudly displayed in our conference room to this day.

At that time, Interpro was continuing to grow its team, expand services, and take on more enterprise-level projects. Being recognized as a top small business reinforced our belief in putting people first for both inside the company and with every client we serve.

Ralph Strozza accepting 2010 Annual Award for Business Excellence

Ralph Strozza accepts the 2010 Annual Award for Business Excellence, recognizing Interpro as a top small business in the Chicago area for innovation, growth, and community impact.

Talking about winning awards as a motivator: in 2016 Interpro’s marketing collateral WORDS! would win the American Advertising Federation of Northern Illinois Addy Gold Award. Interpro partnered with one of our longest standing clients (M45 Marketing) to deliver this showcase piece.This would inspire future marketing efforts to bring Interpro’s philosophy about translation into everything we do. 

 

2017: From Words to Conversations with Interpreting Services

Interpro expanded its service offerings to include interpreting with Remote Simultaneous Interpretation (RSI) in 2017, which was an innovative offering that would later support expanding needs in webinar interpreting, event interpreting, and other real-time multilingual services.

This move was a direct response to the needs of our clients, especially large organizations hosting real-time events, meetings, and webinars in multiple languages.

While we had built a strong reputation in translation and localization, many of our clients needed a partner who could also support live conversations with the same level of quality and care. We listened and delivered.

By adding interpreting services, we continued on our path of becoming  a true, full-service language partner. Clients could now count on us not just for written content, but also for real-time multilingual support. Whether it’s a virtual conference, training session, or global team meeting, Interpro’s interpreting services are built to meet the same high standards we’ve always had.

It was one more way to show our commitment to being the best possible partner, no matter how our clients need to communicate.

Interpro interpreter delivering live multilingual support

Interpro’s interpreters deliver real-time multilingual support as part of our commitment to helping clients connect through spoken language, with the same quality and care as our written translations.

 

2021: Interpro Backs Our Core Standards with ISO-Certified Services

By 2021, Interpro had been awarded ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 17100 (Translation Services) certifications, both hallmarks of quality in certified language services. 

These certifications from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recognize companies that meet high standards for quality management, client satisfaction, and continual improvement. 

Since day one, Interpro has been focused on one thing above all: quality. Producing accurate, dependable translation services has always been at the core of our mission. 

For us, earning our ISO certifications wasn’t to just check another box. It was a symbol of our commitment to providing quality translation services for our clients, and of how far we’re willing to go to serve our clients with excellence. From process to people, our systems are built to deliver the best possible experience with the overall objective of complete client satisfaction . 

One of our partners at Jigsaw Quality Management & Audit Solutions, Sam Somerville, recalls:

From our first meeting, it was clear Interpro was no ordinary company. This wasn’t just about achieving a standard. Interpro’s leadership and team were fully committed to embedding continuous improvement at the core of their business. Their enthusiasm for quality wasn’t surface-level. It was part of their DNA.”

 

2021: Adopting a Remote First Culture

In 2021, the world was still adjusting to major changes in how people live and work, and Interpro adapted right along with it.

Alongside the pandemic, we made a big shift: Interpro officially became a remote-first company.

The truth is, Interpro has always worked across borders. With linguists, engineers, project managers, DTP specialists and interpreters located around the globe, we have operated as a remote organization for over30 years. But 2021 marked a new chapter, one where we fully embraced flexible work as a core part of our culture.

This move allowed us to open up more opportunities for remote employees, create a better culture with a stronger, more connected team. By focusing on results instead of location, we have built a healthier, more supportive workplace and a more successful company.

Going remote-first did not just help us grow. It helped us stay true to who we have always been: a global team, working together to connect people through language.

Interpro hybrid team meeting during remote-first transition

Interpro team members gather in person and virtually during a hybrid team building meeting reflecting our shift and our ongoing commitment to global collaboration, flexibility, and connection.

