Software companies have come to understand that in order to attain significant market share (not only in the American market) they must fully localize their software into the languages of the target countries. Localization is a process of adapting a product to various markets worldwide in order for local users to feel that the product was planned and produced for them and adapted to their language, culture and needs.

Now that the internet has become the principal mode of communication in the global economy, international markets are changing and are becoming more and more crowded by the day. Many software companies are seeking new markets in which to operate, and ways to gain a significant competitive edge.

In spite of the widespread assumption that in most countries around the globe people speak or understand English, the chances of successfully marketing software without performing a complete and high caliber localization process of the interface and documentation into the local language are slim.

Today only around 12% of Europeans speak English as a first language, and only around 28% of the population understands English at all! Moreover, most people around the world surf the internet in their mother tongue and not necessarily in English.

What do major software and hardware companies around the world do? Just taking a look at the websites of Microsoft, Adobe, Apple, HP, Cisco and other companies proves that these companies address their customers in their own language exclusively. Their websites have been translated into the dozens of languages of the target markets in which they operate. The products have been translated in their entirety, including technical specifications and documentation as well as the company