Intervate`s Lingo Application - as simple as pressing a button

South Africa is a melting pot of cultures, languages and social references, which makes us a diverse nation with various needs. These requirements need to be translated in all facets of life - including IT. Intervate Solutions, a local software development and solution provider that focuses on intranet, extranet and portal technology, has recently launched its Lingo application, which provides definition, translation and multi-language support for companies around specific terms and phrases.

"Lingo is a versatile and easy to use tool that provides pre-created translations, definitions and other related information regarding the selected terms and phrases," says Migal van As, CEO of Intervate. "Because the tool has been developed as a Web application, it can be used for Web sites, intranets and portals, giving companies the ability to service and support a multitude of people from different backgrounds."

"If we consider IT as a business enabler, the need for applications that provide organisations with the ability to correctly train, educate and empower their staff, no matter their background or language is an essential component to their own business growth and development," adds Van As.

"Lingo provides an alternative method for finding information rather than traditional methods of using hyperlinks, which is high maintenance, and structured search results, which can become inefficient and overpowering when large numbers of results are returned for a simple query."

Lingo gives users the ability to simply select the required word or phrase, which is then searched for within pre-defined catalogues and matched results are immediately returned to the user via a popup screen. Additionally, the system allows users to view a list of available glossary terms, and if new terms need to be added, this can be accomplished through a Web page and automatically stored.

"The benefit of this solution is that it is not restricted to mere terms, but can accommodate definitions, translations, queries and business/industry specific phrases which are particular to a company and that their staff have become familiar with. Lingo runs off the Microsoft platform, ensuring good compatibility and is easily integrated with other systems if needed.

"Company employees now have the ability to gain a more in-depth knowledge of phrases by using this tool, as it can be linked to relevant Web sites for further information and support - standard company tasks become easier, like tender documents, internal proposals, etc, as staff now have access to information and therefore gain an understanding of how to utilise terms and phrases correctly," adds Van As.

Lingo is offered either as a standalone solution or it can be integrated into an existing intranet or portal and requires no IT skills to tailor-design or maintain.