 

2022: New Global Headquarters for the Future

In 2022, Interpro made a major investment in our future by purchasing a new headquarters office in Wheaton, Illinois, in the greater Chicago area. This decision gave the team a permanent  home base. It was about building stability, showing long-term commitment to our region, and preparing for the next 30 years of growth.

We purchased the office in full, with no debt. That choice strengthened our financial future and gave us a space to call our own, right in the heart of the community where Interpro began.

The new headquarters reflects our values of independence, partnership, and progress. It gives our team a place to collaborate, and represents a milestone in Interpro’s story – one that’s built to last.

Interpro’s new Wheaton, Illinois headquarters

The Interpro team gathers at Interpro’s Global Headquarters in Wheaton, IL

2023: Our People are Our Story

As we’ve grown over the years, one thing is clear – Interpro’s success comes from our team. 

Many Interpro team members have been with the company for 10, 20, even 25+ years. When reflecting on the journey of how we got here, one thing is clear: it’s our team that has shaped the company’s evolution,” says Nick Strozza, CEO. “It’s only right that we tell their stories of their experiences that have helped shape Interpro’s expertise.”

As part of our story, we want to highlight some of the professional experts behind the brand:

Lei Meng shares about her role leading language project management at Interpro and how: “Localization isn’t just about translating words. It’s about making knowledge accessible, empowering people, and creating real-world impact.

Javiera Gonzalez has shared her essential phrases to learn from her trip to Japan and provided cultural insight to the rich history of empanadas.

Arianna Martin shares her international experiences living across 5 countries. (Do we need to say more?)

Mirela Savulescu’s journey from Transylvania to Chicago underlines the global experiences that enrich our company’s culture. 

Maria Fagrelius shares her story of immigration and cultural adaptation, highlighting the empathy and understanding that drive our work.

We’re proud to be the trusted language partner because of our expert team of professionals.

 

2024: Beginning New Leadership with Legacy

In 2024, Ralph formally passed the torch to his son, Nick Strozza, who had grown up alongside the company. With a background in marketing and a love of language, Nick stepped into the CEO role with a fresh vision and deep respect for Interpro’s roots.

“We’re still about making human connections,” Nick says. “Technology helps us, but people come first. We’re embracing new tools, but never at the cost of quality.”

Under Nick’s leadership, Interpro has refreshed its mission, expanded service offerings, and reaffirmed its commitment to people-centered translator services

Footnote: Ralph hasn’t hung up his boots just yet. He works on special projects and acts in an advisory capacity to the company as a whole. While his official title is ‘Founder,’ his unwritten title continues to be Consigliere!

 

Ralph Strozza with his office companion, Payton, reflecting legacy leadershipCEO Nick Strozza represents Interpro’s next generation of leadership 

From Founder Ralph Strozza’s early leadership (often joined by his loyal office companion, Payton #34) to the next generation with CEO Nick Strozza, Interpro’s legacy continues to grow and evolve.

2025: Celebrating 30 Years of Powered by People

And just like that, 30 years went by in a flash. In 2025, Interpro is proudly celebrating 30 years in business. 

In honor of this historical achievement, we launched a completely new Interpro brand to reflect who Interpro has become over the past three decades, and where we are going.. The new brand represents our growth, our values, and the people behind the work. It captures what truly sets us apart.

Faces behind Interpro’s 30-year journey of global collaboration and partnership

As Interpro celebrates 30 years in business, our refreshed brand honors what truly sets us apart: our people. Pictured here are some of the faces behind the expertise, partnership, and passion that have defined our journey.

What 30 Years of Being a Leader in Languages Teaches You

Sustaining excellence over three decades takes more than technical skill. It takes more than solving complex problems, delivering consistent quality, and growing with your clients. It requires deep cultural understanding, rigorous quality control, and a true partnership mindset. At Interpro, we’ve built a business around these principles because we are here to be a reliable partner for decades to come.

If your organization is planning for multilingual growth, navigating compliance, or entering new markets, our legacy becomes your advantage.

Let’s talk about where you’re headed and how we can help your journey to get there. Schedule a complimentary localization strategy session with our team of experts today.

