Apple’s recent developer newsletter caught my eye because, for once, localization was featured at the top:
Apple is providing free training sessions focused on Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan — markets that Apple has invested heavily in over the years (but has not always supported with a deep library of localized apps).
So this outreach not only benefits developers who need localization guidance but also Apple and its customers.
It occurred to me when I received this newsletter that Apple may be (finally) beginning to prioritize localization.
As readers of the Report Card well know, Apple has punched well below its weight from a web and software localization perspective. For a company so large, generating more than half of its revenue from outside of the US, Apple still supports a relatively paltry amount of languages (37).
And, yes, astute readers will note that Apple already made the Top 25 list of best global websites (at 16). Still, there is no reason Apple couldn’t be number one. It comes down to priorities — and I’m talking about prioritizing customers. Customers who don’t speak English natively. Customers who would love to see Apple support their languages — from website to operating system to apps.
Localization is typically viewed as a cost center and not an investment, a mistake in my view. And Apple has been in the fortunate position of not having to work very hard to enjoy global growth. But growth is slowing and it could be the leadership at Apple is seeing localization as an under-utilized level.
So I’m excited to see what transpires in the months and year ahead.
Stay tuned!
