Who are we?
A committed company
We make it a priority to respect the conventions of your industry and ensure the consistency of your brand image.
We adhere to high standards to ensure optimal quality and consistently meet our deadlines.
We have a strict approval process for our resources to provide you with a high level of performance (not just anyone can join the VI team!).
We are always available and assign you a dedicated project manager.
We are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve and to always bring you more value.
We have proven experience and an international reputation that mean you can entrust us with your projects with complete peace of mind…
Get to know our team
A team of specialised translators
This is the distinguishing feature of our ten in-house translators. And for us, this is essential. A translation degree provides evidence of linguistic and theoretical knowledge that guarantees fluency in the language, an understanding of translation issues and related skills. This is also one of the requirements of the ISO 17100 standard that we obtained in 2017!
We become a translator by translating… and our linguists have years of experience! Senior translators for the most part, they can draw on the wisdom and expertise they have gained over the course of many projects, giving them the intuition and critical thinking skills needed to translate accurately. Their individual expertise is backed up by a strong, complementary team: our translators exchange ideas, make suggestions and discuss issues, thereby sharing their experience and knowledge.
To complement the academic achievements of our in-house translators, we periodically organise targeted training sessions to develop and consolidate linguistic and technical skills (translation and research methods, proficiency in translation tools, in-depth exploration of one or more fields, presentation of a client’s own ecosystem, etc.) so they can produce flawless work.
All our translators translate into their native language and know all the nuances. They have an instinctive command of the language and its cultural connotations to guarantee a result that is adapted to your target audience. They constantly maintain their knowledge, expertise and interpersonal skills by sharing them. This is the added value of an in-house team.
We continuously evaluate the strong team of freelancers working on the projects before our in-house reviewers. Following the initial selection phase (several initial tests, per area of expertise), ongoing assessment is implemented for each project to ensure optimal professionalism. Our freelancers’ linguistic and technical skills are important, but we also value their reliability and the added value they bring to VI and its clients. And because it is also important to us that they are able to develop and learn, we include them in the training courses we attend, as well as in review meetings for certain key accounts. More than just simple service providers, our aim is to make them real strategic partners.
An experienced project management team
From the approval of your first quote, one of our project managers becomes your single point of contact. They will centralise your requests and orchestrate the various stages of the linguistic process, throughout our partnership.
What is the added value for you?
- They ‘translate’ your needs into instructions and a methodology for the linguists and IT team.
- They answer your questions quickly, so you’re not left hanging.
- They understand your requirements and try to help you by respecting the agreed budgets and deadlines (for example, our delivery reliability rate is no less than 99.8%!).
A readily available sales team
Our sales team is here to advise you ahead of your translation project.
Why is it important to analyse the context behind your request in detail?
Even if it may seem to you that the translation of a text “only” involves transferring ideas from one language into another, many other factors can come into play and have significant implications. This is why you must tell us as much as you can about your project, any constraints you have to deal with, the market(s) you want to reach, the type of audience you are targeting, etc.
We will listen to your needs and gather the information necessary to identify the challenges of your project.
We will then be able to offer you the most suitable linguistic and technical solution for your needs , as well as finding the one that is best adapted to your budget.
An in-house IT department
Version internationale has always believed that IT support should be a complementary service to translation. We therefore decided to set up a full-time IT department specialising in translation and localisation – another unique feature that sets VI apart! Far from being a luxury, this is an essential resource for us to offer you solutions that are always best suited to your needs.
You can benefit from support that makes your project run more smoothly, whether it’s bug fixes, flexible document and database management, advanced CAT and MT tool expertise or program and API development.
Our IT department also monitors the digital world (professional conferences, meetings with technology suppliers, etc.), which enables us to quickly adopt the latest technological innovations. This ensures that we have the latest technology to fine-tune your translation process.
Our IT department can also create and develop “in-house” computer tools at any time. Upon request, they can help us to design a process adapted to your constraints and thus save you time.
What they have to say about their job
“Being a project manager at VI means helping our clients treat their content as an essential part of their international strategy. I like managing the teams to get the best out of them, so we can always provide the most suitable solution for our clients’ needs and goals. Lastly, I enjoy working as a team, sharing our experiences and celebrating the work we have accomplished together, especially when a client tells us they’re completely happy.”
“What I love about my job is learning new things every day. The languages and the different fields in which I specialise are constantly evolving, so you always have to keep abreast of these developments. Being an editor is also about being curious and wanting to learn, being able to learn independently when tackling your translations, but also as a team by sharing knowledge and opinions. In short, for me, translation is about being open to the world and to others.”