The post Interpro’s Company History: The Stories Behind Our 30-Year Legacy appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
Why Choose Interpro? Our Localization Expertise & Technology Capabilities https://www.interproinc.com/why-choose-interpro-translation-solutions-for-professional-language-services/ Thu, 14 Aug 2025 14:50:10 +0000 https://interprostgstg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=7847 Choosing the right translation partner is about more than just finding someone who converts text from one language to another. Businesses and organizations need a full-service provider that can handle eLearning localization, multimedia translation, document formatting, and compliance-driven language solutions. Whether you’re a labor union, nonprofit, manufacturer, or eLearning provider, Interpro Translation Solutions is a…

The post Why Choose Interpro? Our Localization Expertise & Technology Capabilities appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
Choosing the right translation partner is about more than just finding someone who converts text from one language to another. Businesses and organizations need a full-service provider that can handle eLearning localization, multimedia translation, document formatting, and compliance-driven language solutions. Whether you’re a labor union, nonprofit, manufacturer, or eLearning provider, Interpro Translation Solutions is a leading consultative language partner that ensures your content is culturally relevant, accurate, and delivered with success.

Interpro’s Localization & Technology Expertise Since 1995

At Interpro, we’ve always specialized in creating tailored language services that integrate directly into your workflow to streamline your translation process. From learning management systems, to marketing platforms and digital tools, our expertise spans across all major industries to support your growth through localization

Below, we answer key questions decision-makers ask when evaluating translation providers and demonstrate how Interpro’s specialized services align with your needs.

Do You Offer eLearning Localization for Platforms Like Rise 360 and WordPress?

Yes. eLearning is a core specialization at Interpro. Our eLearning localization services ensure that digital courses, compliance training, and instructional programs are culturally adapted and linguistically accurate.

Why Choose Interpro? We:

  • Translate interactive course modules for multilingual learners
  • Adapt assessments, quizzes, and certifications for accessibility
  • Integrate translations into LMS platforms
  • Localize training videos with voiceover, captions, and subtitling

For SEIU 775 Benefits Group, we translate and localize online caregiver training modules within Rise 360 and WordPress, ensuring accessibility for Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Vietnamese-speaking audiences.

Can You Integrate with Our Learning Management System (LMS)?

Absolutely. We work seamlessly with any LMS platform, allowing organizations to deliver consistent, high-quality multilingual training to employees, members, and clients.

Supported LMS Platforms:

We have experience localizing many educational courses and entire compliance training libraries across multiple LMS platforms, ensuring a seamless translation workflow and full functionality of final translated courses.

Translated educational course and PowerPoint by the Interpro expert team,

Translated educational course and PowerPoint by the Interpro team.

Do You Provide Video Translation Services (Subtitles, Voice-Over, Captions)?

Yes. Multimedia translation is essential for global training, marketing, and corporate communications. We provide turnkey video localization services that include:

  • Professional and AI-generated voiceovers in multiple languages
  • On-screen text translation and adaptation
  • Closed captioning and subtitles for accessibility
  • Dubbing and video lip-syncing for international audiences

For SEIU 775, we provide multilingual voiceovers and closed captions for their training videos, ensuring that caregivers canengage with instructional content in their preferred language.

Can You Translate Documents That Require Desktop Publishing (DTP)?

Yes. Multilingual document formatting is essential for maintaining the design and structure of translated materials. Our DTP specialists work with:

  • Adobe InDesign, Captivate, and Illustrator
  • Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDFs
  • Marketing materials, brochures, and technical documentation

For Armstrong International, we translate technical product manuals while ensuring that charts, tables, and layouts remain consistent across multiple languages.

Do You Provide Website Translation and Localization?

Yes. We provide full-scale website localization, ensuring that your online presence is culturally adapted for international markets. Our website translation services include:

  • SEO-friendly content localization
  • Translation of HTML, PHP, JSON, and XML files
  • CMS integration with WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla

Also for Armstrong International, we translated and maintain their WordPress website in 10 languages, optimizing search rankings and user engagement across diverse markets.

