#78 Zoom Adds Live Translation, Netflix Dubbing News, Toppan’s Christophe Djaouani

New Section

In this section, the goal of becoming a market leader in language solutions for regulated and business-critical content is discussed. Zoom's recent acquisition in the translation field is highlighted, emphasizing the importance of script files in localization workflows.

Zoom's Acquisition and Language Solutions

• Florian and Esther discuss being proud of their respective countries' football teams reaching the quarter-finals.

• Introduction to Christophe Djaouani, President of LSP Toppan Digital Language, a new unit under Toppan.

• Christophe's background in the industry with previous roles at Donnelley Language Solutions and SDL.

• Focus on regulated industries and translation within Toppan Digital Language.

• Zoom's second acquisition announcement related to translation services.

Zoom's Acquisition: Kites GmbH

This section delves into Zoom's recent acquisition of Kites GmbH, a startup specializing in speech recognition technology based in Germany.

Details of Kites GmbH Acquisition

• Kites GmbH identified as a startup focusing on speech recognition technology.

• Background on Zoom as a successful remote conferencing system with significant market capitalization.

• Comparison between Zoom's first acquisition (Keybase) and the recent one (Kites GmbH).

• Information about Kites GmbH being an academic offshoot from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Insights into Kites GmbH

This section provides insights into Kites GmbH as a small company specializing in speech recognition technology and its potential impact on Zoom's services.

Understanding Kites GmbH

• Founder Sebastian Stüker's connections within the translation industry.

• Speculation on the acquisition being talent-driven similar to acquihire situations.

Zoom and Live Translated Captions

The discussion revolves around the lack of live translated captions in various meeting platforms, with a focus on Skype as the only platform making substantial efforts in this regard.

Zoom and Live Captioning

• Skype is highlighted as the only platform making significant attempts to provide live translated captions.

• Other platforms lack proper live translation capabilities, requiring slow and deliberate speech for effective communication.

• Current translation tools are overly literal and not at a professional interpreter level.

Kites' Translation Innovations

The conversation shifts towards Kites' advancements in translation technology, including their AI-driven speech recognition system.

Kites' Translation Technology

• Kites showcases an AI system that outperforms humans in recognizing spontaneously spoken language.

• Discussion on potential mistranslations regarding the term "spontaneously" in speech recognition contexts.

• Background on Kites' development of an automatic live translator for university lectures since 2012.

Zoom's Acquisition of Kites

Delving into Zoom's acquisition of Kites and the implications for machine translation capabilities within their platform.

Zoom-Kites Acquisition

• Analysis of speech-to-text, text-to-translation processes in machine translation systems like those potentially integrated by Zoom from Kites.

• Personal experience with Synthesia's text-to-speech technology and its application for avatar creation.

Implications of Zoom's Acquisition

Examining the significance of Zoom publicly announcing its acquisition of Kites despite being a relatively small transaction.

Significance of Acquisition

• Notable decision by Zoom to announce the acquisition despite regulatory discretion common among tech companies.

Zoom's Emphasis on Language Component

The discussion focuses on Zoom's prioritization of the language component in their features, particularly related to ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition).

Zoom's Strategic Focus

• Zoom is investing significantly in enhancing its language component, indicating a strategic shift towards prioritizing this aspect.

• This move by Zoom signifies a substantial expansion in internal development capacity, emphasizing the importance of the language feature for long-term technological advancements.

Netflix's Localization Workflow Development

The conversation delves into Netflix's efforts to streamline dubbing and subtitling workflows through an authoring specification for script files.

Simplification of Workflows

• Netflix introduces an authoring specification for script files to simplify dubbing and subtitling processes.

• Script files play a crucial role in localization workflows, undergoing various steps like transcription, time coding, translation, and adaptation.

TTAL: Timed Text Authoring Lineage Specification by Netflix

Netflix introduces TTAL as a specification to facilitate easier exchange of script files and enhance localization workflow efficiency.

TTAL Specification Details

• TTAL aims to standardize script file formats for improved workflow efficiency.

• Netflix conducts pilots with technology partners to integrate TTAL into live workflows, highlighting its potential benefits for the entire localization ecosystem.

TTAL Adoption and Future Prospects

Discussion on the adoption of TTAL by technology partners and its potential impact on the industry standards.

Adoption and Industry Influence

• Netflix's approach with TTAL remains open for integration with various tools, potentially setting new industry standards.

• While currently proprietary, TTAL could become a standardized format across the industry based on feedback and improvements.

