Localization / Adaptation Microsoft Financial Products Author: Liam Cronin Date: 12-November-2002.

Localization / Adaptation Microsoft Financial Products

Author: Liam Cronin

Date: 12-November-2002

What is Microsoft Money ?.

What is Microsoft MSN ?

What is MSN Money Product?

How Financial Product Group look at Countries For MSN Money

Market criteria:– Size (Population, Home PCs, other Internet ready devices, etc.)– Internet penetration and growth– Financial habits: attitude towards money management and towards investing, – Financial Industry: structure and complexity of financial products offered;

consumer attitude towards buying financial products online– Size of Finance opportunity for Microsoft, projected over 3-5 years in terms

of revenue, units and share Microsoft internal criteria

– Strength of local MSN organization and plans for Finance channel– MSN commitment to Finance area (funds, resources, focus, etc.) and ability

of local MSN to support MSN Money with marketing and promotional efforts

– Channel execution and ability to monetize financial channel– Regional opportunities with cross-countries Financial Institutions and

sponsors

Localization Process

Globalization

Localizability

Localization

Content

Local Features

• Support International Settings• Able to run US version in other locales

• Make product localizable• Allow extensibility of feature

US Code Base

• Translated, Adapted, or Created locally• Process Driven by Ireland / European Product Planners

• US product adapted for other language (or locale)• Process Driven by Ireland

• Extend localized product with local features• Process Driven by Ireland / European Product Planners

Local Content Process

Review US content and apply content roadmap to determine what gets:– Remove!– Translate!– Adapt!– Replace!– Create!

No

Yes

INAPPROPRIATE?Remove!

KEEP AS IS?

Yes

No

CAN BE ADAPTEDFOR LOCAL MARKET?

Yes

No

Translate!

Adapt!

Replace!

Create!

USCONTENT

INT’LCONTENT

Not enoughvalue-addedto justify cost

Done by Localization Vendors)

Depends on how technical and complex content is to adapt. Done by Content Vendor, or SME.

Original content (non US) dev’ed on a per-country or per-region basis by Specialized Vendor or ISV

HIGHCOST

LOWCOST

EASY

HARD

Local Content Process

Local Features In Money CD Product

Partner with local companies in Europe Search for complementary product line :

Mortgages, Taxes, Pensions etc… Include features in localized versions of Money Train and support partners

– Limited development & program management involvement

Cross-promotion and marketing initiatives– From packaging to distribution

International Product Planning

Phase I - Define and spec Requirements for local product

Phase II - Find and execute on local solution for additions to the product

Phase III - Market and push the product

International Product Planners Role Product planning & vision for site Drive usability testing on site Work with Financial Institutions Content Vendor / Partner management Work with Channel Managers Business development Product marketing Public relations

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