Armstrong International’s global website translated by the Interpro team displayed on a computer.

Armstrong International partnered with Interpro to translate their global website, and continues to work with the team on all their translation needs.

How Do You Handle Multimedia Content Like Animations and Graphics?

Our multimedia localization services cover everything from interactive graphics to complex animation overlays. This ensures that your visual content is as effective in a new language as it was in the original version.

Why Choose Interpro?

  • Translation of infographics, charts, and interactive media 
  • Subtitling and dubbing for motion graphics and animations
  • Adaptation of text for graphics-heavy materials such as product manuals

For a healthcare eLearning client, we localized animated training modules, ensuring that on-screen text, voiceovers, and timing were fully synchronized.

Can You Work with Multilingual Surveys on Platforms Like Qualtrics?

Yes. We support multilingual survey translation to help organizations collect accurate, culturally-relevant responses.

Survey Platforms We Work With:

For a government-funded language access initiative, we translated pre- and post-training surveys into eight languages, ensuring accurate data collection from diverse respondents.

Do You Offer Simultaneous and Consecutive Interpreting Services?

Yes. Interpro provides real-time language support for organizations that require live interpretation services.

Our Interpreting Services Include:

  • Remote Simultaneous Interpretation (RSI) for webinars and virtual events
  • Onsite event interpreting for conferences, corporate meetings, and training sessions
  • Phone-based interpreting for multilingual business communications

For Interpro client Carewell, we provide live interpreting services for web meetings and instructor-led training, ensuring full participation from non-English-speaking attendees.

Can You Support Remote Interpreting for Meetings, Conferences, and Training?

Yes. We provide remote interpreting solutions that integrate seamlessly with:

  • Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and Google Meet
  • Hybrid event setups with onsite and virtual attendees
  • Live multilingual chat and subtitle support

For a multinational corporation, we provided live interpreting in five languages for an international executive meeting, allowing for seamless cross-cultural discussions.

Do You Offer American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting?

Yes. We provide ASL alongside other remote and in-person interpreting services to ensure that deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals have equal access to education, legal, healthcare, and corporate communications.

Our ASL Services Include:

  • Virtual and onsite ASL interpreting
  • ASL video overlay for eLearning courses and instructional videos
  • Certified ASL interpreters for legal and healthcare settings

For a union leadership development program, we provided ASL interpretation for a live training session, ensuring full inclusivity for all attendees.

Why Choose Interpro?

Interpro Translation Solutions provides end-to-end language services that support eLearning, legal compliance, international business, and member-driven organizations. Our team ensures that every translation meets the highest quality standards while integrating seamlessly with your existing workflows and technology platforms.

What Sets Us Apart?

  • ISO-certified quality assurance processes
  • Industry-specialized translators with subject matter expertise
  • Turnkey localization solutions for eLearning, multimedia, and corporate training

Organizations choose Interpro for high-quality, scalable, and compliance-driven translation services that enhance accessibility, engagement, and international growth.

Need expert translation services? Let’s get started today.

The post Why Choose Interpro? Our Localization Expertise & Technology Capabilities appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
Introduction to Interpro’s Services: How We Deliver Translation Excellence https://www.interproinc.com/introduction-to-interpros-services/ Mon, 11 Aug 2025 14:43:36 +0000 https://interprostgstg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=7837 When selecting a translation partner, organizations must ensure they engage a company that provides accuracy, cultural fluency, and industry-specific expertise. At Interpro Translation Solutions, we specialize in delivering high-quality translations tailored to the unique needs of labor unions, healthcare organizations, manufacturers, and eLearning providers, just to name a few of the organization profiles we work…

The post Introduction to Interpro’s Services: How We Deliver Translation Excellence appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>
When selecting a translation partner, organizations must ensure they engage a company that provides accuracy, cultural fluency, and industry-specific expertise. At Interpro Translation Solutions, we specialize in delivering high-quality translations tailored to the unique needs of labor unions, healthcare organizations, manufacturers, and eLearning providers, just to name a few of the organization profiles we work with on a regular basis.

