Multilingual products facilitate international trade

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 1/1/1999

As more businesses get involved in global trade, demand for information in foreign languages is increasing. This trend is especially apparent in logistics, where information has become as important as the physical movement of goods.

Fortunately, a number of multilingual products that can help transportation and logistics professionals communicate internationally recently have come on the market. The following are just a few of the products available today. For more information on any of these products or services, circle the corresponding Reader Service numbers on the card in this issue.

* Interlingua Publications Ltd.'s Multilingual International Trade Lexicon lays out international trade terminology in six languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Japanese. The 792-page volume boasts a simple design that provides quick and easy access to multilingual information on the Incoterms, IATA city codes, international telephone information and instructions, currency abbreviations, weights and measures, and more. An Internet resource guide to international trade information also is included. The book--the first release in an 18-volume multilingual business-reference library--is available for $95 from Interlingua.

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* United Parcel Service has made two of its online shipping and tracking products available in several languages. Customers now can retrieve package-tracking information via the UPS Web site in nine languages: German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Swedish, and Danish. Japanese, Chinese, and Korean will be available early this year. UPS also has made its free "OnLine Envoy" software, which contains service information, prepares documentation, and manages customer historical information, available in four foreign languages: French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

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* Federal Express Corp. has upgraded its Internet site (www.fedex.com) to accommodate customers who prefer to transact business in Japanese, Spanish, or French. Customers now can use FedEx's Internet-based shipping application, "interNetShip," in those languages. The latest version allows customers to request a courier pickup while they're online. Another new feature is called "Ship Alert," which allows customers to notify up to three separate e-mail addresses in advance of a shipment. The application also maintains a 45-day shipping history and address book of up to 75 frequently used addresses.

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* "ABC MultiLing" software from Advance Bar Code Technology lets users generate bar codes, graphic images, and labels in 33 languages and 150 fonts. The PC-based software is in Windows format and includes 90 days of around-the-clock technical support. The manufacturer also offers translation, systems integration, and technical consulting services.

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