How IBM eliminated 89% of its manual localization efforts

With over 300,000 employees across 170 countries, IBM operates on an extraordinary global scale. Supporting this complexity in delivering products and services worldwide demands seamless collaboration across languages and time zones. From concept to launch, translation plays a vital role in helping IBM bring products to global markets.

Centralising workflows across timezones and languages

For years, IBM managed translations using web-based tools and a sprawling network of local language service providers. This process was fragmented and time-intensive, requiring employees to navigate multiple systems, manually upload files, and manage complex approval processes.

When IBM adopted the Straker app in Slack, everything changed. By integrating translation directly into Slack, IBM teams no longer needed to rely on external tools or multiple suppliers. Translation became a seamless part of their existing workflows.

David Sowerby, Chief Revenue Officer at Straker , highlights the simplicity of this integration: “The beauty of using Straker in Slack is that employees don’t need to learn a new system. They can translate and verify content directly in Slack. This reduces friction and makes translations faster and more accessible.”

Today, 10,000 IBM employees actively use the Straker app each month, translating between 40 and 50 million words. Teams can upload documents or presentations directly into Slack, and the app translates the content and returns it within seconds.

The app also supports real-time multilingual collaboration in Slack channels. For example, IBM teams in Japan and the US can seamlessly collaborate. One team member types in English, the other responds in Japanese, and the app instantly translates both messages, ensuring clarity and precision.

Doug Mueller, Senior Program Manager at IBM, describes the impact:

‍“Slack’s asynchronous nature and the ease of use of the Straker integration is leveling. It boosts productivity and engagement across global teams.”

Reducing friction across the product lifecycle

Translation was once a bottleneck for IBM. A single 10,000-word document could take up to a week to process, involving multiple steps and touchpoints along the way. Now, with the Straker app in Slack, those same requests are completed in just 0.7 seconds.

This speed is a game changer in avoiding critical bottlenecks during the key stages of product development, testing, and global rollout. Together, Slack and Straker help IBM maintain momentum, eliminating barriers and keeping teams aligned across languages and time zones.

“From development to testing, launching, and supporting products globally, we need solutions that eliminate friction and keep teams aligned,” explains Mueller. “Slack and Straker make that possible.”

Unlike web-based tools, the Slack app is designed to meet IBM’s enterprise needs, delivering tailored translations that ensure precision, maintain tone, and protect sensitive data — all while providing the agility required for a global business.

Shaping the future of translation with AI agents

Straker is pioneering the future of translation with AI-powered agents in Slack. These agents will work alongside teams to refine machine translations, adapt content for specific use cases like marketing or technical documentation, and suggest quality improvements.

“Agents are where translation is headed,” says Sowerby. “Imagine a quality boost agent fine-tuning translations or a style agent adapting language for different audiences. In Slack, these agents will drive efficiency and precision.”

By combining human expertise with AI, Straker’s language agents will allow IBM to scale translations globally without compromising quality. This approach also reduces human workload significantly. For example, tasks that previously required manual translation of 900 out of 1,000 words now only need human input for 100 words.

Sowerby adds, “This shift reduces costs by a factor of four or five while maintaining high-quality results. It’s about balancing quality and cost efficiency to deliver the best outcomes.”

As IBM continues to scale, Slack and Straker are setting a new standard for translation — integrating cutting-edge technology with workflows to drive better outcomes for teams worldwide.

📝 Key Takeaways

• Fast, accurate translation: Slack and Straker reduce translation times from a week to under a second.
• Simplified communication: Straker’s app unlocks real-time multilingual collaboration directly in Slack.
• Global efficiency: Slack acts as IBM’s central hub for managing translations and aligning teams worldwide.
• Future-ready solutions: AI-powered translation agents will streamline workflows and elevate translation quality, cutting costs significantly.

How the Straker App for Slack helps global teams work better, faster, and smarter 💡

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This content was originally written on Slack's page and is published with consent.