Weidner Multi-Lingual Word Processing System
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Machine translation, Language technology |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Stephen Weidner |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Fate | Acquired by Bravis International |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Products | Weidner Multi-Lingual Word Processing System |
The Weidner Multi-Lingual Word Processing System was an early computer-assisted translation tool introduced in the United States in 1977 by Weidner Communications Corporation (WCC), a company that has since ceased operations. This system represented a significant advancement in machine translation and multilingual word processing, greatly improving both the efficiency and volume of translations available for commercial purposes.
Market introduction and impact
Launched in 1977, the Weidner system quickly gained attention; by 1978, the Wall Street Journal reported it increased translation capacity fourfold, while the Deseret News highlighted its ability to cut translation expenses by half and boost output by at least 400 percent.
On September 12, 1978, the system was showcased to translation professionals at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Thomas Bauman and Leland Wright from the American Translators Association assessed the technology, with Bauman promptly endorsing it and inviting Weidner to present at the ATA's annual conference later that year.
Translation specialists within the European Commission expressed renewed optimism for machine translation due to Weidner's innovations.
By the mid-1980s, WCC had become the leading translation firm in the US based on sales volume.
While early translations were somewhat rudimentary, they substantially outperformed manual methods. Upon entering text, the software flagged terms it could not translate directly, providing linguistic information such as noun gender and pluralization to assist human translators. As the system’s dictionary expanded over time, manual intervention decreased for subsequent tasks.
Corporate challenges and restructuring
The early 1980s brought significant difficulties for WCC. In 1982, Stephen Weidner faced financial complications related to a Research and Development Tax Shelter he had created. Legal disputes over his assets resulted in court-mandated liquidation of the company.
Following a settlement in 1984, Bravis International, one of Japan’s largest translation enterprises, acquired WCC. The company maintained operations with offices located in Chicago and Paris.
Internal conflicts and technology rights
Disputes between the Weidner brothers complicated control over the technology. Bruce Weidner, head of Inns of the Temple Inc., which owned research and development rights to the Weidner Multi-Lingual Word Processor, parted ways with Stephen in early 1979 and halted further software development. Bruce alleged that Stephen had unauthorizedly involved Eyring Research Institute in removing his intellectual property.
Lionbridge and iTranslator
In September 1980, the German government requested a version of the Weidner Multi-Lingual Word Processing software for use by Siemens. This adaptation, named the Siemens-Weidner Engine, initially supported English-German translations and served as a core component for Siemens’ Metal MT initiative.
Subsequently, Bowne Global Solutions Inc. acquired this Siemens version through assets obtained from Lernout & Hauspie. Later on, Bowne was absorbed by Lionbridge Technologies Inc., which incorporated this technology into their iTranslator platform.
WordPerfect
The Eyring Research Institute served as the development platform for Bruce Bastian, co-founder of WordPerfect and one of the original programmers who collaborated with Bruce Wydner to create the initial Weidner Spanish-English Multi-lingual Word Processor.
This multilingual application established the foundation for the WordPerfect single-language word processor, which was first designed for English and subsequently modified to support Spanish.
In 1978, Ronald G. Hansen, then President of Eyring Research Institute, is said to have inquired with Bruce Wydner about the possibility of Bruce Bastian developing monolingual word processors derived from the multilingual system.
Sources
- Natural Language Computing: The Commercial Applications, Tim Johnson, Ovum Ltd, London, 1985
- Machine Translation: History, Current Status, and Future Prospects, Jonathan Slocum, Siemens Communications Systems, Inc., Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 1984
- The Fastest Way to Learn Spanish is to See IT!, Spanish New Learning Center, Hawkes Publishing Inc., 1975,
- Twenty Years of Translating and the Computer, John Hutchins, 1998
- Practical Experience of Machine Translation, Veronica Lawson, North Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1982
- Machine Translation Today; The State of the Art, Margaret King, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, Scotland 1984
- Machine Translation; Past, Present, Future, W. J. Hutchins, Ellis Norwood Limited, Chichester, England, 1986
- Machine Translation, Ian Pigott, Commission of the European Communities, Luxemburg, XIII-84 IP, November 1991
- Language Software and Technology Report by Michael Quinlan, President of Transparent Language to LDS Church, New Hampshire, www.transparent.com, March 8, 2000
- Analyse des Systems zur computergestützten Übersetzung Weidner – Version Französisch-Englisch 2.5
- Michael G. Hundt: Working with the Weidner machine-aided translation system in Veronica Lawson (ed): Translating and the computer 4 - Practical experience with machine translation, London 1982
- Trial of the Weidner computer-assisted translation system, Translation Bureau Canada, Project No. 5-5462, 1985
- WCC's Translation Bureau, Henrietta Pons and Veronica Lawson 1982
- Ulla Magnusson-Murray: Operational experience of a machine translation service in Veronica Lawson (ed): Translating and the computer 5 - Tools for the trade, London 1983