Peter Reynolds, memoQ’s Co-CEO, addresses ATA members from the heart with a timely yet forward-thinking outlook on the legendary tool’s utility and relevance
By Bridget Hylak, Administrator, ATA Language Technology Division, assisted by ChatGPT
Moderators: Bridget Hylak and Daniel Sebesta
The ATA TEKTalks webinar series hit a high note on April 27, 2023, with a down-to-earth session featuring Peter Reynolds, the respected, connected and almost legendary Co-CEO of memoQ. With years of experience in the translation and localization industries and an impressive portfolio, Reynolds shed light on the remarkable features that set memoQ apart in the crowded landscape of translation tools. Notably, he managed to do so with a cadence, simplicity and perspective that clearly evidenced his decades of industry experience and deep understanding of the needs of its professionals.
Right from the start, Reynolds highlighted the three standout features that, in his opinion, make memoQ one-of-a-kind. First, memoQ ensures that users never lose their work, even in the event of software crashes or power outages. The platform consistently saves translations, granting peace of mind to linguists who invest hours into their projects.
Second, Reynolds emphasized the exceptional support provided by memoQ. Instead of automated responses, the support team is comprised of real people available around the clock, responding within four hours. This personalized approach ensures that users receive timely assistance when needed, while also reinforcing memoQ’s commitment to customer satisfaction.
Finally, according to Reynolds, memoQ’s range of leverage technologies surpasses its competitors. This includes seamless integration with over 20 machine translation engines, including custom engines, as well as the innovative combination of segment-based translation memory and LiveDocs, a corpus-based memory. With the recent release of TM+, their next-generation TM engine, and the inclusion of term base and predictive typing capabilities, memoQ provides customers with an extensive toolkit.
The webinar delved into memoQ’s development of the Backup Wizard tool, which originated from clients’ requests on the Idea Portal. This tool enables users to effortlessly backup and restore local projects, along with all registered local resources. Additionally, memoQ’s Backup Wizard allows for the complete backup and restoration of memoQ content, including projects, resources, and settings, enabling a seamless transition to a new computer or system.
“By continuously improving integration capabilities with other top-tier technologies and focusing on core product development, memoQ empowers users to deliver high-quality translations efficiently.”
When asked about the challenges and inspirations in his career, Reynolds warmly attributed his greatest personal success to the meaningful connections he forged with industry giants, fostering professional and personal friendships along the way. Rather than seeing founders and creators of other tools as competitors, he said, he considers most of them colleagues-in-arms who continually learn from each other, and these relationships have undoubtedly contributed to memoQ’s continuous growth and success.
Reynolds expressed memoQ’s commitment to supporting both large enterprises and individual language professionals in their pursuit of a lucrative career. By continuously improving integration capabilities with other top-tier technologies and focusing on core product development, memoQ empowers users to deliver high-quality translations efficiently. The market’s increasing competitiveness necessitates well-trained professionals leveraging excellent technology tools like memoQ to meet client expectations.
In terms of keeping pace with the rapidly evolving language localization industry, memoQ actively seeks user feedback through their Idea Portal. Recent developments include TM+ and improved platform compatibility, with several unannounced features on the horizon.
When it comes to specific industry niches, memoQ excels in gaming, audiovisual translation, life sciences, finance, and regulated industries that demand top-notch quality and stringent security protocols. memoQ’s reliability and performance have solidified its position as a leading TMS brand, as attested by Nimdzi’s 2022 research, and according to Reynolds, targeting niche markets and leveraging advanced technologies are vital for delivering high-quality translations that meet the evolving demands of clients.
Addressing concerns about the future of translation and localization, Reynolds reaffirmed memoQ’s mission to support linguists as experts in the loop, rather than replacing them. By providing choice, control, and guidance for standard, predictable and/or repeatable high-value translations, memoQ empowers language professionals to thrive in the evolving industry landscape, he said.
Regarding pricing and licensing, Reynolds indicated that the platform offers diverse solutions tailored to different client needs. As with most platforms and individual tools, costs vary depending on factors such as industry, size, and requirements.
To stay as flexible as possible, memoQ seamlessly integrates with numerous industry-standard tools and technologies, including RWS Trados, Wordfast, Plunet, XTRF, FlowFit, and various content, business, terminology, and project management platforms. memoQ’s compatibility extends beyond translation tools, with integrations ranging from project management to terminology systems. While Mac users will need a virtual machine to run memoQ, the platform supports a wide array of operating systems.
When it comes to language capabilities, memoQ is remarkably versatile, boasting support for over 250 language dialects, including the beloved Klingon, Reynolds indicated. Their team is continually working to expand this repertoire, as diversity, equity and inclusion issues take center stage in the industry and are in high demand.
Unleashing memoQ’s Power for Freelancers
memoQ offers a range of features that empower freelancers and streamline tasks traditionally handled by language engineers at Language Service Providers (LSPs). Customizable import filters, Regex Assistant for complex tagging, the Video Preview tool for audiovisual translation, customizable QA settings, and light resources enable freelancers to enhance their productivity and deliver cutting-edge, comprehensive quality to clients, and possibly even to expand their business model and service offerings.
memoQ does not feature a marketplace directly associated with the tool. However, it provides users with an expansive toolset and capabilities to streamline their translation and localization workflows.
Also Optimized for Translation Companies
memoQ’s reliability, performance, and ongoing collaboration with translation companies position it as a trusted partner in the industry. The tool’s compatibility with various translation company processes, coupled with its top-of-mind status according to Nimdzi’s research, makes it an ideal choice for companies seeking optimal translation and localization solutions.
That wouldn’t be the case, though, if memoQ did not cater to diverse user preferences by offering a wide range of deployment and subscription options. Users can choose between cloud-based and on-premise solutions, providing the freedom to align their translation and localization processes with their specific needs.
A very important factor constantly at the forefront of our industry is data protection and privacy protocols. Reynolds assured the audience that security is paramount to memoQ’s mission. The tool adheres to industry security standards, providing ISO 27001 certified solutions and secure connections. With anonymized data and strict adherence to relevant privacy regulations, memoQ ensures the protection and confidentiality of user information.
Training, Conferences, and Certification
memoQ supports its users through regular training events, especially conferences like its wildly popular memoQfest, with its most recent installment taking place June 21-23, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. A quick scan on LinkedIn can attest to the energy, passion and success behind the event which drew experts from all over the world in a like-minded effort to forge a path toward the future of the industry. memoQ also regularly hosts webinars, memoQtalks, and offers an on-demand training platform, memoQ Academy. Users can also pursue certification through memoQ Academy, enhancing their proficiency and expertise with the tool.
So what are the takeaways?
memoQ clearly knows the industry and more importantly, its professionals. That type of insight brings great value to the tool and its features, and the memoQ team is dedicated to seeing industry professionals thrive. Passion like that just can’t be bought.
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Please join us on Thursday, August 24th, as we host ATA TEKTalks 2.3, featuring Anne-Sophie De Clercq of LSP.expert, a tool to help freelancers and companies manage the “business side” of their operations. Future installments this year will feature Lokalise (Q4). We may even feature a “bonus” TEKTalks 2.5 showcasing an exciting new tool that has just emerged from the RWS universe…
The Language Technology Division appreciates your input and suggestions on any tools, questions or conundrums you’d like to see featured in an upcoming ATA TT seminar – please reach out to us with your suggestions, and we hope to see you soon!
NOTE: LTD TEKTalks are not lang tool trainings (there are enough of those, just Google away!), but rather, showcase language industry tools and technologies, and especially the people and philosophies behind them.