Microsoft has teamed up with the Pan South African Language Board to release Windows Vista language interface packs to drive technology accessibility, particularly in rural areas.
The Windows Vista language interface pack is an open source software program that translates the English wording in a Microsoft operating system into Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu or Sesotho sa Leboa. The software is available and free to download from Microsoft's Web site and takes up 2Mb of storage space.
Colin Erasmus, Windows client business group executive, says the driving force behind the software was for Microsoft to give South Africans greater access to technology, as well as grow the local software industry.
“As the digital divide closes, we have to ensure the technology is relevant to the community it serves,” says Erasmus. “Technologies and services that work well in the developed world may not always be appropriate for the developing world. We are focused on getting more computers to more people, and ensuring relevance and affordability by offering software and services in local languages.”
The language interface packs have localised the menus, buttons, information messages, tool tips, Outlook Express and wizards.
Microsoft is working on translating Windows Office 2007, which includes software such as Word and Excel. These are expected to be available to download in the first quarter of 2009. In addition, Microsoft is considering localising its software as a service capability.
101 languages
The project, which took two years to develop, is part of an expansion of Microsoft's global language initiative, which caters for 101 languages.
According to Microsoft, an estimated 10 million South Africans use isiZulu as their first-language, with eight million first-language isiXhosa speakers, four million Sesotho speakers and 6.5 million Afrikaans speakers. Microsoft believes the technology becomes easier to understand and use once it's translated into a user's home language.
Language packs are also available for XP, which caters for isiZulu, Setswana and Afrikaans.
Erasmus says: “With the XP operating system, users would have to re-install each language pack to switch between languages. This has been corrected with Vista, as users would just need to select the language, log off and log into the system again.
“Forty percent to 50% of people living in SA don't have access to technology, and one of the main reasons is because they cannot access the technology language. Local software providers are starting to develop different languages into their software and we would like to see an entire PC having the ability to be translated, not just its operating system, but also its programs.”
Ntaoleng Motaung, Microsoft subsidiary program manager, notes that one of the challenges was to standardise the terminology. “The real challenge came in with words such as broadband and network because in languages such as isiZulu, isiXhosa and Sesotho sa Leboa, a direct translation simply doesn't exist. It was important to protect the language and address the needs of the specific language when designing translations.”
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