SMA Technologie AG, a solar inverter manufacturer with highest sales worldwide, manages about 3,000 translation projects annually with the Across Language Server. In order to further optimize its translation processes the company has recently added the Across collaboration tool, crossGrid.

crossGrid is a collaboration tool that enables direct interaction between the Language Server of SMA and the Language Servers of their language service providers. This facilitates the seamless delegation of projects and the shared use of resources. As one of the earliest Across Language Server users, SMA now integrates approximately 20 translation service providers as well as numerous internal and freelance translators and reviewers in a seamless translation workflow. Using crossGrid, they work in a network on real-time creation of product-related documentation in nine languages.

A Quantum Leap in Translation Processing

A major launch of overseas promotion in 2004 led SMA to exponential growth in demand for translations. In order to meet the challenges of global exposure, SMA introduced the Corporate Translation Management System of Across. The central criteria required improving the translation quality and increasing the consistency of extensive terminology. Additionally, processes had to be accelerated and time-to-market shortened.

"In this regard, we succeeded perfectly with the help of the Across Language Server," observes Gerald Salisbury, Manager Translation Service at SMA Solar Technology AG. "Since its introduction, the system has grown in accordance with our requirements and, in fact, developed to a central corporate platform for language resources and translation processes thanks to numerous connectors and the collaboration module, crossGrid."

Across as Central Platform at SMA

Internal and external Across users have been integrated step-by-step in a seamless translation process, ensuring maximum data security and consistency. Translators receive their tasks through the system and can use the comment functions and an integrated messenger to coordinate their work directly with project managers and reviewers. External language service providers who have their own Across Language Servers are directly connected with SMA's Language Server by means of the crossGrid module, thus exchanging all relevant data from server to server. Freelance translators can also connect to the Language Server at SMA to seamlessly exchange translation tasks and to use the translation memory and the terminology system.

For Salisbury, the introduction of Across has paid off. Previously, a translation of an 80-page operating manual, for example, took up to two months after product release to be completed, but today even the prototype is equipped with multilingual documentation. "The final version of the translation is available within a few hours, even if modifications are made to the product at the last moment," says Salisbury, delightedly.

As a next step, the company plans to connect the Across Language Server directly to the company’s editorial system, SCHEMA ST4, to further increase efficiency in translation management.

About SMA Solar Technology AG

SMA Solar Technology AG, founded in 1981 and headquartered in Niestetal / Germany is nowadays a manufacturer of solar inverters, the central component of any solar power plant, with highest sales figures. The group of companies with its subsidiaries is represented in nine countries on four continents. The revenue of SMA, which currently has more than 2,000 employees, amounted to € 330 million in 2007. Since June 27, 2008, SMA is the first manufacturer of photovoltaic inverters listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange’s Prime Standard.

About Across Systems

Across Systems (www.across.net), based in Karlsbad, Germany, and in Glendale, CA, is the manufacturer of the Across Language Server – the world's leading independent linguistic supply chain technology.

The Across Language Server is a central software platform for all corporate language resources and for controlling translation processes and workflows. The system simplifies, accelerates, and improves the management, coordination, and implementation of translations. Open interfaces enable the direct integration of corresponding systems, e.g. CMS, catalog, or ERP solutions. By using Across, translation costs can be cut drastically, and the investment in Across usually pays off in a very short time.