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Rates - is the bottom rising?
Thread poster: José Henrique Lamensdorf
Oleg Rudavin
Oleg Rudavin  Identity Verified
Ukraine
Local time: 18:47
Member (2003)
English to Ukrainian
+ ...
Any trend is merely a possibility... May 6, 2009

... and can both contunie or stop or reverse at any moment as soon as additional factors come into play.
Astrid Elke Johnson wrote: If the market is becoming more clearly divided into playing areas of cheap, medium and expensive, then I would have supposed that the range of rates acceptable in one of those playing areas should not really have anything to do with the range in another area. Or am I wrong about that?

Basically, yes. Georgaphical (= cost of living) component is steadily losing its relevance in the price formation process, and the market is being structured, with a few segments taking shape. The bottom segment with .01-.03 is still there populated with those who believe themselves to be able to translate (simply because someone complimented on their ability to comprehensibly chat in another language) and kitchen-table agencies - the main business principle is offer the cheapest price to get the job. The middle segment (that's where the bottom is rising!) is probably the toughest - with a mixture of everything: good and poor quality; pressure, still existing, from oppositely priced local markets; rotation of players (that's where most agencies belong), etc. The top segment with major end clients (and surely major budgets) is being progressively dominated with MLV's/translation corporations attracted by big money - relatively recent phenomenon: the current level of globalization allows them to build pyramid-type structures with money-generating offices scattered all over the world and profits forwarded to the headquarters comfotably based in nice and well-to-do countries...
There's little interaction between the segments in terms of business. Some migration of players does take place though, translators and agencies trying to climb the ladder in the search for the most balanced position.
 
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Rates - is the bottom rising?







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