When I started Cloudwords with Michael I was struck by the lack of true, innovative “cloud” based technologies in the translation industry. Using experience gained from my 10 years at salesforce.com, a company who truly pioneered the “cloud” movement, I saw an amazing opportunity to bring the power of the cloud to an industry whose customers were craving applications that were easy to use and ultimately – didn’t suck. So I spent the last year coding what is now the Cloudwords platform, with the goal of 
making the translation process easier, faster, and cheaper for those who matter most– the people and companies who need their content translated. And to date we’ve been very pleased by our customer’s feedback around our application and service.
That being said, I’ve noticed there are quite a few misconceptions around cloud computing, and with “THE CLOUD” being pushed by the likes of Microsoft and IBM– the poster children of the pre-cloud world– things get even more murky. And in the translation industry itself vendors have truly muddied the differences between “on-premise” and “cloud” software. Their marketing teams have done a fantastic job confusing customers by slapping SaaS, ASP, Cloud, etc. onto their websites and marketing collateral, when in fact they are re-packaging old applications that are not truly cloud-based and hence lack the real power and benefits of cloud computing technology.
With this in mind I have placed the executive summary to a white paper I wrote below. My goal was to help non-technical people understand what is “on-premise” and “cloud” software, how they are different, why those differences matter, and why customers benefit dramatically from cloud-based applications. Lastly, I address how cloud-based technologies can benefit companies who need to manage the process of getting stuff translated.
If you would like the full white paper, you can find it here – http://www.pages05.net/cloudwords/blog/
Excerpt from the White Paper “Simplify Translation with Real-Time Cloud Software”
As companies expand to compete in new and diverse geographic markets, customers expect to be approached in their native language with a clear understanding of cultural nuances. Online translation management helps companies meet this need by sourcing efficient, secure translation services over the Internet. This white paper explains how cloud software transforms the translation industry and benefits translation customers.
Software today can be structured in two ways: on-premise or in the cloud.
The traditional model is on-premise software running in your company’s data center. This has the advantage of utilizing familiar procurement and management processes. However, on-premise software requires large initial commitments of operating expenses (OPEX) and technology savvy teams to install, configure, and maintain it. The diversity of data centers running on-premise software means that developers must spend additional time and money supporting the varied configurations of any features and improvements they want to make. In contrast, cloud software runs from a single data center and allows developers to manage a single version of the software. Subscribers make low initial cost commitments and can start using the software within minutes. Updates and enhancements are instantaneous for all users.
Though translation is a necessary expense for many companies, the same Internet that created this need also helps to solve it. Now you can go online –into the cloud — to find translators, manage your projects, and maintain all your translation assets. Compared to traditional translation, online capabilities save you money and time, and can improve your translations substantially. That’s what my company, Cloudwords, does.
With a well-established principle called “multitenancy,” cloud software can manage many users (tenants) of the software, separately and securely, at the same time. This offers many advantages such as immediate access to the product, instant availability of new features, lower costs, little demand on IT staff, and proven security.
Read the full white paper: http://www.pages05.net/cloudwords/blog/
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