After we commented on Ultitek’s entry into the North Atlantic market with software it is localizing into English from Russian, we heard from Serge Gladkoff at the Moscow-based LSP Logrus. We advised Ultitek to engage with a language service provider like Logrus to improve its very limited English website.

Gladkoff told us that Logrus regularly localizes Russian software into English, German, and other languages. He cited a few examples, including the
1C ERP product and its applications. 1C is a mid-size ERP system along the lines of QuickBooks and Navision. It offers a development platform, 1C:Enterprise, which Gladkoff says could probably be pushed to build even a customer reservation system such as Ultitek’s. 1C claims over 1,000 Russian and foreign customers plus thousands of applications on its platform. Given its scalability and widespread usage, 1C could be called the SAP of Mother Russia. Another Logrus project reverse-localized St. Peterburg-based Agnitum‘s Firewall product into 7 languages (BFIGS+).

How would Ultitek engage Logrus for localization services? It could just call Logrus across town in Moscow. Like many language services specialists, Logrus works both directly for customers (for example, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle, and SAP), as a specialist subcontractor to larger LSPs (Lionbridge), and as a provider to LSPs with limited Russian expertise (WordHouse bv in the Netherlands). Logrus maintains offices in Moscow and Philadelphia. Given America’s history with the U.S.S.R. in the last century, it’s not surprising that some U.S. companies still harbor mixed feelings about doing business with Russians. Such firms would probably be reassured by Logrus’ office in Philadelphia.

The big news here is that real business solutions are being created in Russia and that they are being localized for international markets. Expect more of that to happen as entrepreneurs the world over look to expand their markets.