One of the reasons for what has been termed the digital divide is a language barrier.  At Microsoft we produce most of our products in what are regarded as the most widely spoken languages, but that still leaves a lot of people grappling with an interface that is not in their native, or in some cases, preferred tongue.

The aim of the Local Language Program (LLP) is to increase the number of languages we support, but our strategy in achieving this is quite innovative as we do this through direct collaboration with linguistic experts in each country where we engage on the Program.  In this video, Loan Tong, gives a brief overview of what it is all about.

I personally have led the LLP during my time in Ireland where we localized Windows XP and Office into the Irish language; I found it to be one of the most rewarding projects I have ever worked on in my career.  You can find all about this at www.microsoft.com/ireland/gaeilge.

You can find out more about the overall program here.

Jonny Chambers