SAIC Launches First Hybrid Machine Translation Solution, Helping Redefine Language Services

MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) [NYSE: SAI] today announced its linguistics technology offering, with the industry's first hybrid machine translation (HMT) solution. The linguistics technology offering enables language service providers and users of translation services to operate more efficiently and effectively to meet the growing need for cross-lingual communication in today's global market.

SAIC's new offering puts advanced technology – with the ability to translate in context – directly in the hands of users. Direct access to the machine translation (MT) technology reduces the need for more expensive human translation (HT), thereby elevating human translators to higher order editors, potentially resulting in lower costs for businesses and increased productivity for translation providers.

"We believe that our new technology offering will redefine the language services industry by offering a robust technology tool that gives businesses more control, while allowing the providers to work more efficiently," said Jonathan Litchman, SAIC vice president. "It's a win for global enterprises, language service providers and professional linguists and translators."

Transforming the Language Service Business

According to research firm Common Sense Advisory, Inc. globalization has fueled the need for language services and contributed to industry-wide double-digit growth during an economic downturn ("Language Service Provider Growth Factors," November 2010). Common Sense Advisory, Inc. predicts that the global market for outsourced language services and technology could reach $31.4 billion in 2011, and the demand for language services continues to grow at a significant rate – 7.4 percent annually ("Language Services Market 2011," May 2011).

SAIC's integrated platform is designed to help meet the burgeoning demand on the language services market by enhancing efficiency and productivity. The highly advanced MT platform delivers content in context, separate from HT services, benefitting both translation providers and businesses.

• Language service providers (LSP) currently using both MT and HT can increase productivity and volume of business by elevating human translators to higher order editing and refining content from a more accurate machine output
• Professional linguists and translators that rely on MT for an initial translation can increase their productivity by using the technology's in-context translations
• Global businesses relying on outsourced translation services can bring the control of their translation needs in house, and limit the amount of human intervention to an as needed basis

Enabling Contextual Translations – Tailored and Adaptive  

SAIC's linguistics technology offering includes the first and only true HMT technology – combining the fluency of statistical MT with the informativeness of rule-based MT to enhance fidelity of meaning. The offering is fully integrated on one platform with automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology – both speech-to-speech and speech-to-text. As a leading supplier of human linguists to the government, SAIC leverages its wealth of linguistic knowledge and expertise to enhance the quality of its MT technology solution.

The innovative offering can be tailored to each customer's domain including highly nuanced terminology and domain-specific vocabulary. The technology is adaptive and continues to build a language knowledge base to increase communication accuracy over time.

"The powerful technology platform goes beyond a literal word-for-word translation: it actually becomes more intelligent with usage, enabling effective communications by delivering content within context," said Hassan Sawaf, SAIC chief scientist for linguistics and cultural intelligence.

Allowing Users Data Security and Ownership

With SAIC's technology, users maintain ownership of their data and control of the developed lexicon while offering a high level of security. The offering is flexible in that its ASR and MT can be offered separately or on a single platform as a full service solution, which also reduces the risks associated with technology integration.

SAIC recently acquired technology, intellectual property and related assets from three firms that develop human language technologies: AppTek Partners, LLC; Applications Technology, Inc.; and MediaMind, LLC. SAIC's linguistics technology offering is available through license sales and Software as a Service. For more information, please visit: http://www.saic.com/linguistics.

About SAIC

SAIC is a FORTUNE 500(R) scientific, engineering, and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health. The company's approximately 41,000 employees serve customers in the U.S. Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, other U.S. Government civil agencies and selected commercial markets. Headquartered in McLean, Va., SAIC had annual revenues of $11.1 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2011. For more information, visit http://www.saic.com/. SAIC: From Science to Solutions(R).

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in SAIC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 31, 2011, and other such filings that SAIC makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

SOURCE SAIC