Fairfax, Virginia-based Globalink Inc has released Power Translator Professional for Windows, a Windows-based version of its series of European natural language translation software. The series is also now available on CD-ROM. It is available in English to French, German or Spanish versions and is capable of translation both to and from English. The software does more than literal word-for-word translation, the company said. It also reviews all the words in the sentence and takes account of their context to improve the quality of the translation. Globalink has finalised the acquisition of Microtac Software Inc announced last year (CI No 2,461) giving it an estimated 85% of the of the market for personal computer-based translation. Its challenge now is to combine the technologies of the two companies – the lower end Language Assistant from what was Microtac and the higher end Power Translator and Power Translator Professional from Globalink. To this end, the company is working on project Barcelona. The product that evolves will have an exposed Object Linking & Embedding layer. As part of the Barcelona project the company is also working to separate the analysis part of the translation process from the target language so that translations can be done directly from German to French for example without having to go via English. During 1995, Globalink plans to push the concept of integration so the translation software can sit as an icon in Microsoft Word, for example using OLE 2.0 applications programmming interface. In particular it wants to focus the use of its translation products with electronic mail and on-line services such as the Internet and work with front end suppliers of these. That way it foresees opening these services up to non-English speakers. In May Globalink plans to launch Translation Express, a translation service for customers that need a grammatically correct translation. The server will be based in Fairfax and clients will send copy via modem, Globalink will take responsibility for collecting the fees and charge comparable rates to professional translators. Power Translator Professional for Windows requires Windows 3.1 or better, 4Mb memory, 22Mb hard disk, it’s out now and is ú500.
