Alto International provides premium language services to French and international blue-chip and up and coming business and law firms, government agencies and other organisations, worldwide.
The art
of partnership
We say what you mean
Premium language services worldwide.
Alto International provides premium language services to French and international blue-chip and up and coming business and law firms, government agencies and other organisations, worldwide.
At Alto International, we listen to you, stand by you and provide the advice, insights and coaching you need to communicate and get your message across in foreign languages.
Alto International was founded in 1997 to provide high quality language and language-related services to its clients, most of whom are well-known companies and corporations. With offices in Paris and Hong Kong, it has seen a steady increase in its volume of business and currently employs a core staff of project managers and finance and administration officers.
Where companies typically see lexicological impositions —binding legal vocabulary for annual reports and mandatory terminology for financial meetings— Alto sees an opportunity to stand out and set the pace with a comprehensive approach encompassing both what you want to say and how you want to say it. At Alto International, we see our role as supporting our clients, large and small, in their efforts to communicate effectively with all their stakeholders.
We treat all information entrusted to us in utmost confidentiality, and impose the same obligation on all those who work under our banner. Alto International’s policy therefore is not to advertise the names of our clients. However, should you require a testimonial, we would be happy to put you in touch with someone in your line of business willing to provide it.
ALTO International – the agency with a difference, specialised in linguistic and cultural mediation.
Advertising copy – running an advertising campaign in two or more languages means going well beyond translation and matching the message to the linguistic and cultural context in which it will be received. ALTO International is experienced in this kind of work and can find solutions, whatever languages are involved.
Adaptation – translating a company’s annual report is one thing, adapting it to the audience that will read it is another. This requires careful thought about the target audience and creative writing to make sure the company’s message is appropriately framed. ALTO International has successfully adapted a number of company annual reports
Coaching – top executives of multinational companies are often required to make speeches and presentations in a language other than their native tongue. ALTO International is able to help them in the preparation of their script (drafting, translation or adaptation) and rehearse it with them to ensure that they are able to deliver their message with clarity and impact.
Conference interpretation – a specialised profession calling on skilled and experienced practitioners in many languages. ALTO International contracts the best professionals available in France, Europe and the rest of the world if necessary to meet the specific needs of each meeting, conference or gathering.
Cross-cultural communication – a buzzword adored by sociologists. ALTO International takes the view that communication between cultures is mediated by language and calls on language professionals who are culturally sensitive and acutely aware of the need not only to translate words but to convey messages and build bridges between cultures.
Desktop publishing – reports, brochures and other documents must not only be properly written, translated and adapted, they must also be designed for maximum appeal. ALTO International has skill and experience in this aspect of document production
Digital technologies – the Internet has radically changed the way in which translation and interpretation are practiced and received. ALTO International fully exploits the new digital technologies (search based translation, internet broadcasting to multiple audiences etc.) and passes on the full benefit of these changes to its clients.
Equipment – multilingual meetings often require specialised sound transmission equipment and the skilled technicians to service it. ALTO International can call on the best people in the business to ensure that meetings run smoothly for all participants.
Ethics – ALTO International is acutely aware that its clients’ information is often sensitive and must be handled in complete confidence. It ensures that its own core team and all those who work under its banner uphold this vital principle.
Events – Meetings, press conference and product launches are among the many types of event organised by companies and institutions. ALTO International works closely with a number of events organisers to ensure that its specialised services fit seamlessly into the event organisation to ensure the best outcome for the client.
International meetings are, by definition, multilingual. From its offices in Paris and London, ALTO International has established good working relationships with language professionals all over the world and can always put together the best team for the job in hand – wherever it is located.
Internet (see digital technologies).
Minute writing – meetings often require some kind of record, anything from a brief list of decisions to a verbatim report. ALTO International can supply the right professionals for the job, have audio recordings transcribed, and also take care of translating the resulting document into one or several other languages.
Network – any service company requires an extensive network of professionals in order to respond to its clients’ needs. ALTO International’s network of language and technical professionals spans continents and time zones and its core know-how is to activate and coordinate the appropriate parts of this global network as the need arises.
Organisation – with its unparalleled knowledge of the dynamics of international meetings, ALTO International has the resources to organise their language services, marrying interpretation and translation with technical expertise to ensure that delegates with different languages and cultures can communicate and understand each other.
Quality control – ALTO International is not only able to find the right professionals for the job in hand but stakes its own reputation, day after day, on client satisfaction. ALTO International systematically requests feedback from clients after meetings or completed translation assignments and is thus able to detect quickly the source of any dissatisfaction. Behind the scenes, ALTO International has an informal system of mentoring newcomers to its networks and also calls on its senior members with extensive client knowledge to exercise oversight functions with a view to ensuring a maximum degree of quality control.
Responsiveness – breaking news requires fast reaction to the need for translation and interpretation. An ALTO International core team member is always on call, even outside normal office hours, to handle requests for last minute language services. ALTO International prides itself on being linked in at all times to the varying needs of its clients.
Sign language interpreting – more and more companies and institutions are reaching out to their less fortunate stakeholders.
Simultaneous interpretation (also called simultaneous translation) – the mode of interpretation used for the vast majority of multilingual meetings. ALTO International has a long list of professional interpreters on its books and can provide interpretation, even for the most minority languages.
Translation – from press releases for immediate consumption to longer texts like company annual reports, clients’ translation needs are many and varied. While aware of the fact that polished translation requires more time than sometimes envisaged, ALTO International works with a large number of seasoned professional translators and will always find a solution to clients’ requirements.