Knowledge Sharing in Media Localization

Exploring the significance of knowledge sharing in media localization and its impact on quality output.

Emphasis on Quality Output

• Knowledge sharing within media localization emphasizes improving processes while focusing on enhancing final product quality.

Discussion on Translation in Japanese Gaming Industry

In this section, the discussion revolves around the translation of Japanese gaming and the dynamics between fan translation and professional paid translation within the niche scene.

Translation Dynamics in Japanese Gaming

• Fan translators play a crucial role in translating Japanese games that are not available in other languages, showcasing a dynamic between fan and professional translations.

• Professional translations by agencies are essential for international game launches by companies like Nintendo, highlighting linguistic challenges due to cultural differences.

• The contrast between fan translation and official translation reveals challenges faced by professional translators under confidentiality agreements, limiting their ability to share their work openly.

Challenges Faced by Professional Translators

This section delves into the challenges encountered by professional translators when compared to fan translators in terms of public perception and recognition.

Challenges Comparison: Fan vs. Official Translation

• A comparison is drawn between fan translation and official translation, illustrating a lose-lose situation for paid translators based on public perceptions of quality.

• Public reactions vary based on the quality of translations, leading to contrasting views on fan versus professional capabilities.

• Professional translators often face frustration when competing with fan translators due to limitations imposed by confidentiality agreements.

Language Industry Job Index Update

This segment provides an update on the language industry job index, highlighting trends and growth within the industry.

Job Market Trends

• The language industry job index has shown consistent growth over three years, indicating a positive trend in job availability within the sector.

Interview with Christophe Djaouani

In this interview, Christophe Djaouani discusses his career in the language industry and his new role as President at Toppan Digital Language.

Background and Career Journey

• Christophe started his career 20 years ago as a project manager with RR Donnelley in New York before moving to London to set up the global operation for the translation business unit. He later moved to Paris, taking on various senior roles.

Toppan Digital Languages Creation

• Christophe joined SDL in 2018 and became Executive Vice President after Donnelley Language Solutions was acquired. He now embarks on a new journey as President and Founder of Toppan Digital Languages.

Collaboration with Toppan

• The decision to collaborate with Toppan stemmed from a longstanding relationship. They identified an opportune moment to enter the market due to gaps in servicing regulated content.

Overview of Toppan Group

• Toppan recently rebranded as Toppan Inc., reflecting its transformation and diversification. The company, headquartered in Tokyo, focuses on technology and high-risk content services.

Team Members at Toppan Digital Languages

Meeting Overview

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of leveraging team strengths and diversity to create customer-centric solutions.

Leveraging Team Strengths

• Emphasizes complementing each other's strengths rather than focusing on weaknesses for effective teamwork.

• Highlights an entrepreneurial approach that focuses on pushing towards individual strengths and complementing each other within the team.

• Stresses the significance of team diversity in terms of culture, position, and global perspectives to enhance client interactions with sensitivity towards different cultures.

Customer-Centric Approach

• Explores the benefits of starting with a blank slate within a larger company to innovate without legacy constraints.

• Discusses existing resources within the company and the need to consolidate translation and localization efforts for efficiency.

Tech Approach and Customer Focus

This segment delves into utilizing technology, machine learning, and an outside-in approach to tailor solutions based on customer needs.

Technology Integration

• Mentions collaboration with Toppan Ecquaria for tech development, emphasizing creating solutions aligned with customer requirements using an outside-in approach.

• Advocates combining market-available technologies with customization in-house to provide end-to-end content creation, management, translation, and distribution services efficiently.

Industry Specificity

• Emphasizes agility in creating tailored solutions for regulated industries due to varying regulatory requirements across different regions like banks in Switzerland versus France or UK.

• Discusses challenges related to heavy customization required in regulated industries due to security concerns and linguistic consistency demands.

Regulated Industries Challenges

The speaker elaborates on regulated industries' content requirements and associated risks while highlighting their role in ensuring compliance and security for customers.

Regulated Content Support

• Explains supporting customers in regulated industries by facilitating multilingual communication while ensuring regulatory compliance, security, and linguistic consistency.

Discussion on Automation and De-risking Translation

The discussion revolves around the importance of automation in de-risking translation processes, particularly in dealing with complex regulated industry content.

Importance of Automation and De-risking Translation

• An anecdote is shared about a customer's struggle with automating processes over a decade, highlighting the need for simplifying complex regulated industry content.

