With the ubiquity of the internet and the fast-paced evolution of modern technology, corporations and business entities aim to get in touch with a wider range of customers and clients not only in their mother country but also in the global setting. In this era of globalization, corporations and business establishments have to keep up with the ever changing demands and needs of the local market as well as the global market, if they intend to remain in the business world. For the first time in the long history of trade and industry, business entities face the greatest challenge of reaching out to the widest array of a global audience to ensure their survival in the competitive business realm. To be able to extend their grasp over the global markets, corporations and business establishments have devised an efficient way of communicating to the global audience through the use of translation software.

There was a time when sending a message across the world meant months of waiting as a piece of paper was carried by horseback or ship. Now, basic technology found in homes across the world and carried in our pockets allows us to instantly communicate to the far-flung corners of the earth. This astonishing technological advance comes with the pitfall that, while we might be able to send the messages, the language barrier can prevent them from being understood. Fortunately, online translation software allows everyday users to translate their chat messages and emails without learning an entirely new language.

The process of online translation is relatively simple. A program like Yahoo's Babel Fish provides you with a small window into which you paste your text. You select the language you want to translate into and the program gives you a translated version. Of course, while this is useful for translating something like an email, much of communication happens in real time. What if you want to chat on Facebook with someone in Germany that speaks very little English? That's where a program like Ortsbo really shines.

Although the number of people who speak the English language is constantly growing, it is never going to be completely universal. As such, when you are travelling to a foreign country, it is useful to take precautions to allow local people to understand you and vice versa. In the past, the communication barrier was eliminated using grammar and vocabulary books, or relying on a friend who spoke the language. However, with the technological explosion in the modern era, the world has become smaller, and along with it communication has become easier and more mobile. In particular, smartphones can now download translation apps, many of them offered free of charge. The question is, are these apps as useful as they claim?

Firstly, it is important to establish why, when travelling, one should opt for a free app rather than a paid one. The simplest response to this query is that with so many free applications out there, why pay for one! Additionally, the everyday person travels for short intervals, approximately a week or two, and as such, does not require long time use of translation applications. In the case of a person relocating to a region where they do not know the language, a translation app will not suffice.