Machine Translation Services

Machine Translation Services (MT) is a service that uses automated translation with or without human intervention. Machine Translation is probably the most publicly visible innovation in our industry ever and it’s made popular by services like Google Translate for websites and text but also in places like Skype.

There are different types of Machine Translation systems out there that are either Rule Based or Statistically Based. Because Machine Translation is used widely, Statistically Based Machine Translation is able to use large amounts of data to learn how to improve the translation output.

Google’s paving the way for more sophisticated ways in how systems learn about language including structural analysis to understand meaning and sentiment.

What it means for our industry is not that we have a competitor, but another tool in our toolbox to help clients with translation services. Machine Translation these days works just as well together with any of the other Translation Technology workflow out there. As with any technology, it’s important to know how to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology and when to use it.

Strict Machine Translation

When you have a lot of volume to go through and not a lot of budget, Machine Translation can be a good solution. However, it should never be just used to communicate anything to the outside world without any review. Machine Translation is good to perform tasks like discovery or to get basic understanding of text. When we work with legal firms on large documents, we can offer Machine Translation to render a basic understanding of the content. That basic understanding can be used to pick and choose passages that may be worth translating.

Machine Translation + Post Editing

Post-editing is a service where a human professional translator completes translation performed by Machine Translation. Translating thousands of words using MT in no-time could be helpful in gaining a time advantage. However, it takes translators time and effort to understand the output and translators are not being made as familiar with the source text as their focus is now on editing the translation. Therefore, post-editing is better suited for technical content than perhaps more creative content. With MT + Post Editing, you can buy yourself some time and save on costs, but like with any translation project, it’s better to plan for it than to use it in a reactionary way.

Confidentiality

Many don’t realize that the use of MT can compromise confidentiality. Especially in the healthcare setting and in dealing with PHI, MT is not a viable option. When asking for Machine Translation Services, it is important that Confidentiality is discussed. Most MT engines will use your data for learning purposes, which means that this information is now used and perhaps even owned by the provider. Translators who use Machine Translation for productivity purposes should keep that in mind as well. We can determine whether MT is a viable option and give you options to protect your confidentiality.

Looking for a partner that can help you effectively use MT?