• Regulated content complexity is emphasized across industries like finance, life sciences, legal managed health care, requiring solutions to simplify and address client challenges effectively.

• Security is identified as a common concern among customers, along with challenges related to time-to-market and scalability in managing multilingual content efficiently.

• Key similarities observed among customers include the significance of security, time-to-market demands, scalability challenges, and the necessity for high-quality solutions.

• Quality assurance, technology automation embedded in solutions, and personalized customer service are highlighted as essential components to differentiate services in challenging industries.

Impact of Cloud Technology on Translation Services

The conversation delves into how advancements in cloud technology have influenced translation services within regulated spaces.

Cloud Technology Influence on Translation Services

• Increased attention towards information security due to cloud adoption by companies necessitates efficient tools to demonstrate strong processes and compliance with regulations.

• Emphasis on integrating security measures like face recognition systems into applications to ensure data protection and compliance with regulations such as GDPR.

• Despite technological advancements, some projects still require on-premises installations due to stringent security requirements or regulatory constraints.

On-site Security Measures for Translation Projects

The discussion focuses on the continued demand for on-site security measures in translation projects within highly secure environments.

On-site Security Measures

Working with Large Accounts in the Translation Industry

In this section, the speaker discusses the process and interactions involved in managing large accounts within the translation industry, emphasizing the importance of preparation, innovation, and added value.

Managing $20 Million Accounts

• When dealing with large accounts, it is crucial to engage upstream with customers and provide innovative solutions from the beginning.

• Success in managing large accounts depends on having the right team, approach, mindset, culture, and necessary tools like security measures.

• Key steps include being present before an RFP is issued to establish credibility, actively participating in the RFP process by offering added value and listening to customer needs.

Winning Strategies for Large Accounts

• Winning large accounts involves thorough preparation, anticipation of client requirements, practice, hard work, and ensuring compliance with procurement processes.

• Effective pitching with a focus on designing tailored solutions for clients is essential for shortlisting. Price plays a significant role but responsiveness and relationship building are equally important factors during procurement evaluations.

Translation Subscriptions: Viability and Challenges

This segment explores the concept of translation subscriptions as a pricing model within the translation industry. The discussion delves into challenges faced when transitioning from traditional per-word pricing to subscription-based models.

Subscription Model Challenges

• Transitioning to subscription-based pricing poses challenges as customers tend to revert to benchmarking against per-word rates due to industry norms.

• While machine translation (MT) services align well with subscription models for benchmarking purposes, other areas of the industry may not be fully ready for this pricing structure.

Standardization and Education

• Standardization is crucial before widespread adoption of subscription models can occur. Educating both buyers and sellers about subscription benefits will take time but is essential for market acceptance.

Meeting Discussion on Subscriptions and M&A Strategy

In this section, the discussion revolves around the challenges of quantifying subscription costs, the importance of case studies to demonstrate subscription benefits, and considerations for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) strategy.

Challenges in Quantifying Subscription Costs

• When transitioning to a subscription model, quantifying costs becomes challenging.

• Strategic procurement directors seek clarity on expenditure and allocation within subscriptions.

Importance of Case Studies for Subscriptions

• Case studies are essential to showcase the value proposition of subscriptions compared to per-word pricing.

• Tech industries often adopt subscription models but face complexity when combining solutions, technology, and services.

Strategic Approach to Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)

• Toppan Digital Language plans strategic M&A activities with a focus on niche Language Service Providers (LSPs).

• Emphasis on intelligent M&A involving companies that align culturally and offer complementary services in regulated content sectors.

Creating Value through M&A Strategies

This segment delves into observations on creating value through mergers and acquisitions (M&A), emphasizing market feedback alignment, clear strategic planning, and long-term vision.

Market Feedback Alignment for M&A

• Leveraging M&A opportunities to address customer feedback in regulated industries.

• Importance of aligning M&A strategies with market demands for sustainable growth.

Clear Strategic Planning for Long-Term Success

• Advocacy for a well-defined strategy to avoid short-term opportunistic approaches in M&A.

• Commitment to long-term projects ensuring cultural integration alongside technological advancements.

Future Vision: Expansion and Innovation

The conversation shifts towards future prospects focusing on becoming a market leader in language solutions for regulated content, exploring new products/services, geographical expansion, innovation, and digital transformation.

Market Leadership Goals

• Aim to be a market leader within five years in language solutions catering to regulated content needs.

Diversification Strategies

• Plan for diversification post-market leadership achievement by exploring new subsegments within vertical markets.

Innovation Focus