04
Mon, Nov
5 New Articles

TechTip: Watson APIs - Language Translator

Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Everybody seems to be talking to everyone these days - verbally, in writing, via mind control, you name it. But what happens when the people communicating speak different languages?

While it is probably true that more people across the world today speak English than ever before, it is also true that more people from different countries are talking to more people in other different countries than ever before. It is an inevitable consequence of our global world and something that businesses, governments, and non-profits have to deal with.

And it is not something that is related to just verbal communication. Have you bought any computer or electronics products recently? When you open the documentation, how many different languages is at least some of the verbiage written in? Gone are the days where it is only in English, French, and Spanish. Now it may be in a couple of dozen languages involving multiple alphabets.

How does a company handle this kind of diversity?

Historically, they have done this with a translation staff, but with the proliferation of languages, you would find yourself needing a potentially large number of translators on hand (whether as employees or occasional contractors), many of which might be hard to find in smaller markets.

Watson to the Rescue

Fortunately, IBM has a solution in the form of a Watson API that handles the translation of written materials from one language to another. The current website for this tool is https://www.ibm.com/watson/services/language-translator/, but as often as the IBM Watson web site seems to change, I can't promise that will work by the time you read this. If it doesn't, then I guess you're just out of luck. Or you could go to the Watson homepage and then click on Products and Services to open up the big drop-down menu and select Language Translator from there.

Translates Text

I guess the important thing to note right off the bat is that this translation software is for text documents, not direct conversations. But if you paired this with the Speech to Text application, you could get additional use from it.

Currently, IBM supports Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Dutch*, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish*, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian*, Spanish, and Turkish*. Languages with an asterisk are supported only in the new version of the Neural Machine Translator (NMT).

Let me explain the NMT. One of the most important things about the Watson API product line is that it's a moving target. IBM is not building an API and then just letting it sit there for the next five years while a bunch of spunky men and women in expensive suits try to sell the heck out of it.

Remember what Watson is: It is a learning machine, and as its capability grows, so does what it can do. The Neural Machine Translator is (these are my words, not IBM's) the next iteration in the Language Translator. I will reserve some space for a more detailed discussion of it at some future time (probably a couple of months).

Want a Demo?

Seeing is believing, right? Or maybe you believe Judy and that believing is seeing. I've heard it both ways. But if you are of the former persuasion, then go to the IBM page above, select the Demo tag and take a test drive yourself.

I did. But then, I ain't scared a nothin'. I just ain't that smart. Here is what I wrote (in English).

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men deserved to live free. Or die hard. And so my friends, I am asking you to make a choice. Do you wish to live free? Or Die Hard? Come on, mateys. Argh. Speak now lads or ye walk the plank.

I think you can see why some people are afraid to be alone with me or have me meet their children. But Watson is a machine, so it doesn't care. I chose German as the language to translate to. I took three years of high-school German and two semesters in college. (I was more successful with German than with Russian, where I took two semesters in college before my professor agreed to give me a D if I promised not to take any more.) This is what I got.

Vor vier Score und sieben Jahren haben unsere Vater auf diesem Kontinent eine neue Nation hervorgebracht, die in Freiheit gezeugt ist und der Uberzeugung verschrieben hat, dass alle Menschen, die es verdienen, frei zu leben. Oder stirb hart. Und so meine Freunde, ich bitte dich, eine Wahl zu treffen. Willst du frei leben? Oder Die Hard? Komm schon, Matey's. Argh. Sprich jetzt ladet oder ihr geht den Pank.

I may not be an expert, but I think it's pretty close.

The Chaser

I do remember enough German to know that this is a seriously good translation. The beauty of the language that Lincoln used may be gone, but for many technical or operational documents, that doesn't matter.

Do you have translation issues in your business? Maybe you don't. But more and more, people are selling internationally. From a political point of view, nationalism is gaining strength. But my money is on business, because business is money. And the days of selling to just our own country or getting materials from our own country are over. We have to deal with other languages to succeed. The only question is what tool we use to perform the necessary translations. Obviously, Watson is one of them.

David Shirey

David Shirey is president of Shirey Consulting Services, providing technical and business consulting services for the IBM i world. Among the services provided are IBM i technical support, including application design and programming services, ERP installation and support, and EDI setup and maintenance. With experience in a wide range of industries (food and beverage to electronics to hard manufacturing to drugs--the legal kind--to medical devices to fulfillment houses) and a wide range of business sizes served (from very large, like Fresh Express, to much smaller, like Labconco), SCS has the knowledge and experience to assist with your technical or business issues. You may contact Dave by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at (616) 304-2466.


MC Press books written by David Shirey available now on the MC Press Bookstore.

21st Century RPG: /Free, ILE, and MVC 21st Century RPG: /Free, ILE, and MVC
Boost your productivity, modernize your applications, and upgrade your skills with these powerful coding methods.
List Price $69.95

Now On Sale

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: