International Standards Organizations

Originally, the software localization process was determined by each company with a product, and the company guided its own internal group of translators.

Over time, specialized agencies sprang up that united these professionals together.This allowed each agency to develop a standard workflow, optimizing the processes involved.

Companies started to keep a limited number of professionals dedicated to performing quality-control procedures. Because each company could work with more than one agency, there grew a need for standardization and the development of recommended practices.

Today, the primary international organization for the industry is called LISA (Localization Industry Standard Association). It is responsible for the development of recommended practices and business directories, in addition to other services for localization agencies and customers.

Each agency can determine its own processes, but guidelines are extremely useful for communicating between customers and agencies.