The success of a translation project depends on more than just converting words from one language to another; it requires an understanding of industry terminology, compliance regulations, and audience-specific nuances to ensure clarity and accuracy. In this guide, we answer ten key questions decision-makers should ask when evaluating a translation partner, and demonstrate how Interpro’s services align with these needs.

Learn About Interpro’s Language Services

What Industries Does Interpro Specialize In?

At Interpro Translation Solutions, we serve industries that require precise, culturally sensitive, and highly technical translations. Our team includes linguists with subject-matter expertise, ensuring that industry-specific terminology is used accurately and effectively.

Key Industries We Serve

  • Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Technology – Translating patient and caregiver education materials, research documents, compliance manuals, and medical device instructions to ensure regulatory compliance and accessibility.
  • Associations, Nonprofits, and Labor Unions – Helping organizations like SEIU 775 Benefits Group communicate effectively with members across multiple languages through marketing materials, training content, legal documents, and outreach campaigns.
  • Manufacturing and Engineering – Providing solutions for communications and technical documentation, safety manuals, product specifications, and multilingual marketing materials to support global expansion and compliance.
  • eLearning and Education – Assisting corporate training programs and eLearning course developers with course localization, subtitles, voiceovers, and interactive content translation to engage global audiences.

We also guide businesses new to translation by offering consultations and best practices for managing multilingual projects efficiently.

 

“We use Interpro for website localization and print materials across 13 different countries and without their help, we wouldn’t be able to connect with our customers the way we do now.”

– Brian Genslinger, Web User Experience Manager, WeatherTech

Does Interpro Have Experience Working with Labor Unions and Nonprofits?

Yes. Interpro specializes in supporting Labor Management Partnerships (LMPs) and unions like SEIU 775 Benefits Group by providing multilingual communications that help engage diverse members.

We have been a trusted partner of SEIU 775 Benefits Group since 2018, providing turnkey translation solutions for their:

  • Training programs and eLearning courses
  • Union contracts and grievance procedures
  • Member newsletters and outreach materials
  • Healthcare and benefits documentation
  • HR policies and compliance materials
  • Website and social media content

Our ability to integrate translation directly into SEIU’s digital platforms, including Articulate Rise 360, WordPress, Marketing Cloud, and Qualtrics, makes us an ideal long-term partner for labor unions looking to expand access to information.

Can Interpro Provide Case Studies or References?

Absolutely. We have extensive case studies showcasing our success in eLearning, labor unions, and manufacturing.

Interpro’s leadership collaborating with clients on global growth translation strategies.

Interpro’s leadership collaborating with clients on global growth translation strategies.

 

Case Study: SEIU 775 Benefits Group

Interpro translated training materials, formatted documents, and supplied educational resources to help the team grow in multiple languages, ensuring that caregivers received critical information in their native language. Our work included:

  • Localized eLearning courses with subtitles and voiceovers
  • Multilingual benefits documents to improve healthcare access
  • Union materials translated into Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and many other languages.

Learn more about SEIU 775 Benefits Group’s partnership with Interpro.

Case Study: Armstrong International

Interpro translated technical manuals and marketing materials for Armstrong International in over 100 countries, ensuring compliance with international safety and regulatory standards.

  • Provided support for multiple projects into multiple languages across different business units.
  • Provided comprehensive understanding of technical terminology for the manufacturing industry.
  • Ensured uniform terminology across marketing, technical, and training materials.

Learn more about Armstrong International’s partnership with Interpro.

Case Study: d’Vinci Interactive

Interpro worked with eLearning developer d’Vinci Interactive to translate and localize interactive training courses, workbooks, and marketing communications for end clients in corporate education and compliance training.

  • Depending on their client’s needs, a translation glossary was established to ensure consistency.
  • Professional studio voice-over recording with localized audio and closed captions were included.
  • Job aids and supplemental resource documents were translated and formatted.
  • Final translations were delivered in the Learning Management System of d’Vinci’s choice.

