Dynamic Translation

[SM16]

We are planning to use Dynamic Translation feature of ServiceNow which we are entitled to. Its used for translating text in the fields or activity stream into desired language.

What is the benefit of using it? Why can't we use browser plugins or capabilities like Google translator which does the same thing.

I think using Dynamic translation does not only incur cost but also causes lot of maintenance activities.

What is your recommendation and experience around this?

[Slava Savitsky]

If you, for example, provide services to people outside your organization, you cannot expect all of them to have browser plugins installed. There are numerous reasons why they may not be able or simply not want to do that. With dynamic translation, you can offer a better and standardized user experience for your entire user base. Importantly, dynamic translation is not only capable of translating parts of the UI, but also outgoing email notifications.

[SM16]

In real world, I do not see any difference in translating via Dynamic translation and a browser plugin. Both doing same stuff.

Regarding translation of email notification, I think it only translates fixed labels which we already do with standard translations by storing the content in Messages table.

For me, using Dynamic translation means;

1) Spending more moeny on Plugin for ServiceNow and also for translator service

2) Increases efforts and maintenance work for enabling translations for tables, fields etc. Not everything can be translated.

3) No option to switch if off or on for specific set of users. For instance, I want to enable it only for HR then I can't do that.

If I use browser plugins, all these things are possible.

[Slava Savitsky]

Dynamic Translation does not translate field labels or fixed messages. There are other ways to translate them. Dynamic Translation translates user input, i.e. words and sentences that users enter into the text fields in catalog items or journal fields (e.g., Additional Comments) on regular forms. If you choose to rely on browser plugins, it is up to you as long as you properly manage your users' expectations.

[Y Baumgartner]

In my view browser translation plugins will only give you garbage output. You won't be able to create context translation or include specific company terminologies or let the plugin know what should be translated or not (Many english IT or project terms cannot translate to french with these tools for example). Typically when you use advanced services like Deepl to name one, many terms are wrongly (literally) translated and do not match the context of the discussion anymore unless you can use a "Glossary" function which you can't align throughout your user base.