Our Software and Hardware Translation Tools

Tel. +81-465-43-8310日本語Italiano

Above all: Plenty of hardware back-up

On-time delivery and full adherence to translation specifications are a must for professional technical translators. Computers, however, have this amazing habit of failing right in the middle of an important or urgent job and this might considerably jeopardize the translator's reputation as a whole.

Hence the necessity to always have immediately available a spare computer to cut the resulting downtime to the bare minimum. This is what we do to minimize risks:

Both of us use one working computer plus a spare computer each with the same software installed in each of them. Should the primary working computer fail, in the span of ten or twenty minute time we can resume work on the spare computer (also thanks to the frequent back-ups we do during the working day), thus avoiding to jeopardize our daily productivity.
On average we replace all computers every three years.
We back-up all files many times a day, sometimes every hour or whenever we deem it necessary depending on the type of work. File back-ups are made on multiple external hard disks and at the end of the day on all six the computers connected to the network.
Each primary computer is powered through an UPS unit (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to protect it from sudden energy black-out and current surge due to lightning..

Our safety is our clients' safety

Following the Great Eastern Japan Eearthquake in March 2011 we have established a remote secondary site, at approximately 300 km from our normal working site, providing it with a local network of two computers and connecting it to our file archive through a cloud computing account. This additional facility would allow us -in case of survival - to resume the interrupted work in such remote site after 3-6 hours relocation by car or train.

Besides the ability to continue working almost without interruption even in case of serious hardware problems, communications with our clients are also guaranteed by having at least one spare computer in perfect operating conditions available, allowing us to receive and send e-mails virtually without noticeable delay.

This is not in our interest only, but also in our clients' interest which time is just as precious and as such should not be threatened by a precarious technical organization. Therefore we can say that our safety is also our clients' safety.

Hardware (Windows & Mac)
1 LAN
2 Intel Core2 Quad PCs (desktop)
2 Pentium IV PCs (desktop)
2 Pentium M PCs (laptop)
1 iMac
1 Netbook
Auxiliary Equipment
1 Inkjet Printer
1 Laser Printer
4 HDDs for external back-up
1 Scanner
1 Fibre Optical Line
3 UPS Units
1 Cloud Service for file back-up and synchronization
Software
Windows Vista® Ultimate (Italian)
Windows Vista® Business (Japanese)
Windows XP® Professional (Japanese)
Windows XP® Professional (Italian)
Windows XP® Home (English)
Apple OS Snow Leopard
Microsoft® Office 2007 (Italian)
Microsoft® Office 2008 (Italian)
Adobe®PageMaker 7.0
Adobe®FrameMaker 8
Adobe®Acrobat 9.0
Adobe®InDesign CS3
Adobe®Illustrator CS3
Dejavu X
MemoQ
Trados
Macromedia®Dreamweaver CS3
Macromedia®Fireworks CS3
Other Software
Software is only but one of the tools needed to obtain technical translations of higher quality. This is the list of our main hardware and software tools. Software, in particular, is always up-to-date, or it will be soon.

It is essential that professional technical translators keep their hardware and software tools constantly updated, for this is one of the most important investment translators can make for their business. The willingness to invest in the most appropriate translation tools, despite the relatively high cost for freelance translators, is also an important proof of seriousness and commitment to their profession.

Aphorism
Dorothy
Parker

Pretty women are like good translations: very seldom they are faithful.