Translation companies are usually located in large cities around the world and provide not just translations as such but also additional services for large translation projects. These additions normally include editing, conversion of files, typesetting, processing of graphics, page lay-outs, use of different software packages, proofreading, quality control, publishing, localisation* and globalisation.**

All of these activities are supervised by a project manager, who facilitates an effective contact between the translation company and the client. The largest translation companies have more than a thousand employees and can carry out extensive jobs in any of more than 100 languages, sometimes responding to very short deadlines. This is possible even when the subject treated requires a high degree of specialization as in the case of medical or technical documents.

Apart from in-house translators, freelance translators located throughout the world are also assigned portions at a rate of two to three thousand words per day to achieve quick results. Translation agencies can also be employed in certain circumstances.

*Localisation is the adaptation of a product to another language and cultural needs.
**Globalisation could be described as internationalisation that goes beyond national boundaries to achieve economic benefits. Some countries, apart from their official languages, have important regional languages that should be taken into account to achieve a comprehensive market penetration.