Lionbridge Technologies Inc. (LIOX)

[analogdog]

Lionbridge Launches CMS Alliance Program With Top Tier Content Management Partners
Lionbridge Developing Web Services Connections with Leading CMS Providers Including Ektron, Interwoven, and Acumium to Simplify Global Content Management and Delivery
Nov 20, 2007 9:20:00 AM

WALTHAM, Mass. Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lionbridge Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIOX) today announced the formation of the Content Management System (CMS) Alliance Program, an ecosystem of CMS providers and system integrators who are committed to simplifying global content management and publishing. Combining the expertise of all participants, Lionbridge is using Web Services to connect Freeway (TM), Lionbridge's free, hosted translation management platform, to leading CMS platforms, helping companies greatly improve processes and lower the costs of global content management.

In forming the CMS Alliance Program, Lionbridge has established alliances and connections with an initial group of leading CMS providers, including Ektron, CrownPeak, Interwoven, Acumium, and Vasont, with an open invitation for additional systems providers to join the program. In addition, key system integrators, including Klish Group, Armedia, and iSITE Design, have lent their support in providing a simple Web Services solution for customers to globalize their content. Now, companies who deliver global content are able to have translation workflow embedded directly into their CMS systems without licensing, deploying, or integrating new GMS software.

"A major challenge for organizations today is the integration of the people, processes, and technologies within the global content lifecycle," said Leonor Ciarlone, Globalization Practice Lead Analyst, The Gilbane Group. "Lionbridge's work with a number of integrators and CMS providers addresses this challenge by focusing on integrated content and translation management as an enabler of automation and decreased time-to-market. Providing a SaaS delivery model with Web services-based connectivity enhances the focus through a centralized, yet flexible approach for real-time collaboration."

Traditionally, companies had two options for globalizing their content. The first option required that companies manually extract content from their CMS system and package it for their translation partner, either through email or FTP. This was time consuming, error prone, and difficult to track. The second option was to physically connect a separate translation workflow or technology tool to their CMS. This connection required integrating yet another software solution, through complex programming, to work with an existing CMS solution. This method also placed the burden on the content manager to create an entirely new workflow for globalizing content, without taking advantage of the native functionality embedded in the CMS.

Now, utilizing a solution that links the Freeway language management platform into the CMS via a simple Web Services connection, companies have a streamlined process for taking their content global without purchasing additional software. Freeway plugs into a company's existing workflow, allowing content owners to simply flag content for translation. The system automatically sends content into the translation process and reinserts the translated content upon completion, dramatically simplifying global content distribution.

Freeway + CMS = Simplified Global Content Management In formalizing the CMS Alliance Program, Lionbridge is offering customers a new way of distributing their content on a global scale, with several benefits over more traditional methods including;

Improved Workflow for Content Managers - Since the CMS Alliance Program is open to any CMS provider, customers know they will be able to leverage their investment in existing content management systems. In addition, content managers will not need to redefine their process workflows to take their content global and benefit from a fully managed services approach to translation.

Seamless Connection to Automate Processes - The Web Services architecture of the Freeway language management platform enables easy connectivity to the front end of the CMS platform, eliminating the time typically spent by content managers integrating cumbersome language software programs into their CMS. In this way, translation management becomes the "plumbing" of the content management process, easing content globalization and allowing companies to focus on content development instead of process management.

No Need for Additional Technology Purchases - Freeway is a Software as a Service platform delivered free to Lionbridge customers, greatly reducing total cost of translation by removing additional software purchase costs, process redefinition time, and ongoing software maintenance costs for the customer.

"As companies expand rapidly into new markets and reorganize as truly global companies, delivering global content has become a horizontal business function impacting every aspect of the organization," said Rory Cowan, CEO, Lionbridge. "Global content is simply an extension of existing material, and all of the tools and processes required to manage this content are already in place. By embedding Freeway into the CMS platform, we are harnessing these capabilities without requiring our customers to buy new technology tools and completely redefine their processes."

Freeway is offered for free to Lionbridge clients and translation partners as the foundation for a disciplined, managed service approach to translation management. By seamlessly connecting to a client's CMS, Freeway is helping customers reduce turnaround times, lower the total cost of production, and reach new markets, without investing in additional staff or software licenses. To learn more about the alliances program visit, http://www.lionbridge.com/cms.

Lionbridge will be demonstrating several translation Web Services connections in its stand at the Gilbane Content Management Conference taking place in Boston November 27-29, 2007. For more information visit, http://gilbaneboston.com/