COTI - Taking Your Content Global

The COTI Standard

COTI was adopted by the Association of German Manufacturers of Authoring and Content Management Systems (DERCOM for short) and defines a common data exchange format between content management systems and translation memory systems. The idea is to create a standardized interface to start translation projects from content management systems and to make it possible to return finalized translations from CAT tools. There are three levels to the COTI standard:

COTI Level 1: Defines a COTI package, or file, that can simply be manually exchanged between the content management system and CAT tool. The content management system creates the package, the CAT system imports it, and vice versa.
COTI Level 2: Adds an automated step to the standard using exchange folders. The content management system places its COTI package in a specific exchange folder. This is monitored by the CAT tool, and as soon as a package is filed there, the CAT tool automatically creates a project. Once the project is complete, the CAT tool places the finished COTI package in the second exchange folder, which is monitored by the content management system. As soon as the finalized translation is present as a COTI package, the content management system automatically imports the translation.
COTI Level 3: This level is still relatively vague in the specification. It is based on the “hot” integration on a standardized API. This means all CAT tools can communicate directly with all content management systems. To date this level has not yet been realized by any manufacturers and demonstrates there are still gaps in the specification.

SDL has completely outsourced the development of COTI interfaces to Kaleidoscope.

COTI Level 1

Opening COTI Packages in SDL Trados Studio

This COTI level has been realized using a simple Studio plugin, which enables COTI projects to be selected and opened manually. A standard Studio project is created, which can be translated as normal. It is important to note that a file type for the respective data format of the content management system is needed later on! The data is also returned using the Studio plugin. Simply select the source package and define a target folder. The plugin creates the target language COTI package, which you can then manually return to the client.

You can simply download the COTI Plugin from the SDL Appstore

COTI Level 2

Automation Using Exchange Folders

COTI Level 2 has been realized using Connecting Content. Connecting Content is Kaleidoscope’s existing automation platform for SDL Trados Studio, GroupShare, and WorldServer. Designing this application with a standard configuration for COTI was therefore the obvious thing to do. Connecting Content monitors the exchange folder and automatically creates the relevant project in Studio, GroupShare, or WorldServer when a COTI package appears. Once the project is complete, the target language COTI package can be automatically created from Studio using the COTI Level 1 plugin or Connecting Content.

Product Documents

You will find the Connecting Content User Manual here.

Trial version

The COTI plugin can be downloaded for free from SDL AppStore. Connecting Content cannot be implemented without configuring it to the specific requirements of a CMS or other leading system. Therefore we cannot offer a standard free trial for download.

I would like more information

Delivering MultiTerm

Delivering MultiTerm converts server-based termbases into a local termbase, which can be added to a SDL Trados Studio project. You can take this termbase offline and send it to the translator. Delivering MultiTerm optionally scans the source documents for terms and then adds only the relevant ones to the project-specific local termbase. Filtering is also available.

Excelling MultiTerm

Excelling MultiTerm is a tool that lets you precisely select data from SDL MultiTerm and export that data into an Excel file. Once in Excel, you can then edit, translate, or review your terminology. You then use the Excel file itself to update the data in MultiTerm. Excelling MultiTerm also contains a number of features which professional users of MultiTerm need for keeping termbases “clean”.

Publishing MultiTerm

Use Publishing MultiTerm to select specific content from SDL MultiTerm and export it. Then run any number of transformations on the output, and convert the final data to formats like PDF or XML. The tool is ideal if you want to create a glossary suitable for printing or if you want to export your data for use in other systems. Once set up, the publishing process runs automatically on a server.

Translate Excel Files with Ease

Excelling Studio makes working with Microsoft Excel files much easier. These files are often a stumbling block, especially when processed in translation tools. Excelling Studio from Kaleidoscope organizes your Excel files and prepares them for translation in SDL Trados Studio. The tool reads data from the columns and rows of excel files and converts them to a special XML format.

Connecting Content

Connecting Content is the ideal solution for connecting a content management, catalog, or technical editing system to an SDL Trados-based translation workflow. Connecting Content also works smoothly with a variety of other workflow systems and is a logical solution for automating time-consuming processes in this field. Once set up, it runs automatically on a server, automating your projects.

COTI – Standard for Automation

COTI – Common Translation Interface – is a German standard for exchanging translation projects between a CMS such as SCHEMA ST4 and a CAT. Kaleidoscope has built this bridge for the world of SDL Trados Studio, GroupShare, and WorldServer, enabling standardized automatic data exchange between editing and translation management systems that can be implemented extremely quickly.

goAnalyze Studio Files

goAnalyze is an add-on for SDL Trados that can analyze multiple or even zipped files, without even having to open Studio or create a project. Using goAnalyze, any number of different TM connections can be grouped under “Customer” and prices assigned to the corresponding match bands. Not only is this a bonus for freelancers and agencies, but also for in-house translation departments.

Synching Language

Synching Language is a fully automated tool for keeping several translation memories and termbases synchronized between multiple SDL servers and/or clients. This solution maintains “snapshots” of all databases and compares all the images with one another during each synchronization process. As a result, synchronization can be performed reliably in both directions.

Your TTX is too large?

Then Splitting TTX is the Answer! Splitting TTX is an extremely efficient tool for splitting large TTX files into several smaller TTX files. After the translation is complete, the individual files are merged back together into one complete TTX file. This is particularly useful when TTX files are too large to handle efficiently or when several translators will work on one source file at the same time.

Jewels in the Treasure Chest

In our treasure chest we collect small and useful tools that we have developed for specific needs and which may be interesting for other customers as well. Take a look for yourself; perhaps you will also find a jewel among the tools such as Fragmenting XML, Checking Duplicates and secureSDLXLIFF that will transform your current processes! Got a great idea for a new tool? Let us know!

Consultancy & Workshops

While you can simply download and try out some of our products for yourself, larger-scale solutions such as SCHEMA DocuManager or SDL WorldServer have extensive configuration options. To enable us to tailor these systems to your individual requirements, we can offer you specialist guidance and workshops. This will give you a clear picture of the desired and perfect solution for you.

Rely On Our Support

Do you want tailored guidance and prompt support response times? Then you can rely on us! We provide support both for the SDL Trados products we market and for the software solutions we develop in-house, such as quickTerm, smartQuery, globalReview, and expertTools. In order to support the products from our other partners, we negotiate direct support and maintenance contracts on your behalf.