Language Localization Accelerated

The Local Language Program, introduced in Mar. 2004, will ease the task of making Windows and Office available in additional languages and encourages local communities to be involved in creating customized versions for their language. The program will make Microsoft software available to many million new potential customers, help Microsoft compete with open-source efforts to make software available in more languages, and separates commercial from cultural incentives when determining which languages Office or Windows should be customized for.

The Push to Localize

To meet the needs of its worldwide customer base, Microsoft releases its software products in multiple languages: for example, Windows 2000 and Windows XP were released in about 25 fully localized language versions. (For a description of various types of localization, see the sidebar “Degrees of Localization“.) Recent versions of Windows, and certain versions of Office, can also be significantly localized with the addition of a Multilingual User Interface (MUI) Pack.