OpenTM2 can also be used by a team of translators. This is useful in particular if a large document has to be translated. You can divide the large document into several parts and include these parts in individual files. In addition, you can assign one person the role of a coordinator who performs all duties associated with the preparation of the translation material. These duties can include maintaining and importing dictionaries, making sure that each team member receives the appropriate dictionary for the document to be translated, and performing all Workbench-related tasks.

When the Workbench is handled by a coordinator, translators perform their work exclusively in the Translation Environment. All resources needed for translation can be prepared beforehand, and the only functions the translators need to select from the Workbench are the Open folder and Open document options.

Due to the split of OpenTM2 into a Workbench and a Translation Environment, work can easily be assigned to a vendor. The coordinator can supply the vendor with a folder containing all the required resources, namely the Translation Memory databases, dictionaries, and documents to be translated. After receiving the translated folder, the coordinator can merge the Translation Memory databases returned by the vendor into a main Translation Memory for future translations. The dictionaries updated by the vendor can also be merged into one main dictionary and then be maintained by the coordinator or project leader.

In addition, the word count utility enables you to count all the words to be translated and so facilitates billing.

Sharing translation resources

To facilitate teamwork OpenTM2 lets you share a dictionary or a Translation Memory with fellow translators working in the same LAN (Local Area Network) system. This way of sharing resources not only helps keeping your own used disk space small but also makes it possible to use a Translation Memory or a dictionary even if another translator is using it at the same time. You may find this especially convenient when you work together with fellow translators on the same project.

For example, if you must translate a sentence that your colleague has translated only recently for the same project, you can instantly use your colleague’s translation by copying it from the shared Translation Memory. For detailed information on sharing dictionaries and Translation Memory databases, see Sharing Translation Memory databases and Sharing dictionaries.