Many businesses are coping with a growing challenge as the Internet of Things increasingly connects them with customers and colleagues around the world: the need to translate critical documents and the high costs associated with the translation process.

Those who are currently paying per word for translation services can spend between $500 and $600 to translate a 2000 word document. Paying per page can run about $100 per page. For those who need to translate a 50-page document – say, a contract or a medical record – those costs can add up quickly, and the process is often slow, costing time as well as money.

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It can be tempting to turn to free resources to get the job done, but that can be less efficient in the long run. So what’s the best option?

Let’s dive into the benefits, drawbacks and cost associated with two easy to use, easy to access translation applications available today: Google Translate and Xerox Easy Translator Service.

Google Translate

Google Translate is a free multilingual machine translation service developed by Google, to translate text from one language into another.

Advantages of Google Translate:

  • Free
  • Accessible 24/7
  • Fast – provides translation in just a few seconds.
  • Supports over 100 languages at various levels

Disadvantages: 

  • Google Translate is NOT confidential. Very few customers realize that Google stores everything that is submitted for translation. In fact, federal guidelines prevent many businesses from using Google Translate because the information is transferred over public lines – and not every customer is aware of the regulations regarding its use.
  • Google Translate offers you a rough translation based on suggested text it discovers online. This means there is a good chance that customers are going to receive incorrect content versus the exact translation they need.Because there is no accuracy check to ensure precise translation or to account for language specific to your vertical, customers can never be sure that the translation they’re receiving – and sending along to clients, vendors or other businesses – is completely reliable.
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Cloud-based Xerox Easy Translator Service utilizes state-of-the-art technology to provide instant, draft machine translations or convenient access to professional translators via your Xerox multifunction printer (MFP), PC, or smartphone

Xerox Easy Translator

Xerox Easy Translator Service is a comprehensive suite of cloud translation services that are ideal for medium-sized businesses that have the need to translate documents. You can choose from an Express or a Professional translation.

Advantages of Xerox Easy Translator Service

  • Provides a choice of instant machine translation or access to full-service human translation right from your MFP – accessible 24/7
  • Creates editable files in a choice of input formats: paper/MFP, phone, PC. Customers can even translate full presentations while retaining their original formatting
  • Expert level human translation service guarantees high-quality translation of even the most complex texts and complicated terminology
  • Less labor-intensive and more scalable than traditional translation services
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Use the Xerox Easy Translator Service app on your iOS or Android device to capture pictures or utilize stored photos and translate them instantly.
(From the editor: This article was originally published on Channel Partner Connection.)