CAW N 13

Title: An hint on the additional direction (or definition) of CA-TD
Source: Takayuki K. Sato -Japan (HPJ/CICC ITSCJ-SC2)
Date: 1997-12-08
Action: For a discussion at CAW in Ottawa (Jan. 1998)

Abstract: This document describes about possible future requirements of Cultural Adaptation of Information Technology. Basic idea is that most of current discussion is based on stand alone platform internationalization, and then proceed to machine translation. This document points out another possibility when global network is in place. A driving force of the requirements will be cultural dependent data adaptation in network application such as e-commerce.
 

1. It is very difficult to describe a future requirement from technology view points, so, let me describe the requirements as a sample cases. This is a part of Sato's presentation at Global Standards Conference held in Brussels in early October 1997.

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This is section 6 of original presentation.
2. Cultural Convention support within Application: Besides the review of i18n technology in the platform that is discussed above, it is also necessary to review an i18n of application program. As well as platform, paradigm for the i18n technology of an application will be changed in the age of GII.
In the age of single national culture support, cultural dependent items (such as tax structure), if they are very application specific, have been supported by "customization" of the application. In another word, the support of that type of cultural dependency has been out of scope of i18n technology. Now, question is "Is this also true in the GII age?".

2-1. Sample case: Let me invent one artificial sample case to express the issue and to stimulate your imagination:
Assume the case that Japanese customer buys a shoe from French vendor using US bank loan in Japanese payment custom. Ideal case of "internet free trade zone" might shooting this kind of trade. Placing an order as if dealing with Japanese vendor is an expectation of Japanese customer. French vendor may want to handle the order as if it is placed by French customer.
First of all, conversion of size number of shoe from Japanese system to French may be needed. This is a simple static data conversion at application level. How about the color? Name of the color is very cultural dependent. Then, pricing: This is another data conversion, however, this data conversion factor is a dynamic when we think of currency exchange rate fluctuation. In this sample, customer buys at the price converted from FF to Yen, but real payment would be charged at Yen to US$ conversion rate at the time of billing. Then, there will be a series of questions. Such as, can US Bank handle payment in Japanese custom? How about taxes? And so on........
These are the new challenge of i18n technology in GII age.
The questions about fluctuating currency exchange rate kind of issues are very visible and common issue, so, there would be many people who pay an attention on this issue and may challenge to resolve the issue (possibility of common facility). The size number of shoes is very specific application issue. Application developer should concern on this (and, sometimes, might forget this). How about local customs for payment? This is a Gary area. Anyway, it is necessary to resolve all of those. In another word, support of cultural conventions should be extended to this level, but they should not always be a part of a basic and common facility within a platform like "locale" model as of today. Also individual "customization" of application can not meet the requirements anyway. There is a need of new consensus of "how those cultural dependency to be supported?".

2-2. New model?: As a real life of today, those cultural dependent differences are covered by "trading company". Does this mean "virtual electronic trading company?" The answer may be NO. Should it be a part of application (means full distributed functionality for application program)? May be NO. Those should be supported by hybrid functions, some may be centralized as "electronic trading company," some may scattered around the application, and some such as color naming conversion may (may not) be a part of platforms.

2-3. Recommendation: Above discussion indicates that there is a needs of model for "international trade in GII age." Let me state that it is a time to start considering this point (as a first pass model).
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3. Recommendation: It is difficult to put above issue into the new TD along with other cultural adaptation issue. Therefore, in other contribution paper, Sato recommends to start the discussion on this issue at an advisory group attached directly to JTC1 to start with (separated from the real active TD).

4. Support information: This is another extract from a discussion somewhere, this discussion also requests the challenge for new technology.
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I would prefer that the overall cultural adaptability issues for JTC 1 be discussed (how does JTC 1 be more responsive to market requirements, how does the IT industry solve end-to-end interoperability in any language, can technology provide for over the internet translation) before interface, character code sets and i18n get taken up. JTC 1 needs this for cultural adaptability visibility but the end result should also have JTC 1 being successful in this activity and recognized as the standards leaders across the board on this work.
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