What is GILT? Explaining the acronym

GILT is important for businesses and organizations seeking to reach global audiences effectively. It’s made up of a set of processes through which companies can expand their reach, increase user engagement, enhance user experience across diverse markets, among many other benefits. But what is GILT after all?

Simply put, GILT is an acronym that stands for the following:

• Globalization
• Internationalization
• Localization
• Translation

We’ll now break down each process to highlight its importance.

Globalization

Globalization is defined as “The increase of trade around the world, especially by large companies producing and trading goods in many different countries.“

The process involves designing products or content in a way that allows them to be easily adapted to different languages, regions, and cultures without significant modification. It often entails creating products with a global audience in mind from the start, considering factors like cultural sensitivity, legal requirements, and technical standards.

Recommended read: Globalization vs localization

Internationalization

Internationalization is defined as “The action of becoming or making something become international.“

Often abbreviated as i18n, internationalization is the strategic planning process a business goes through to prepare its products or services for a global audience. Think of it as building a solid foundation that allows for easy expansion into new territories. It’s not about creating a finished product for every market, but rather creating a product that can be easily customized for each one.

Recommended read: Localization vs internationalization

Localization

Localization is defined as “The process of organizing a business or industry so that its main activities happen in local areas rather than nationally or internationally.“

The companion to internationalization, localization (l10n) is where the rubber meets the road in taking your product global. Through translation, cultural adaptation, formatting, and legal and regulatory compliance, localization takes your internationalized product and gives it a local flair. It’s about making your product feel like it was designed specifically for that market.

Recommended read: Localization readiness: Are you prepared?

Translation

Translation is defined as “To change writing or speech from one language into another.“

It is the foundation of communication across languages, the process of transferring the meaning of a text from one language (the source language) to another language (the target language). There are different types of translation depending on the specific needs, and localization is one of the them. Overall, translation is a complex skill that requires a deep understanding of language, culture, and the art of communication.

Recommended read: Localization vs translation

Benefits of GILT

Through its multiple processes, GILT enables businesses and organizations to expand their reach to international markets by adapting their products, services, or content to different languages, cultures, and regions. By doing so, companies can tap into new customer bases and unlock growth opportunities beyond their borders.

Stats don’t lie: localized products or content tend to perform better in foreign markets, leading to increased sales and revenue. Customers are more likely to purchase products or engage with content that speaks to them in their native language. If you provide your customers with content in their language, that reflects their cultural context, you foster trust and loyalty.

GILT also ensures that products or content comply with relevant laws, such as data protection regulations, labeling requirements, and language-specific regulations, thus reducing the risk of legal issues and penalties. Understanding and complying with local laws is key to avoiding costly fines and disruptions when expanding your business overseas.

Localize with POEditor

POEditor can be a valuable tool specifically in the translation and localization aspects of GILT processes. As a translation management system, it helps manage your translation workflow effectively. You can upload your content (like app strings or website text) in different languages and invite your translators (among other translation options) to work on it.

The platforms allows you to create and maintain a glossary of approved terms for your product or service for consistency across translations. The translation memory feature stores previously translated segments and suggests them during the translation process; this speeds up the localization process by reducing redundant work.

Our localization features can streamline the process of adapting your content for specific markets, while the multiple integrations with various third-party tools and platforms help integrate your localization workflows into existing development and communication processes.