Drop the word globalization at a dinner party and you’ll be confronted with a range of dissonant opinions on what it means for the United States or humanity.

In software development, the term means something very specific — transcending national and linguistic barriers to connect more effectively with a broader customer base.

To understand how globalization, or G11N, drives software development in today’s economy, you should understand internationalization (I18N) and localization (L10N), because G11N is essentially the culmination of the two.

I’ve specialized in dealing with internationalization and localization issues for more than a decade, but it wasn’t until a recent trip through Europe that the G11N imperative hit a humorous note. Sitting near me on a Denmark-bound train, a couple of Americans asked a Polish woman who spoke limited English for directions. I didn’t know Polish but I know German and so did she, so I translated her directions to the Americans. This is a good analogy of internationalization — using a common code to communicate among disparate audiences.

What followed soon thereafter was an example of localization — addressing regional nuances to prevent contextual misunderstandings. When the same Americans tried to exit the train without their pack, a German man stopped them, exclaiming something in English about a body bag. The wary Americans moved quickly around him. I tried to explain that he meant only to warn them about leaving their pack behind. Some German knapsack manufacturers have started calling their products “Body Bags.” My explanation came too late and the Americans left sans pack.

Technically speaking, properly internationalized software supports encodings and regional settings that allow customers to view dates, characters, currency and more in foreign environments without incurring distorted or aborted electronic information. Localized software is contextualized by automated and human translators for targeted messaging and prevention of embarrassment and liability issues stemming from poor translations.

Observing multilingual signs posted all over Europe, I realized that many U.S. companies, like the American tourists, were at a real disadvantage. European nations in close proximity had embraced internationalism a long time ago. Many U.S. businesses, by contrast, seemed intimidated by the perceived cost and enormity of the task and were often overly confident in the concentration of consumers in the United States.

In today’s economic slump, U.S. businesses can’t afford to miss more opportunities; globalization allows businesses to weather economic instability in significant ways. It increases market share and potential profits by reaching a broader consumer base, it reduces risk by diversifying markets, and it facilitates growth. Effective localization allows centralized businesses to create a presence that feels local, addressing local needs and perceptions while reducing liability associated with translation-related failure to adhere to local regulations and expectations. Your credibility in markets abroad depends on your ability to reflect the cultural and linguistic nuances of those markets.

When I began working in the IT development industry, globalization was an afterthought. Today, it’s a necessity. Choosing the right partner for creating customized, globally ready IT architectures is critical. Investing in an experienced software developer agency that produces globally ready code as a matter of course will save you time, hassle and money.

At my company, we advocate a process called “Intelligent Translation,” a combination of leading-edge translation technology, the industry’s best human translators and translation memory, which comprises a database of text segments in a source language and their translations into target languages. Whether you’re ready to go global today or tomorrow, your software development investment should provide the architecture and tools to position you well into the future.

Matt Aaron is the VP of globalization services for ACULIS IT Accelerator, a Utah-based software development services company (aculis.com). He can be reached at maaron@aculis.com or 801-377-5360 ext. 201.