Want local languages in several popular apps? Well, the wait maybe over. LinguaNext, an Indian start-up based out of Pune, has started a service for app developers that will help the developers offer the app in several local languages.
By Anirban Ghosal
Linguify.Mobile, the new service already being used by Quikr and YepMe, requires the app to be submitted in order to create the new language preferences and then it is returned back to the developer. And LinguaNext does all of this without accessing the source code of the app so the developer doesn’t have to worry about its source code privacy. Although the limitation is that it is not available in iOS or BlackBerry platforms; it is presently available in Android and Windows platform.
“In a diverse multilingual country where millions access the internet from their mobile phones, we aimed to come up with a solution which can give mobile app users freedom to communicate, browse and shop in their own preferred language. By introducing Linguify.Mobile, we are confident of making this the de-facto standard for application language localisation across all industry verticals. We are excited to launch the first single integrated mobile app in Hindi for Yepme and Quikr,” said Jagdish Sahasrabudhe, CEO, LinguaNext.
But what is in it for the users? Simple, the answer is that users can experience the app in local languages. Smartphone market in India has grown fast but it is mostly restricted to metro cities. And with app developers set to tap the potential from tier-II and tier-III cities, local languages comes in handy as most of the apps continue to support only English thereby falling short of expectations of the smaller city residents.
“To help more users meet their local commerce needs, we feel it is really important to make Quikr available in regional languages. We are seeing significant user adoption through our mobile apps, and now with the option to use the app in Hindi, and soon in other Indian languages, we look forward to multiplying our user base and creating a truly broad-based classifieds marketplace,” Krishna Iyer, AVP & Head of Sales, Quikr.com, said.
Also, Avinash Parhi, general manager (Operations Excellence), Yepme.com, said that Yepme has been looking to bring in more customers from the smaller cities and added that the LinguaNext experience has been highly satisfying.
But LinguaNext’s services doesn’t stop with apps; it has partnered with several banks in India to provide passbooks in local languages. “We are also looking at printing ATM slips, setting up systems where bank SMSes are sent in local languages,” Jagdish Sahasrabudhe, said.“We are already in talks with several clients and this will help towards the process of financial inclusion,” he added.
Founded in 2011, LinguaNext has a roster of over 70 large enterprise customers including 25 of the Global 2000 and a deployed base of over 1,000,000 end users. It is currently funded by Helion—a multi-stage, India-focused venture fund with over $600 million under management. The tech solution provider has an annual subscription model for revenue generation and has been services in big markets like the US and Japan. “We may shift to other models as our app business picks up and we may start looking at batches of downloads or user base,” Sahasrabudhe said.