simship.comLRC, September 22, 2004

Dr. Stephen FlinterConnect Global Solutions

Agenda

• simship.com• TransWS – Translation Web Services• OpenCMS• How it all fits together• Q&A

What is simship.com?

• ASP-type online localisation portal• Means of allowing Connect clients to

interact with us• Also, built to allow customers to bring their

own translators, and not use CGS.

simship.com Functionality

• Provides functions such as:– Online quotations– File management– Project tracking– Timesheet tracking– Bug & query tracking– Linguistic tools– Reporting– Document repository

Standard simship workflow• Customer uploads file(s) to simship.com• Email notification to PM• Connect staff download & work on file(s)• Connect staff upload prep’d file(s) to

simship• Email notification to translators• Translators download & translate file(s)

Comparison

simship.com• All files in one

place• Files directly

associated with project

• Automated alerts• Automated

workflow possible

Traditional• Files scattered on

FTP servers/email inboxes

• No direct relationship with project

• No alert mechanism• Automated workflow

very difficult

Drawbacks of simship approach• Customers still have to manually

prepare and upload files• Customers have to download files

when they have been translated• Not too bad when small number of

large drops (e.g. software)• Very difficult to manage with many

small file drops (e.g. website)

Solution

• What is required is a more integrated approach

Enter TransWS

TransWS•Translation Web Service•Aimed at defining a standard for web service interaction between customer and supplier

TransWS Operations

• Request quotes• Submit, retrieve, suspend &

cancel jobs• Transfer files• Manage reference files (e.g.

TMs)• Retrieve job information

Integration of CMS

• simship uses OpenCMS as a CMS that can be deployed on a customer site

• Plugin (simcms) that acts as a TransWS client

• simship.com has a TransWS end-point

• Hence, the CMS can communicate directly with simship.

OpenCMS

• Open source Content Management System

• Developed in Java• Runs on Jakarta Tomcat• Uses MySQL as its back-end repository• Proprietary (non-standard) Java API• Working towards JSR-170 compliance• http://www.opencms.org

New Workflow

• User creates a new page in OpenCMS for their website.

• Simcms plugin scans the CMS repository, and finds the new content.

• Pushes the content to simship.com via TransWS

• Polls on a regular basis to check if the page is available.

simcms

• At present the simcms plugin works with OpenCMS.

• However, it is developed using JSR-170 interface.

• This means it will work (with minor modification) with just about any JSR-170 compliant CMS.

Features

• Select projects within OpenCMS to have translated/localised

• Scheduled scans of the repository for new/changed content

• Automatically extract new/changed content

• Deliver content to simship• Retrieve translated content from simship• Insert it into the repository• Allows local admin to publish content

simship Servers

TransWSendpoint

simship.com

simshipWorkflow

Server

OpenCMS Server

simcmsplugin

JSR170Interface

OpenCMSApplication

OpenCMSRepository

Author/editor

Engineer

Translator

OpenCMS/simship Architecture

Conclusion

• TransWS will lead the next big productivity improvement in localisation.

• End-to-end automation• One of the real benefits of TransWS will

come in the web content space:– Many small file drops– Quick turn-around required

• Also useful in software continuous l10n.• Combination of repository (OpenCMS)

and portal (simship) very powerful.

Questions & Answers

stephen.flinter@connectcgs.com

References

• simship: http://www.simship.com• Connect Global Solutions:

http://www.connectcgs.com

• OASIS: http://www.oasis-open.org• TransWS:

http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=trans-ws

• OpenCMS: http://www.opencms.org