Internationalization and localization are means of adapting products such as publications or software for non-native environments, especially other nations and cultures. Internationalization is often abbreviated as I18N (or i18n or I18n), by IBM and others, where the number 18 refers to the number of letters omitted. "Localization" is often abbreviated L10N in the same manner. Both notions are sometimes collectively termed globalization (G11N), but that word has a more common meaning. Also "P13n" for personalization and "R3h" for reach, as in the reach of a website across countries and markets.
Focal points of internationalization and localization efforts include:
Date/time format (UTC in internationalized environments),
The distinction between internationalization and localization is subtle but important. Internationalization is the adaptation of products for potential use virtually everywhere, while localization is the addition of special features for use in a specific locale. Subjects unique to localization include:
Since free software can be freely modified and redistributed it is also more apt to be internationalized. Most proprietary software is not translated into languages that are not considered to be economically viable. A project that has been translated into over 70 languages is KDE[1].
Also, as an alternative to economic globalization, localization has been used to describe the process of concentrating production of goods nearer their end-users, rather than wherever the lowest costs are. The idea is to cut down environmental and other external costs that can occur with the extra transportation and regional specialization that globalization encourages.
