Companies hoping to embrace the broader global marketplace and increase their consumer base in foreign territories are increasingly turning to translation services to help them. One particularly successful business language is emerging as a front-runner in the translation popularity stakes - and that's French.

English/French translation may have seemed like a waste of time and money in previous years, but in the 'Internet age' it's fast becoming the ticket to ramping up sales fairly rapidly. Why? Because French is spoken by an estimated 265 million people across the world, and is used as a means of communication in around 35 countries. English/French translation naturally predominates in many of these regions.

Across Europe, French is particularly widely spoken and understood. It's certainly one of the most easily learned European languages, and is taught in most European schools, in preference to Spanish. Organizations such as the United Nations and NATO make French their official language, rather than English, in recognition of its popularity. Consequently, having an English/French translation of your corporate material instantly makes it accessible to a wider European, and global, clientele.

In fact, after weighing six factors, Weber compiled a list of the world's ten most influential languages. The study looked at the number of primary speakers, the number of secondary speakers, the number and population of countries where each language is used, the number of major fields using the language internationally, as well as the level of economic power of countries using the language. It also explored its socio-literary prestige. The results? French came second after English.

What this means is that if you provide an English/French translation of your company's material, a potential consumer will be a great deal more likely to understand your communications. If they don't speak English, the second most likely language they'll understand is French. English/French translation in this case seems an obviously sound investment.

You may be wondering whether you can reach the kind of global audience that requires an English/French translation. Rest assured: with the advent of the 'information age' and the invention of the Internet, the truly global economy is here to stay. For the first time, it's not just the educated and wealthy elite who are able to take advantage of e-commerce. Computer technology is now an everyday part of the lives of billions of individuals:

* PC shipments reached 230 million units worldwide in 2006, nearly 13 per cent more than in 2005. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), the figure should grow steadily to 287 million by 2009. Never before have so many consumers used computers.

* The amount of information created and copied in 2010 will surge more than six fold to 988 exabytes, a compound annual growth rate of 57%. Never before have individuals and organizations had access to so much information and commercial opportunity.

* While nearly 70% of the digital universe will be generated by individuals by 2010, most of this content will be touched by an organization along the way - on a network, in a data center, at a hosting site, at a telephone or Internet switch, or in a backup system (IDC). Never before has a corporate brand had so much free advertising potential.

Bullish companies are seizing the opportunity presented by the virtual foray into foreign cultures, and are making an impact by presenting their material in each culture's language. As English and French are the most influential languages in the world, smart businesses are investing in English/French translation and reaching out to a whole new market.

About the Author:
Armando Riquier has many years of experience as a writer and translator and works with Tectrad, a company specialized in translating finance, legal and corporate matters. Maintain excellent relations with your investors, shareholders and foreign customers through quality English to French translation services.