Uber’s Bengaluru-based tech team has substantially reduced localization costs and time, leveraging AI to enhance their app’s adaptability across multiple languages and markets. Their innovations allow the app to be quickly customized for new regions, facilitating a smoother user experience for drivers and riders.
Uber’s Bengaluru-based Global Scaled Solutions (GSS) tech team is revolutionizing the company’s operational capabilities by drastically reducing the time and financial resources necessary for app localization. Through the use of advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the team has successfully compressed localization efforts to one-fourth of the traditional requirements. As a result, the Uber app now accommodates numerous regional languages and markets more efficiently than ever before. Localization is essential for adapting the Uber app for drivers, riders, and users to ensure they can comprehend and interact with the platform effectively across various mediums, including mobile and web applications. The collaborative efforts of teams based in both Bengaluru and the United States are central to these localization achievements. “Our mission for localisation is to make our products feel local to everyone, everywhere, and we are constantly innovating” – Megha Yethadka, Senior Director of Program Management and Head of GSS, Uber. “This helps customise the app in local and regional languages, enabling earners and customers in new markets to navigate it with ease, often within just a few hours.” Historically, the localization process was labor-intensive, requiring hiring bilingual personnel and days of manual input to achieve translations. However, the implementation of generative AI and monolingual agents has optimized this workflow, leading to approximately 85 percent of the localization process occurring without human involvement, with goals to achieve 90 percent by December. This innovation not only enhances efficiency but also minimizes errors, with human oversight now limited to rare situations. Currently, the Uber app operates in 63 languages globally, including eight different languages in India. Recent efforts showcased the team’s responsiveness, such as their swift localization of vital communications in Ukraine and Poland, where they arranged free rides for those fleeing conflict just within 24 hours. Additionally, their initiative to translate the app into Punjabi for use in the U.S. and Canada benefited many truck drivers associated with Uber Freight, many of whom hail from Punjab. The localization and globalization teams are predominantly situated in India, which boasts the second-largest concentration of these employees outside of the United States. This team is instrumental in developing style guides across 60 languages, conducting localization testing, and propelling Uber’s automation for its language processing efforts.
The localization of applications, especially in a globalized economy, is crucial for companies like Uber to ensure user satisfaction and operational efficiency. As businesses expand into diverse markets, localizing content in various languages becomes necessary to appeal to a wider audience. Uber’s technology teams, particularly the one based in Bengaluru, have been at the forefront of achieving faster and more cost-effective localization solutions. This has been made possible through the integration of AI and other technological advancements that streamline the traditional localization processes that are often time-consuming and expensive.
In summary, Uber’s Bengaluru-based GSS tech team has significantly transformed the localization process of the app by utilizing cutting-edge technologies. Their strategies have allowed for the accommodation of multiple languages with increased speed and reduced costs, thereby enhancing access for users globally. This advancement not only underscores Uber’s commitment to localization but also highlights the important role that teams in India play in the company’s global strategy.
Original Source: www.business-standard.com
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