Trados Studio is a translation management and language localization platform, from multinational SDL headquartered in the UK. It is a computer-assisted translation product, designed to be a complete translation environment for language professionals who want to edit, review and manage translation projects whilst in the office or on the move.
Akkadu is very well suited for global meetings, where participants speak different languages. Or with participants who speak the same language but with a strong accent that it is difficult to understand.
SDL Trados Studio is extremely well suited for expert CAT tool users. More novice users will have trouble getting up to speed. I have an office full of employees that constantly ask questions on how to do specific tasks, mainly because the task sequence is not obvious and is only uncovered by rote repetition of the same things. If you learn and apply the same techniques repeatedly, it becomes easier, but it seems the software was designed by software people, sometimes with little thought to the end users who have to figure it out. I don't know that professional training should be so necessary.
Again, the list of functions is impressive but the way it is organized (not process-driven) and the fact that complex tasks should be close to basic tasks make the product suitable to hardcore users that have a lot of time to research the manuals and blogs. By the way, Nora Diaz is one of the most respectable users of this product. Her videos help a lot!
Support has been fast, precise and thorough. There is support on the web, by chat, by email, from the communities, from the experts, on the product Help section, on YouTube, and other social media. There is also a paid support for companies. This area is where the company stands out. I was not able to evaluate the support in languages other than English.
Akkadu.ai is more accurate. The fact in the Akkadu app you can pick accents such as English (India) or English (Australia) improves the accuracy of the AI. Also the fact you can add terminologies from your industry in advance, makes the AI more accurate as well. Akkadu is very easy-to-use Customer service speaks fluent English and Spanish
I tried using memoQ to get used to server-based localization tools, but experienced critical issues such as translation data not being updated on the server so stopped using it before I get used to it, unfortunately. It must be updated and improved by now, so I might try using it again in the near future.
Very positive impact! Meetings with foreign clients that don't speak good English, now became very smooth.
Colleagues that don't speak good English now can use their mother tongue during our internal meetings with the Headquarters in Germany. The HQ has noticed the engagement of the foreign colleagues has increased.
