Challenge

Develop an efficient manner to localize their patented solution for call centers.

Virtual Hold is a successful company with a unique patented solution, which allows call centers to significantly reduce costs while increasing customer satisfaction. Expanding into international markets is a key element of their growth strategy. Thus, they needed a process to quickly localize their software.

Approach

Instead of jumping into the translation of the source files, the source code was streamlined.

Knowing that the software might need to be changed in the future to accommodate other languages, the overall structure was streamlined, (often referred to as "internationalization" or i18n). This means there's a single code base, which will support all target markets. Changes did not need to be made in all various language versions. They were made in a single place, and seamlessly inherited by all locales. Likewise, testing did not need to be duplicated, which saved a significant amount of time.

Solution

A process was devised to reduce costs, maintain quality and increase time-to-market.

Validate. Echo International made sure the application would support international characters.

Separate. The content that needed to be localized was kept separate from the global code base.

Refactoring. Improvements were made to the internal structure, such as migrating the solution from .NET 1.0 to .NET 2.0, to make future changes easier.

Develop efficiencies. All number, date, time and currency formats and other locale-specific attributes were handled simultaneously.

Results

Proactive approach means product launched on time.

By internationalizing the application, Echo International prevented unforeseen code issues, such as corrupted characters, from pushing back the product release date. The streamlined release process will allow Virtual Hold to focus on their business goals, and quickly take their unique solution to international markets following a predictable and efficient process.