Blog Archive

Why Do We Have an Internal Translation Team?

Language service providers operate under different models, and one core difference is whether they have an internal team of linguists or rely solely on freelancers and subcontractors. Both approaches have advantages, so why did we at Technolex choose to go with an internal team? It obviously comes with additional expenses and risks, as you need […]

Video Game Localization into Ukrainian

Before 2022, most video games were localized into Ukrainian by amateurs, so Ukrainian gamers could only dream of playing AAA games in their language. This seemed especially unfair, considering that Ukraine is a nation of 40 million people, at least half of whom would prefer a Ukrainian interface. It took a war to change this. For many […]

How different is Ukrainian language from Russian?

Many Westerners tend to think that Ukrainian and Russian are very similar and even mutually intelligible. This misconception partly arises from a commonly used classification of language families: On this picture, you see Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian on the same branch, and Ukrainian is put aside from Slovak and Polish. But this picture is closer […]

Freelance or Ukrainian LSP Subcontractor?

While attending conferences and talking to different language service providers (LSPs) in the U.S., we noticed that some translation agencies have a policy of working only with freelancers and do not consider subcontracting to an LSP from the country where the target language is spoken—for example, outsourcing translation into Ukrainian to a translation agency in […]

Do Not Be Afraid to Outsource Translations to Ukraine

Since 2022, we have seen numerous cases of Western companies searching for Ukrainian translators but insisting that they MUST NOT be located in Ukraine. Often, Ukrainian suppliers are excluded from contracts due to so-called “safety considerations.” Let me explain why this approach is misguided. We understand where these fears come from. Every day, you see […]

Ethical Constraints of Ukrainian Translation Agencies

With the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, translation industry in Ukraine has faced new ethical constraints and dilemmas, which have become a near-daily challenge. A Straight-out “No” to Orders from Government and Businesses of Russian Federation The rationale behind this approach is clear: it is immoral to work for those involved in attempting […]

How Is the Ukrainian Translation and Localization Industry Doing?

As this article is being written, the war in Ukraine has been raging for almost three years. How is it influencing Ukrainian business, particularly the translation and localization industry? Translation companies facilitate international relations and trade, making them fully dependent on the volume of these activities. In Ukraine’s case, while trade volumes have fallen, international […]

The Largest Translation Agencies in Ukraine

At least half of the more or less prominent Ukrainian translation agencies claim to be “the leaders,” “the largest ones,” or “the first ones” on their websites and social media pages. Most often this is just a marketing ploy, and the written words do not match the reality. We will try to find some objective […]

Selling in Ukraine? Translate into Ukrainian!

Many might think that Ukrainian translation is unnecessary because all Ukrainians understand Russian. Well, we do. But delivering products only in Russian is not acceptable, even though we all understand it, and many of us still speak it. Let me explain why. First, it’s a legal requirement. All product documentation must be in Ukrainian. The […]

Misunderstandings and other human issues in the translation business

Being a translator is a difficult profession, although it is not considered so by the wider public. In addition to technical difficulties, human issues often arise in translation projects, such as frustrated expectations, misunderstandings, and omissions. Every agency has its own stories, some funny, some sad. Usually, they are recounted in an informal setting, without naming […]