Learn more about d’Vinci Interactive’s partnership with Interpro.

How Does Interpro Ensure Translation Accuracy?

Interpro follows a multi-step quality assurance process to deliver highly accurate and culturally relevant translations. Our process includes:

  1. Translation by Native-Speaking Experts – Every project is assigned to relevant industry subject matter expert linguists to ensure correct terminology and context.
  2. Revision and Proofreading – A second linguist reviews and refines the translation to maintain accuracy and consistency, and another linguist executes final proofreading, ensuring quality of the final deliverable.
  3. Client Review and Feedback Integration – We incorporate client feedback to ensure the translated content meets their exact specifications.
  4. Translation Memory (TM) and Glossary Development – We create customized translation memories and glossaries to ensure consistent terminology across all projects.

For organizations with ongoing translation needs, we recommend developing a structured glossary and style guide to streamline future projects and maintain brand consistency.

Does Interpro Use Native-Speaking Translators?

Yes. Interpro provides professional translation services where every linguist is a native speaker of the target language and has expertise in the subject matter they translate.

For example, when translating healthcare materials for SEIU, we assign medical subject matter expert linguistswith knowledge of insurance, compliance, and patient education, consistently ensuring clear and legally sound translations.

What Is Interpro’s Quality Control Process?

Interpro adheres to  follows a strict ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 17100:2015 standards, ensuring a certified translation process that includes:

  • Translation by a subject-matter expert
  • Revision by a second linguist for accuracy
  • Proofreading for final language refinements
  • Client review and feedback integration
  • Final formatting and quality assurance

For Armstrong International, this process ensured technical accuracy in engineering and safety documentation, preventing costly translation errors.

Are Interpro’s Translators Certified or Accredited?

Yes. In addition to industry-specific credentials (medical, legal, technical, and more), our translators comply with ISO 17100:2015 competences and qualifications including:

  • recognized graduate qualification in translation from an institution of higher education;
  • recognized graduate qualification in any other field from an institution of higher education plus two years of full-time professional experience in translating;
  • five years of full-time professional experience in translating.

For healthcare and legal translations, we ensure that certified specialists manage the translation process, guaranteeing compliance with HIPAA and other regulations.

How Does Interpro Handle Translations for Regulated Industries Like Healthcare?

We follow strict regulatory compliance guidelines to ensure our translations meet the highest standards in the legal and healthcare fields.

For healthcare clients, we ensure:

  • Accurate medical terminology checks
  • Confidentiality and HIPAA compliance
  • Regulatory review by subject-matter experts

For SEIU’s healthcare benefits programs, we translate:

  • Insurance policy documents
  • Training guides for caregivers
  • Regulatory materials for government compliance

Does Interpro Offer Glossary Development?

Yes. We develop customized glossaries to ensure terminology consistency across projects.

For SEIU, we initially built a multilingual glossary for terms like “grievance process” and “collective bargaining agreement”, ensuring consistent and accurate translations across all materials.

Especially for business models where the translation is for your client, Interpro has extensive experience at creating and managing translation glossaries for all of your individual clients.

How Does Interpro Maintain Translation Consistency?

We use Translation Memory (TM) to store and apply previously-translated segments, ensuring:

  • Consistency across all projects
  • Faster turnaround times
  • Reduced costs for leveraged translations

For Armstrong International, glossary and TM strategy has helped them control costs and focus on global growth.

Why Choose Interpro for Professional Translation Services?

Interpro Translation Solutions is a team of trusted experts that delivers:

  • ISO-certified quality assurance
  • Industry-specialized translators
  • End-to-end localization solutions
  • Consultative advice to ensure your clients’ language needs are met

We provide seamless integration with eLearning platforms, marketing tools, and enterprise systems, ensuring that organizations can expand their reach with accurate and culturally relevant translations.

Need translation services for your organization? Contact Interpro today.

The post Introduction to Interpro’s Services: How We Deliver Translation Excellence appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

]]>