By Sarah-Claire Jordan
Southeast Asia includes any nation east of India, south of China, west of New Guinea, and north of Australia. The region is full of linguistic, cultural, and ethnic diversity, making it an interesting market to try to target. There is also a lot of development in terms of manufacturing and technology, as well as many business opportunities in general.
The most important nations in the region are Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. We will focus on these four nations, taking a look at what technical translation can do for companies looking to do business there.
Singapore is a booming city-state, meaning it is a nation that is also a single city. It is one of the most diverse places in the world, with many cultures coming together to create the plural beauty that we see today. It is also a hub for new technology full of skilled workers. Singapore also works like a stepping stone on your way to accessing the entire Southeast Asian market.
Some of the most widely-spoken Southeast Asian languages are spoken in Singapore, like Indonesian, Tamil, Mandarin, and, of course, English. This makes it the perfect spot to set up an office and start working with a technical translation team to get your marketing campaign off the ground.
Indonesia, an island nation, is home to a good chunk of the world’s population as well as a huge market for foreign investors. Its growth can be attributed to a huge national focus on modernization and an emphasis on the importance of tech in general. It is such a great economy that any tech company would be lucky to set up there, with the help of a team of technical translators of course.
Malaysia is one nation that is actively looking to partner with Western investors. Though still not 100% caught up in some areas, tech is an area that Malaysia is quite good at handling. The government has noticed and helped with this, changing some policies here and there to promote growth. Tech startups are popping up all over Malaysia, and quickly partnering up with American businesses.
Of course, successfully opening up an office in Malaysia would mean working closely with a technical translation team. The Malay language can be complex and hard to work with, and new technical terms being thrown into the mix doesn’t help either. A dedicated team will sort all of this out, however, and make your tech partnership go smoothly.
English is one of the official languages of the Philippines, making it a perfect place for investing in a tech company. Philippine universities are churning out coders, engineers, and business experts each year, making it ideal for a tech startup. You will still need technical translators to help you with Filipino manuals, texts, and others, but there is no need to worry about that if you choose the right translation team. They should be experienced, professional, and versed in localization and globalization to get you the best results.