ABBYY SmartCAT

2014

ABBYY Language Services brought into commercial operation own cloud platform for automation of translation processes of ABBYY SmartCAT, told TAdviser in the company in October, 2014.

The platform integrates an opportunity for work with the centralized bases of a translation memory and glossaries, tools for postediting of machine translation, the automated quality control and integration with external systems through API. Besides, in it developments of ABBYY are used: dictionaries of Lingvo and a sensing technology of the scanned documents. It is possible to work in SmartCAT from any computer connected to the Internet.

According to statements of developers, centralization of base of earlier translated segments of the text Translation Memory allows to reduce the total costs of transfer to 30-80%. Additional significant economy can be reached when using machine translation (MT) on certain projects. MT technologies from different producers are built already in SmartCAT, and a system allows to execute postediting, to trace performance measures of the editor of MT and to draw conclusions about the reached economy.

The Frilansersky version of ABBYY SmartCAT is free

SmartCAT is presented in two versions: for freelance translators and for corporate users (contains additional functions on project management). The Frilansersky version is free, and the cost of the corporate license begins from 1490 rub a month. Conditions of the license assume that the number of the registered users can be any, and full-function access to a system is limited by the number of at the same time working users.

Among advantages of the corporate version of SmartCAT in ABBYY Language Services call an opportunity to keep track of the status of performance of work online and to start transfer process by simple clicking of the button in CMS or the workflow system.

ABBYY Language Services explained TAdviser that the SmartCAT platform is available to any user from any country. For launch it exists in two versions — in the Russian and English languages. At the same time the company considers the possibility of localization of the SmartCAT interface on bigger quantity of languages, added to ABBYY Language Services.

Earlier it was reported that invested about $10 million within three years in development of SmartCAT ABBYY Language Services. The closed testing of the platform began at the end of 2013.

ABBYY Language Services notes that their platform - the Russia's first such. Among already existing world competitors of SmartCAT providing CAT tools (Computer Assisted Translation Tools) it is possible to give SDL Trados, DejaVu, memoQ providing desktop versions, and cloud Memsource and XTM.

2016: SmartCAT refuses licenses and opens the directory of translators

The cloud platform for automation of transfer of SmartCAT developed by ABBYY of LS since the beginning of 2016 changed a business model and refused sale of licenses. Also within the platform for the Russian users the marketplace for translators begins to work.

Earlier the platform worked on model of paid licenses for a workplace of the translator. Now SmartCAT changes a business model and refuses sale of licenses since January 21, 2016. Corporate clients and translation companies get full access to professional linguistic technologies in which development Abbyy of LS invested $6 million and more than two years of work, noted in the company.

"If players of the market get free and unlimited access to modern technologies and an ecosystem of translators, it considerably will increase profitability of their business and will accelerate growth. And to customers of translation service the SmartCAT platform will help to save and will increase process performance of transfer and localization" — Smolnikov Ivan, the CEO of ABBYY of LS and SmartCAT said.

It is expected that this business model, failure from paid licenses, will allow SmartCAT to strengthen a position in the world market of technologies for transfer and localization. According to plans, revenue will be generated due to additional services: expanded technical support, implementation services, etc.

Besides, within SmartCAT in the Russian market the marketplace in which it is possible to find more than 50 thousand translators from 100 countries opens. Allowed to attract such number of specialists from around the world for the short period the fact that the SmartCAT platform initially was created and remains free for freelance translators.

Marketplace allows business to work and be calculated with translators, editors, proofreaders directly. It is possible to pick up translators and to organize own command by the following parameters: language pairs (for example, English — Russian, etc.), ownership of subject, a mother tongue, rates, existence of the passed tests, the number of the executed projects, activity on the platform and responses from customers.

SmartCAT are the cornerstone the modern linguistic technologies developed in Russia. Using SmartCAT of the company save resources and also time for transfer and localization due to automation of translation processes. The solution helps to cut project implementation term by half and to save up to 70% of the budget thanks to reuse of earlier translated texts. Automatic control of terminology and accounting of repetitions reduce risk of "a human factor" and allow to increase translation quality, claim in the company.

According to Abbyy of LS, the volume of the Russian market of transfers is about $300 million - it is about 1% of the universal market.