Translation technology in ISO 17100

The ISO 17100 standard recognises that translation technology forms part of the professional environment of a translation agency. It does not replace the translator or the reviser, but it helps to prepare, manage, translate, revise and control projects more safely.

In technical, legal, medical, pharmaceutical, corporate or web projects, these tools help maintain consistency, retrieve previous translations, control terminology, detect formal errors and work with complex files.

Technology does not guarantee quality on its own. Quality depends on the process, on professional translators, on independent revision and on translation project management. But without suitable technology, many current projects would be slower, less traceable and more prone to errors.

What ISO 17100 means by translation technology

The standard refers to a broad set of tools that may be used by translators, revisers, reviewers, proofreaders, project managers and other professionals.

These include computer-aided translation tools, translation memories, terminology management systems, quality assurance tools, project management systems, revision tools, localization systems, desktop publishing software, content management systems and technology related to machine translation.

Not every project needs the same tools. A short Word translation does not require the same technical environment as a multilingual website, a maintenance manual, an InDesign catalogue or software documentation.

Computer-aided translation

Computer-aided translation, usually known as CAT, means using specialist software to support the human translation process.

It should not be confused with machine translation.

In a CAT tool, the translator is still the person who translates and makes decisions. The program segments the text, allows translation memories to be consulted, displays previous matches, helps maintain terminology and facilitates consistency checks.

Tools such as Trados, memoQ, Phrase and other similar environments are used in many professional projects.

The main advantage is that the translator can work with greater control over long, repetitive or multilingual texts.

Translation memories

A translation memory is a bilingual database that stores previously translated segments. Whenever an identical or similar sentence appears in a new project, the tool can show the previous translation.

This is useful in technical manuals, recurring documentation, contracts with repeated clauses, product sheets, catalogues, websites, corporate documentation, instructions for use and software updates.

A translation memory helps maintain consistency, but it does not translate with judgement on its own. Every match has to be checked in context.

A sentence may appear to be the same and still require a different solution if the reader, the format, the country of use or the meaning of the paragraph changes.

Terminology management

Terminology management is another key element in professional translation.

A glossary or terminology database can state which term must be used, which one must be avoided, which acronyms remain unchanged, how a product name is translated or which variant the client prefers.

This is especially important in medical and pharmaceutical translations, legal translations, technical documentation, automotive content, software and financial texts.

A poor terminology decision can cause inconsistencies or interpretation errors.

For that reason, terminology has to be prepared during pre-production and maintained throughout the project.

Quality assurance tools

Quality assurance tools help detect formal errors that may go unnoticed in ordinary reading.

They can flag non-matching numbers, damaged tags, untranslated segments, double spaces, terminology inconsistencies, differences in units of measurement, formatting problems, inconsistencies between repeated segments and issues in proper names or codes.

These checks do not replace independent revision. They serve as technical support.

A system can detect that a number does not match, but it cannot decide by itself whether a legal clause has been rendered correctly or whether a medical instruction preserves the correct clinical meaning.

Project management systems

Management systems help control deadlines, files, suppliers, languages, versions, comments, deliveries and project status.

In small projects, this management may be simple. In multilingual projects, it is essential.

A project manager may have to coordinate several translators, revisers, files, formats and delivery dates. If translation memories, glossaries, client instructions and source updates are also involved, traceability becomes indispensable.

Technology helps reduce organisational errors, but a person responsible for control is still necessary.

Localization and website translation

In website translation, technology plays a particular role.

The translation may be carried out from HTML, XML, JSON, XLIFF, CMS exports, spreadsheets or localization platforms.

Here it is not enough to translate sentences. Menus, buttons, forms, URLs, metadata, alternative text, automatic messages, short strings and on-screen elements must also be controlled.

A localization tool helps keep the text organised and prevents tags or technical structures from being broken.

Desktop publishing and formats

Some projects require work with non-editable or layout-based formats.

There may be PDF files, InDesign, Illustrator, PowerPoint, AutoCAD, XML, Excel sheets with mixed content or documentation exported from internal systems.

Technology makes it possible to prepare those files for translation, preserve formatting and avoid errors when the translated text is reinserted.

In those cases, proofreading may be necessary after desktop publishing to detect line breaks, hidden text, typographical errors or visual problems.

Machine translation and post-editing

Machine translation is the generation of a translation by a computer system. Post-editing consists of reviewing and correcting the output of that machine translation.

The current edition of ISO 17100 does not cover raw machine translation output plus post-editing as a service within its scope. There is a specific framework for this type of work: ISO 18587.

The evaluation of the quality of the translated product, including human translation, post-edited machine translation and unedited machine translation, is better related to ISO 5060.

Technology and confidentiality

The use of translation tools also requires confidentiality to be controlled.

Not all systems are suitable for every type of document. A contract, a patent, a medical report, medical device documentation or a court file may contain sensitive information.

For that reason, a translation company has to assess which tools it uses, where data are stored, who has access to the files and what conditions have been agreed with the client.

Technology must support the process, not put information at risk.

LinguaVox and translation technology

LinguaVox uses computer-aided translation tools, translation memories, terminology management, quality assurance systems and technical resources adapted to each project.

This approach is especially useful in technical, medical, pharmaceutical, legal, corporate, web and multilingual documentation.

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Frequently asked questions about translation technology

What is a CAT tool?

A CAT tool is a program that helps the human translator work with segments, translation memories, glossaries and technical checks. It does not translate automatically on its own.

What is the difference between CAT and machine translation?

CAT supports the work of a professional translator. Machine translation generates a translation through a computer system. They are different concepts, although they may be integrated in some environments.

What is a translation memory?

It is a bilingual database that stores previous translations so they can be reused or consulted in future projects. It helps maintain consistency, especially in recurring documentation.

Does a translation memory guarantee quality?

No. It can improve consistency and efficiency, but every match must be checked in context. A poorly managed memory can repeat errors.

What is terminology management?

It is the process of creating, maintaining and applying approved terms for a client, sector or project. It helps avoid unnecessary variants and errors in specialised texts.

Does ISO 17100 allow the use of machine translation?

The standard includes translation technology, but the current edition excludes raw machine translation output plus post-editing as a service covered by ISO 17100. For post-editing, the appropriate framework is ISO 18587.