CAT tools
The digital memory for your translations.
Reducing costs and ensuring quality – through targeted use of modern translation software.
Computer-aided translation (CAT) tools are now standard in every professional translation process. They store translated content in translation memories, automatically check new texts against them, and ensure terminological consistency by integrating terminology databases. And all this at significantly reduced costs. oneword has been working with all the standard and leading CAT tools for over 20 years, including Trados, Across, MemoQ, translate5, Passolo, Transit and others – consistently tailored to your processes. We are also a certified technology partner for selected providers.
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Our services at a glance.
By using CAT tools, you will benefit from:
- Cost savings through the automatic reuse of previously translated content
- Significant increases in productivity
- Consistent terminology throughout all documents, languages and projects
- Shorter turnaround times for follow-up translations and document revisions
- The seamless integration of artificial intelligence into existing translation processes
CAT tools are particularly useful for:
- Technical documentation with a high degree of repetition
- Regular updates and revisions to existing documents
- Translation output in several languages at the same time
- Projects with high requirements regarding terminological consistency
- Documents with complex file formats and tag structures – CAT tools automatically check that these have been transferred correctly
- Companies wishing to reduce their translation costs in the long term
Would you like to learn more about how you can benefit from using CAT tools? Get in touch. Our experts will be more than happy to advise you.
CAT tools in the translation process
Nowadays, CAT tools are much more than just a tool for translators. With every project, the translation memory grows – and so does its value: as a knowledge base, as a foundation for machine translation, and as a guarantee of terminological consistency across all languages and documents. With oneSuite, oneword offers its own language technology platform that combines computer-aided translation functions, translation memory, terminology and AI translation in a single solution.
How we use CAT tools
We do not view CAT tools merely as translation tools, but as a strategic component of your overall language process. You don’t need your own CAT tool to do this. We can work with our own systems or with your existing solution. Where necessary, we set up connections to ensure the smooth exchange of data.
- Analysis of your requirements
We assess which CAT tool and which settings are best suited to your process, your file formats and your quality requirements. - Set-up and integration
We set up translation memories, terminology databases and workflows, tailored to your existing systems. - Translation and quality control
Our translators use Across, Trados, MemoQ, Phrase (Memsource), Transit, translate5, Passolo and other systems – in processes in accordance with ISO 17100 and ISO 18587.
- Maintenance and optimisation
We keep your translation memories and terminology databases up to date, perform a clean-up of language data and continuously optimise processes. - Training and support
On request, we can train your team in all standard CAT tools and are available as a point of contact at any time. - Data ownership and TM rights
Whether we work in our CAT tools or you use your own system – you retain ownership of the data at all times. Your data will be used solely for the purposes of the relevant order; you retain all rights to the content and translation memories.
FAQs
What is a CAT tool?
Computer-aided translation tools (CAT tools) are translation software programmes that assist translators in their work – not to be confused with machine translation. At the heart of every CAT tool is a translation memory: a database in which translated texts are stored segment by segment as pairs of source and target sentences. If a segment appears again in a new document, the system immediately provides the existing translation output. In addition to translation memories, CAT tools incorporate terminology databases to ensure consistent terminology management, as well as quality control functions. Well-known CAT tools include Trados, Across, MemoQ, Phrase, Wordfast and Matecat.
How does translation using CAT tools work?
The source text is divided into individual segments – usually sentences – in the CAT tool and automatically checked against the translation memory. Identical segments (100% matches) are suggested immediately, whilst similar segments (fuzzy matches) are provided as a basis for editing. At the same time, an integrated terminology database checks whether technical terms are used correctly and consistently. The result: shorter processing times, consistent terminology and lower costs for every subsequent project.
Who would benefit from using CAT tools?
CAT tools are worthwhile for all businesses that regularly have texts translated, regardless of their size. Companies with recurring content, such as technical documentation, manuals or software interfaces, stand to benefit particularly. As a general rule: the more translation projects a company commissions, the more valuable its translation memory becomes – and the greater the impact in terms of cost savings, shorter turnaround times and terminological consistency.
What is the difference between a CAT tool and a translation memory?
A translation memory (TM) is a component within a CAT tool, but it is not the same thing. The translation memory is used to store and manage segments that have already been translated. A CAT tool, on the other hand, is the overarching software environment in which translators work. It integrates translation memory, terminology databases and quality control functions, and supports various file formats such as XML from content management systems, HTML, JSON, XLIFF and SDLXLIFF. In a nutshell, every CAT tool includes a translation memory, but a translation memory is not a complete CAT tool.
What types of text and projects are CAT tools used for?
CAT tools are particularly well suited to texts with a high degree of repetition and a clear structure: technical documentation, user guides, manuals, data sheets, software interfaces and legal documents. They also come into their own when it comes to large-scale translation projects involving several languages at the same time. For highly creative texts such as advertising copy or slogans, where tone and linguistic creativity are paramount, it may be advisable to avoid using it.
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