It is essential for good business practice when considering software internationalisation that any barriers or issues relating to the localisation are addressed before beginning the process of moving the software to the target localisation. There are numerous factors to be taken into consideration, making internationalisation via the software a crucial aspect of good practice during the localisation stage. Existing software may not be adaptable to the localisation due to differing interface, text display functions, numeric data formats etc. When thinking about the localisation software these issues must be taken on board before choosing the software. Currency conversion varies from country to country; decimal symbols etc must be correctly displayed to suit each localisation.

Software internationalisation cannot be undertaken without having a full understanding of the various aspects of the target localisation which must display the appropriate text data and character form. It is paramount to know your software and check for fonts which, although easy to read in English, may be hard to understand in the target localisation.

When considering effective software internationalisation Unicode is a useful tool in helping to encode programmes and eliminate any problems when translating the software to the localisation. It makes good sense also to retain the user interface strings together, keeping them separate from the code making translation and making testing easier. It would be time consuming and inefficient to discover strings only later in the localisation process. Strings can multiply according to some languages taking up volumes of space in the dialogue box. When translating the software to localisation it is wise to build in extra space to accommodate translated strings.

To conclude, when thinking of software internationalisation, know your software, know your localisation and plan ahead before embarking on the process of transition.