Every company needs an angle, but in the arena of language service providers, it’s pretty difficult to stand out. You offer high-quality service, right? Who would offer anything but? Low prices? They’re lower in the Czech Republic, you know. Quick turnaround because you have a huge database of translators you can call on? Well, every LSP shares the same translators in their databases. How about some unique expertise in translating owner manuals for DeLoreans equipped with flux capacitor drive systems? We bet that we could find a bunch of LSPs just as “unique” as you are.

Globalization Partners International (GPI) chose a different route — competing with MyYahoo for home page honors. Its Global Widgets website gives people an assortment of Flash widgets to tailor their homepage to their needs. While GPI managing partner Martin Spethman doesn’t think he poses a big threat to Yahoo as a preferred destination, he notes that some people have made globalwidgets.com their home page because it lets them park their favorite global business tools — news, currency converters, clocks, calendar, and weather bugs — all in one place. Spethman says that GPI will continue to add interesting widgets based on user requests.

Use of the site and the widgets are free, but the “About us” and the copyright both identify GPI as the benefactor. There is also an advertising panel which, ultimately, could provide some funding. We found the widgets easy to add and the site useful and very friendly to color-blind users (it has a very limited, bandwidth-efficient color palette). Unlike some other widget-based sites, this one requires no downloads — just an internet connection and a browser.

Will globalwidgets.com be enough to help GPI break away from the crowded LSP pack? No, but it is encouraging to see a service provider thinking about useful ways of presenting valuable information. However, we would recommend that GPI lose the talking head at its website, but that could be an accessibility enhancement required by the Americans with Disabilities Act — or maybe it’s just an annoying spokesmodel.