“The position of Vendor Manager enables me to combine the values that drive me. I’m responsible for ensuring the projects’ success by matching our freelance translators’ skills, which I monitor, with the needs of our in-house project managers. It’s a job that requires you to know how to listen and be responsive and proactive in order to guarantee flawless, high-quality translation and editing solutions for our clients over the short and long term!”
“My passion is translating. That’s a good thing, as it is what I’ve been doing every day at Version internationale since I arrived. The strength of our team of linguists lies in our cooperation and communication. We can lean on each other for advice, occasional help on a tricky translation or a longer-term project. This way, we all benefit from each other’s experience and strengths, always with the aim of delivering a high-quality translation to the client.”
A deep-rooted desire for excellence
At Version internationale, we are laser-focused on always providing total customer satisfaction. This doesn’t just mean delivering high-quality translations on time and on budget, but also becoming a true partner in our client’s international strategy.
A deep-rooted desire for excellence, both linguistically and in the quality of service we provide. There are two reasons for this. Of course, we want to satisfy every one of our clients every time we deliver. However, we also know that it is by producing high-quality translations that we perform best, whether in human, financial or commercial terms.
We know that a bad translation inevitably leads to additional costs for both the translation company and the client, plus a lot of frustration and a weakened or even broken relationship. We have always strived to build sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships based on trust with our clients.
We want our clients to sleep soundly, safe in the knowledge that their content has been translated to the required standard, on time and within the agreed budget.
A professional service with a human touch
Looking beyond these considerations, we believe that translation revolves around people.
That goes for the production process first of all, where however much we draw on all the developments that technology brings today, we know that ultimately, linguists are what bring added value to translations. Artificial intelligence can offer a lot today and even more tomorrow. However, it is unlikely to replace translators when it comes to taking into account the context, cultural aspects and of course, emotions…
Then there is client relations, where the human dimension is key. Knowing how to detect needs, give the most relevant advice and help projects run smoothly in order to provide a service that’s as fluid and as suitable as possible. All these factors are essential for a successful and highly satisfactory translation project.
That is why we rely on a seasoned and multifaceted in-house team (translators, proof-readers, project managers, an engineer, a translation tool specialist, a language resource specialist, a sales team, etc.). Every one of these professionals has been recruited with the aim of building a solid team, on which our clients can rely over the long term. This long-term relationship enables clients to benefit from personalised support that few translation companies are able to provide.
A match made in heaven
When a linguist meets a computer engineer and they are both passionate about words, communication and foreign cultures, what happens? Incidentally, they get married, and they have two daughters… but also, they set up a localisation company.
In 1990, Patrick and Françoise Bajon created Version internationale, a localisation company. Patrick already had five years’ experience in this emerging translation sector, having translated several interfaces as an engineer within a major American software publisher’s translation centre.
The 90s were the boom years for consumer computing. Version internationale took off by translating the interface and help files for the numerous software programs that were flooding the market. But they didn’t stop there! As the years went by, and despite its strong roots in the IT world, VI gradually built up a wealth of experience in other sectors. Websites, technical documents, social media, medical, marketing, fashion, industry, etc. The company now had more than one string to its bow.
In 2022, when the time came for Françoise and Patrick to retire, a linguist colleague showed an interest in taking over the company. At the helm of his namesake group, Dimitri Stoquart invited the VI teams to join him in writing a new chapter in their history, allowing the founders to enjoy a well-deserved rest.
The desire to build a strong team
Success and demand quickly prompted Françoise and Patrick to surround themselves with a team of translators, project managers and engineers, all on permanent contracts. They believes that a long-term working relationship is key, which meant providing in-depth training for employees, working to build trust between the company and its employees and offering a premium service to its clients.
Although the team members have changed since then, the same spirit still drives them: the satisfaction of a job well done, being attentive to clients and providing great customer service, a commitment to innovation and renewal, and the decision to rely on a permanent, close-knit group working towards the same goal – customer satisfaction.
And it’s this exact philosophy that has won over many clients. It offers them the assurance of having a permanent point of contact who is genuinely committed to their issues and ready to support them over the long term. It’s no coincidence that some of our clients have been placing their trust in us for over 20 years now.
Today, Version internationale supports many different types of company. It works for international companies seeking excellence, while providing the same level of commitment and service to French SMEs successfully breaking into foreign markets and foreign SMEs looking to establish themselves in France and Europe. VI has also earned the trust of international organisations (United Nations agencies, NGOs, educational institutions, etc.) that value its ability to bridge the gap between the world of business and its constraints and their communication aims. A true global partner you can trust.