API: A Win-Win-Win for Translation Services
What are APIs?
API (Application Programming Interface), as defined in Wikipedia, is a set of subroutine definitions, communication protocols, and tools for building software in computer programming. Today, a great number of computer servers rely on APIs to integrate and communicate with each other. For example, the API of Facebook allows users to connect with Twitter or other apps, providing users with the capability to post content on a variety of platforms.
Using APIs in Translation Services
APIs have been used in the information technology since long time ago; however, it is relatively new for them to be used in translation industry. Now, in translation industry, there are a huge number of programs, services, as well as systems (CAT tools, apps, machine translation systems, etc.) for multiple users to interact with each other. Since APIs are programming interfaces, they enable different apps and programs to understand and communicate with each other. In translation industry, API also helps staff to save a large amount of time as they no longer need to deal with routine jobs manually, such as sending e-mails and tracking orders.
The Advantages of Using APIs
For translation companies, web APIs have the following benefits, helping them to saving time and money:
1. An increase of project management capacity as a result of improving automation
2. An increase of productivity owing to automation
3. A decrease of source file errors as files are directly submitted by clients
4. Reducing email communication because clients are able to track project status directly
5. Developing ability to carry out time-sensitive translation operations
Any Challenges?
The same as almost all the other industries, translation industry is facing tough challenges. As every system has its own API, the number of used systems and interfaces boosts. The variety results in extra costs while enabling systems and their interaction between services at variance because users need to support as many different APIs as there are external systems, to which they would like to connect the APIs. This not only necessitates changes of the user interfaces, but also leads to modifications of other APIs. In the end, the more APIs you use in the industry, the more challenging it is to support them. However, it is inevitable today because technology and business development requires coordination of various systems, automation of processes, and the probability to freely exchange data like never before.
Looking for Solutions
So how to face those challenges head-on while there are so many APIs existing independently? The TAPICC project, developed by Logrus Global Company and GALA (Globalization and Localization Association), is the answer. In addition to these two companies, TAUS, LT-Innovate, Microsoft, SAP, Google, Mozilla, and some others also support this initiative. The goal of TAPICC is to develop a universal API standard, which could be used by all stakeholders and participants in translation market. With a universal API standard, a flawless interaction among clients, service providers, and partners is to be guaranteed. Therefore, if you need to transfer data from your program to your partners’ systems, your software can use the universal API to communicate with them. The project is designed to create the middleware to achieve operational compatibility among various software used by service providers, customers, as well as industry tool developers. The development of TAPICC is to guarantee that by simply assuring that the design of their software matches the universal standard, no users need to worry about their software compatibility anymore.
A Win-Win-Win?
Compared to using the traditional manual coordination of translation projects, using APIs is obviously advantageous since it is a win-win-win for clients, languages services providers(LSPs), and their vendors. Thus, it is impossible to ignore the benefits for translation services coming from APIs. Despite that there are many advantages, APIs also pose challenges to translation industry while such systems are implemented and maintained. A standardized API is to provide translation companies, clients, and programmers with feasible solutions to facilitate interaction through automation and integration of processes. By doing so, all participants can be united in the development of this optimal cutting-edge technology.
(Based on Jim Compton ’s IMUG speech on November 15, 2018:
“TAPICC: Translation API Cases and Classes”)
References
Chang, S. (2015). APIs For Translation Services. YYZ Translations. Retrieved from http://www.yyztranslations.com/category/translation-technology/
GALA. (2018). Translation API Cases and Classes Initiative (TAPICC). Retrieved from https://www.gala-global.org/translation-api-cases-and-classes
RWS Moravia Blog. (2018). Will TAPICC Become an Industry Standard for Translation APIs? [Podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/technology/blog/technology-quotes-to-
inspire-you-today/
Sandos, W. (2018). 150 Translation APIs: Google Translate, Merriam-Webster and Microsoft Translator. ProgrammableWeb. Retrieved from https://www.programmableweb.com/news/150-translation-apis-google-translate-merriam-webster-and-microsoft-translator/2018/03/22
Wikipedia. (2018). Application programming interface. Retrieved from https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/technology/blog/technology-quotes-to-
inspire-you-today/