Teamwork – responding rapidly and effectively to clients’ requests is the hallmark of ALTO International’s service. The ALTO International core team in Paris and London, in touch with a large network of language and technical professionals in every corner of the world, will always strive to put together the right team in the right place for the job in hand.
Voice over and whispering – modes of simultaneous interpretation without sound transmission equipment, suitable for small meetings using no more than two languages. Interpretation can be performed in voice-over mode in one language direction and whispered mode in the other.
Writing skills – high quality written translation does not only require perfect knowledge of the source language and specialised vocabulary but, equally importantly, the writing skills to render a polished text in the target language, very often under tight deadlines. ALTO International ensures that the translators it calls on possess the complete range of skills required for successful translation.
Zenith – not the end, but the top – where ALTO International always strives to be.
Alto International is proud of the diversity of languages we offer, our ability to respond with exactly what is needed and the innovative and customized solutions we tailor to our clients’ needs. Alto International is 100% reliable. We can be trusted to deliver what we promise.
Why do so many companies, law firms, investment banks and other institutions around the world rely on Alto International?
Because of the rigour and quality of the service provided. We have years of experience in producing critical company documents such as annual reports, internal and external publications and sensitive press releases. These have to be word-perfect and Alto International knows how to get it done – fast and accurately. We always use high quality native language translators and interpreters who are specialists in their respective fields.
At Alto International, we seek to go beyond a basic customer–supplier relationship with our clients and establish true partnerships. The fact that we know our clients and understand their corporate culture so well has enormous value. We can operate at the highest level and provide direct support in negotiations and international relations. By eliminating all language barriers and adapting to local cultural environments, we enable our customers to get right to the essential business issues with partners and prospects. This opens new doors and business opportunities. Alto International also has the well-deserved reputation of being fiercely loyal to our clients.
In today’s fast-moving business world, amid crises, 24-hour breaking news and constant pressure, having someone you can count on when you’re up the creek is invaluable. Our ability to call on a global network of translators / interpreters means we can work across time zones and provide instant, high-quality solutions in response to emergencies.
The problem with translations is that they often read like translations. Literal translation from French to English, for example, can sound unnatural and unconvincing. Alto International’s teams are adept at conveying our clients’ messages in language that sounds natural to a native speaker. Our teams include writers with corporate experience capable of creating original documents that deliver the message with the exact meaning and the desired impact.
For each client, there is an assigned project manager who oversees the work for the entire duration of the project. This involves managing all requests, thus simplifying and accelerating the process. The “single point of entry” system optimizes communication with clients, and enables timely updates of requests and follow-up, clarity on budgets and rapid access to archives.
How does Alto International ensure that company-specific terminology is consistently used? We compile glossaries for each client and these are used by both interpreters and translators and regularly completed and updated.
Alto International translators are responsible for harmonizing the final product so that the style is fluid and the correct vocabulary used. Side-by-side proofreading is done to verify numbers and detect any flaws.
Strict criteria are used in the selection process. Translators and interpreters always translate into their native language. They also are experts in their field, such as finance, marketing or international law, medical, manufacturing or the digital economy, among others.. Many are graduates or teachers at leading interpretation and translation schools and certified by SFT (Société française de Traducteurs), ITI (Institute of Translation & Interpreting) or AIIC (Association des Interprètes de Conférence).
Responsive, constantly engaged, able to anticipate the clients’ needs, solution-oriented and committed to excellence. In a word: professional!
Desktop publishing consists of producing final documents, many of them with very complex layout. The volume of text may vary from one language to another and it is often necessary to revise the layout and adapt content to the client’s style requirements. (more…)
For situations where live reproduction is not required, delayed transcription from an audio document is a simpler, less technically demanding and costly solution for drafting reports (of meetings and television or radio programmes, for instance).
Live transcription is the art of producing a written record of the oral proceedings of important meetings (AGMs, Board meetings, hearings, etc.). We work to your deadlines, from 0 (full record delivered on the same day) to 10 days (D+1, D+2, etc.). (more…)
Alto International is happy to draft all your publications, whether activity reports, annual reports, letters, presentation brochures, etc. We work with freelance technical writers specialising in your field. The resulting texts can then be translated and adapted into other languages. (more…)
Alto International can assist you in preparing for your events and corporate meetings (conventions, symposiums, presentations, etc.).
This modular service includes:
• preliminary assessment of the goals and language level of the speakers (more…)
When representing your company at an international trade fair or exhibition, you need to be visible, recognised and able to communicate with visitors, with the aim of standing out in a very competitive context. The interpreter will be a genuine partner who will defend your interests and represent you with potential clients.
Primarily offered in the framework of Shareholder Meetings (CAC40 and other), which are often webcast, this service is also in demand to meet the needs of hearing-impaired employees attending corporate meetings (seminars, conventions, medical visits). (more…)
Alto International handles all types of translation work, including in-house corporate communication – letters, memos and e-mails. To best meet all expectations, we constitute in-house terminology glossaries and train teams of translators (more…)
On the occasion of corporate mergers and alliances (takeover bids/M&A), the press has a role to play in accurately identifying the economic, social, human and cultural issues involved, notably on the local level. To provide optimal speed of reaction, we set up a dedicated team (more…)
Traduire, c’est produire avec des moyens différents des effets analogues.
Translation is that which transforms everything so that nothing changes.
As long as human beings speak different languages, the need for translation will continue.
Every language is a world. Without translation, we would inhabit parishes bordering on silence.
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