Multilingual B2B exchange in the works

VerticalNet, which owns and operates vertical electronic exchanges plans to allow companies to do business online in 42 different languages.

The company will work with application service provider, Uniscape to create country-specific versions of VerticalNet's business-to-business (B2B) trading communities.

VerticalNet will also set up localised versions of selected online trading communities for its previously announced joint venture with BT in Europe and Softbank in Japan.

Uniscape will help use its global enablement methodology to enable VerticalNet's back-end applications to handle multiple languages, currencies and date formats.

An Uniscape spokesman said the methodology will make VerticalNet applications ready for international commerce. He also claimed that the technology can intelligently distinguish from and adapt to different cultures, for example, the difference between Parisian French and Canadian French. "It's more than just translating," he said.

Although much of the work is done automatically human translators are also required.