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Chapter 12. Linguistic resources and localisation 199hundred languages simultaneously and on demand. First evidence of this moveis the astonishing growth rate of companies offering corresponding services andtechnologies, among them SDL, Lionbridge, and across. In this scenario, easy accessto relevant linguistic resources, covering language data, tools and standards,is paramount for both developers and users.2.3 Localisation successThe success of this strategy, to use localisation in order to increase revenues andprofits, is unquestionable. For example, for many Fortune 500 firms, non-US revenue,or xenorevenue, accounts for 20 to more than 50% of their global income,according to Common Sense Advisory (DePalma & Beninatto 2002). This factalone makes it easy to see the value in catering for buyers in global markets withlocalised products and services in their language. Compared to the benefits of gainingmarket share and customer loyalty localisation expenditures are minuscule,2.5% and lower of non-US revenue.One of the planet’s largest companies, Microsoft, now generates more than60% of its revenues from international operations, more than US$ 5 billion peryear. It manages more than 1,000 localisation projects (product/language) per year.In Ireland alone and in just one year (2001), it created revenues of US$ 1.9 billion(Balmer 2002).Although it is difficult to provide an exact estimate of the volume of the localisationmarket, there have been some efforts to capture market volumes, of whichthe best known are those prepared by Common Sense Advisory and the EuropeanUnion of Associations of Translation Companies.In 2005 Common Sense Advisory estimated that the market for outsourcedlanguage services was US$ 8.8 billion worldwide and growing at 7.5% per year toover US$ 9 billion for 2006, and to US$ 12.5 billion by 2010. These calculationswere based on the aggregate revenues of the several thousand companies activein the business, the many freelancers, and on an approximation of the revenuegenerated by international and ethnic marketing agencies, boutiques, system integrators,consultants, printers, and other service providers who facilitate translationand localisation. In 2006 demand grew at 15 to 20% per year, driven by nationalregulations, website and product localisation and consumer need for more informationin their own language. At the same time, industry growth has been holdingsteady at below 10% (DePalma & Beninatto 2006).According to the European Union of Associations of Translation Companies(EUATC), the total market in 2005 was worth US$ 11.7 billion worldwide, withEurope being the world leader in the translation industry. The EUATC believesthat the market will grow to US$ 12.5 billion in 2006 and be worth US$ 15.8 billionin 2010 (Boucau 2006).