The following content is translated from Chinese source by machine translation without post-editing.
Project Background
Gartner is the world’s most authoritative IT research and consulting firm, with research covering the entire IT industry. It provides clients with objective and impartial reports on IT research, development, evaluation, applications, markets, and other areas, as well as market research reports. It assists clients in market analysis, technology selection, project justification, and investment decision-making.
At the end of 2015, TalkingChina received a translation consultation from Gartner. After successfully passing the trial translation and business investigation, TalkingChina became Gartner’s preferred translation service provider. The main purpose of this procurement is to provide translation services for its cutting-edge industry reports, as well as interpretation services for its meetings or industry seminars with clients.
Customer demand analysis
Gartner’s requirements are for translation and interpretation:
Translation requirements
1. High difficulty
The documents are all cutting-edge analysis reports from various industries, with limited reference materials available, and are translation work of a technical dissemination nature.
Technology communication mainly studies information related to technical products and services, including their expression, transmission, display, and effects. The content involves many aspects such as laws and regulations, standards and specifications, technical writing, cultural habits, and marketing promotion.
Technology communication translation is primarily technical, and Gartner’s cutting-edge reports have high technical requirements for translators; At the same time, technology communication emphasizes the effectiveness of communication. Simply put, it means using simple language to clarify difficult technology. How to convey the information of an expert to a non expert is the most challenging aspect in Gardner’s translation work.
2. High quality
Industry frontier reports need to be sent to clients, representing the quality of Gartner.
1) Accuracy requirement: In accordance with the original intention of the article, there should be no omissions or mistranslations, ensuring accurate wording and correct content in the translation;
2) Professional requirements: Must comply with international language usage habits, speak authentic and fluent language, and standardize professional terminology;
3) Consistency requirement: Based on all reports being published by Gartner, common vocabulary should be consistent and uniform;
4) Confidentiality requirement: Ensure the confidentiality of the translated content and do not disclose it without authorization.
3. Strict format requirements
The format of the client file is PDF, and TalkingChina needs to translate and submit a Word format with consistent formatting, including client charts such as “Technology Maturity Curve”. The formatting difficulty is high, and the requirements for punctuation are very detailed.
Interpretation needs
1. High demand
More than 60 meetings per month at most;
2. Diverse forms of interpretation
Forms include: off-site teleconference interpretation, local on-site conference interpretation, off-site on-site conference interpretation and simultaneous interpreting conference interpretation;
The usage of conference call interpretation is very prominent among TalkingChina Translation’s interpretation clients. The difficulty of interpreting in conference calls is also quite high. How to ensure the maximum effectiveness of translation communication in situations where face-to-face communication is not possible during conference calls is a major challenge for this client project, and the requirements for translators are very high.
3. Multi regional and multi head contacts
Gartner has multiple departments and contacts (dozens) in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and other places, with a wide range of ideas;
4. Large amount of communication
To ensure the smooth progress of the meeting, communicate the details, information, and materials of the meeting in advance.
5. High difficulty
The Gartner interpretation team at TalkingChina Translation has been through numerous battles and has been trained in Gartner conferences for a long time. They are almost small IT analysts with a deep understanding of their professional fields, not to mention language and translation skills, which are already basic requirements.
TalkingChina Translation’s Response Solution:
1、 Translation aspect
On the basis of the conventional translation production process and quality control measures such as language materials and technical tools, the most critical factors in this project are the selection, training, and adaptation of translators.
TalkingChina Translation has selected several translators for Gartner who are skilled in technology communication translation. Some of them have language backgrounds, some have IT backgrounds, and even I have worked as an IT analyst. There are also translators who have been doing technology communication translation for IMB or Microsoft for a long time. Finally, based on the language style preferences of clients, a translation team has been established to provide fixed services for Gartner. We have also accumulated Gartner’s style guidelines, which provide guidelines for translators’ translation styles and attention to detail in project management. The current performance of this translator team has greatly satisfied the client.
2. Layout response
In response to Gardner’s high formatting requirements, especially for punctuation, TalkingChina Translation has assigned a dedicated person to do the formatting, including confirming and proofreading punctuation compliance.
Interpretation aspect
1. Internal schedule
Due to the large number of meetings, we have set up an internal schedule for interpretation meetings, reminding clients to contact translators and distribute meeting materials 3 days in advance. We will recommend the most suitable translator for clients based on the difficulty level of the meeting. At the same time, we will also record the feedback from each meeting and arrange the best translator based on each feedback and the preferences of different end customers for different translations.
2. Increase customer service
Arrange three customer personnel to be responsible for the needs in Beijing, overseas, Shanghai, and Shenzhen respectively;
3. Respond quickly outside of working hours.
There is often a need for emergency conference interpretation, and the client director who requires TalkingChina’s translation sacrifices their own life time to respond in the first place. Their hard work has won the high trust of the client.
4. Communication details
During the peak period of meetings, especially from March to September, the maximum number of meetings per month exceeds 60. How to find a suitable translator for extremely short and highly repetitive meeting dates. This is even more of a challenge for TalkingChina’s translation. 60 meetings mean 60 contacts, mastering each communication dialogue and avoiding scheduling errors requires a high level of meticulousness. The first thing to do at work every day is to check the meeting schedule. Each project is at a different time point, with many details and tedious work. Patience, attention to detail, and care are essential.
Confidentiality measures
1. Developed a confidentiality plan and measures.
2. The network engineer at TalkingChina Translation is responsible for installing comprehensive software and hardware firewalls on each computer. Each employee assigned by the company must have a password when turning on their computer, and separate passwords and permissions must be set for files that are subject to confidentiality restrictions;
3. The company and all cooperating translators have signed confidentiality agreements, and for this project, the company will also sign relevant confidentiality agreements with the translation team members.
Project effectiveness and reflection:
In the four-year cooperation, the cumulative translation service volume has reached over 6 million Chinese characters, covering a wide range of fields with great difficulty. Processed tens of thousands of English reports in a short period of time multiple times. The translated research report not only represents the research analyst, but also the professionalism and image of Gartner.
At the same time, TalkingChina provided Gartner with 394 conference interpretation services in 2018 alone, including 86 teleconference interpretation services, 305 on-site consecutive conference interpretation services, and 3 simultaneous interpreting conference interpretation services. The quality of the services was recognized by Gartner’s teams and became the trusted arm in everyone’s work. Many application scenarios of interpretation services are face-to-face meetings and telephone conferences between foreign analysts and Chinese end customers, which play a crucial role in expanding the market and maintaining customer relationships. TalkingChina Translation’s services have created value for Gartner’s rapid development in China.
As mentioned above, the biggest particularity of Gardner’s translation needs is technical communication translation, which has dual high requirements for both technical and textual expression dissemination effects; The biggest particularity of Gardner’s interpretation needs is the large application volume of teleconference interpretation, which requires high professional knowledge and control ability of interpreters. The translation services provided by TalkingChina Translation are customized solutions for specific translation needs of Gartner, and helping clients solve problems is our highest goal in work.
In 2019, TalkingChina will further strengthen the data analysis of translation needs based on 2018, help Gartner track and manage internal translation needs, control costs, optimize cooperation processes, and elevate services to a higher level while ensuring quality and supporting business development.
Post time: Jul-22-2025