BBG’s Will Sullivan Speaks at SXSW Interactive
BBG’s Director of Mobile, Will Sullivan, spoke at South By Southwest Interactive last week in a session entitled, “43 Tongues” about the launching the Voice of America mobile apps in 43 languages.
Sullivan’s session was part of SXSWi’s “Future 15” emerging and new technology track, focused on quick dives in new technologies and skills for emerging markets. The presentation discussed how to localize content and user experiences for global audiences. The audience was made up of leaders from international media outlets like Deutsche Welle and Radio Netherlands, and global marketing firms such as Weber Shandwick. Sullivan’s presentation piqued quite a bit of interest in person and on Twitter. Afterwards several members of the audience had follow-up questions to learn more about building international news and information products.
“It’s not translation, it’s localization,” says @Journerdism when it comes to creating a truly global app. #SXSW #43tongues
— Robert Hernandez (@webjournalist) March 8, 2014
Amazing requirements for the mobile apps. Low-bandwidth, offline saving, #43tongues including right-to-left text, Android, iOS, Symbian…
— Anna Tauzin (@annatauzin) March 8, 2014
The mobile news platform developed across components of the BBG – and used around the world – has been named a finalist for the “Best Mobile Publishing Product or Service” in the GSM Association (GSMA) 2014 Global Mobile Awards. The BBG’s Office of Digital and Design Innovation, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Voice of America partnered to create a mobile app that provides news and information for people in more than 100 countries, in 43 languages on the world’s two largest smartphone and tablet platforms.
Learn more about the Voice of America mobile applications and other BBG apps at http://apps.bbg.gov