AI translation directly in the Trados workflow
The ownvia Trados AI Plugin connects Trados Studio directly to the Language AI platform ownvia. Companies and language service providers can use it to access generative AI, terminology, corporate knowledge and customised translation guidelines directly in existing Trados workflows – without having to leave their familiar CAT environment.
Why is a Trados AI Plugin needed?
For many companies and language service providers, Trados Studio is an essential part of professional translation processes. Translation memories, terminology and established workflows have developed over many years and are firmly embedded in daily work.
At the same time, generative AI is fundamentally changing translation. Modern large language models already deliver very good translation results and open up new possibilities for quality, speed and automation.
The key question is therefore no longer: Trados or AI?
But rather: How can generative AI be meaningfully integrated into existing Trados processes while taking terminology, corporate knowledge and customised translation guidelines into account?
This is precisely where the ownvia Trados AI Plugin comes in.
What is the ownvia Trados AI Plugin?
The ownvia Trados AI Plugin is an integration between Trados Studio and the Language AI platform ownvia. The plugin is available in the official Trados AppStore as the “ownvia AI Translation Provider”. There you can find further information about the integration and access the ownvia AI Translation Provider in the Trados AppStore here.
The plugin allows ownvia to be used as an AI-based translation solution within an existing Trados workflow.
The key point is that the translation is not based solely on direct access to a general large language model (LLM). The translation is generated through the AI environment configured in ownvia
.This creates a clear division of responsibilities:
Trados Studio provides the professional CAT working environment. ownvia provides the company-specific Language AI.
Why do Trados users need additional AI at all?
Generative AI has significantly changed the quality of machine translation. Modern large language models can take context into account, understand complex formulations and produce natural-sounding translations.
For professional corporate translations, however, good language skills alone are not enough.
A translation must, for example, use the correct specialist terminology, match the desired writing style, take product-specific names into account and comply with internal language guidelines.
A general AI model does not automatically know these requirements.
Professional AI translation is therefore not created solely by a powerful LLM, but by combining AI with terminology, context, corporate knowledge and defined translation rules.
This is precisely where ownvia comes in.
How does the ownvia Trados AI Plugin work?
The ownvia AI Translation Provider Plugin integrates ownvia directly into Trados Studio 2024 and makes the Translation Templates configured in ownvia available as a translation source within the familiar Trados workflow.
The connection is established via the individual Server URL of the ownvia Enterprise environment and an API key. The ownvia Translation Templates available to the user can then be loaded directly into Trados and used as a Translation Provider.
The key advantage is centralised control: Translation Templates are managed in ownvia and can take company-specific translation guidelines such as prompts, terminology and other configured translation knowledge into account.
This means that the translation logic does not have to be set up separately in Trados for every user.
The company manages its AI-supported translation guidelines centrally in ownvia – and translators use them directly in their familiar Trados environment.
How does ownvia take corporate knowledge into account during translation?
A key difference between general AI use and professional Language AI lies in the context.
A company has extensive information that may be relevant to a correct translation: terminology, style guides, reference texts, translation memories, product information and customer-specific guidelines.
ownvia therefore follows a knowledge-based approach.
The AI should not merely receive the instruction:
“Translate this text into English.”
It should understand how this company wants this text to be translated.
Terminology, language guidelines and relevant context can therefore form part of the AI-supported translation process.
This not only improves individual translations. In particular, it helps make translations more consistent across projects, employees and languages.
What is the difference between an LLM and ownvia in Trados?
A large language model such as GPT provides the basic AI capability. ownvia turns it into a controllable translation process for companies and professional language service providers.
The difference can be described in simplified terms as follows:
LLM: powerful language model.
ownvia: platform that combines language models with corporate knowledge, terminology, context and defined translation processes.
Trados: professional CAT working environment in which translators work on their projects.
The ownvia Trados AI Plugin connects these layers.
This means that a company does not have to organise individual prompts, models and AI configurations separately for each translator.
Why not simply use ChatGPT for translations?
ChatGPT and other generative AI systems can produce very good translations. For individual texts, this may be perfectly sufficient.
In professional translation processes, however, additional requirements arise.
Which terminology should be used? Which writing rules apply? Which context needs to be taken into account? Which configuration is approved? How can multiple translators work according to the same guidelines?
If every user writes their own prompts and manually transfers corporate information to an AI system, inconsistent results and processes that are difficult to control can quickly arise.
ownvia therefore follows a different approach:
The organisation defines its Language AI environment centrally. Users access it within their work processes.
The Trados plugin brings this environment directly into Trados Studio.
Why not use Trados’ AI functions exclusively?
Trados Studio already supports generative AI and, with its AI Assistant, offers ways to incorporate large language models into translation processes.
The ownvia Trados AI Plugin is not intended to replace this development.
The difference lies in the architecture.
With ownvia, the central AI and knowledge layer is located outside the individual CAT tool. Corporate knowledge, terminology, AI configurations and other Language AI processes are provided via ownvia
.Trados is one way of accessing this environment.
This means that the same central Language AI strategy can potentially also be used outside a single translation tool.
ownvia is therefore not simply another AI feature for Trados, but an independent Language AI platform that can be integrated into Trados.
What advantages does the ownvia Trados AI Plugin offer?
Companies and language service providers benefit from several advantages:
- Existing Trados workflows are retained: Translators can continue working in their familiar CAT environment.
- Generative AI becomes directly usable: AI translations can be integrated into the existing process.
- Corporate knowledge can be taken into account: Terminology, guidelines and context support the AI during translation.
- Centralised control instead of individual AI use: Relevant guidelines do not have to be recreated by every user.
- Fewer media breaks: Translators do not have to switch constantly between different applications for AI translation.
- Scalable AI strategy: Language AI is established as a central corporate resource rather than being limited to a single tool.
Who is the ownvia Trados AI Plugin suitable for?
The plugin is aimed in particular at companies, translation departments and language service providers (LSPs) that already use Trados Studio and want to integrate generative AI professionally into their translation processes.
This approach is particularly interesting when translation memories, terminology databases and established Trados processes are already in place.
This infrastructure does not have to be abandoned.
Instead, it can be extended with modern Language AI.
What does a typical use case look like?
An industrial company regularly translates technical documentation into several languages.
The translators already work with Trados Studio. At the same time, approved specialist terms, language guidelines, reference materials and product-specific knowledge are available.
The company wants to use generative AI, but neither replace its existing Trados processes nor leave each translator to configure an LLM individually.
The relevant AI and translation guidelines are provided centrally via ownvia
.The ownvia Trados AI Plugin then connects this environment to Trados Studio.
For the translator, Trados remains the working environment. For the company, ownvia becomes the central Language AI layer behind it.
Does ownvia replace Trados Studio?
No.
The ownvia Trados AI Plugin was developed precisely so that companies can continue using their existing Trados infrastructure.
Trados and ownvia perform different tasks.
Trados is the professional CAT working environment for translators. ownvia provides the AI and knowledge layer for modern translation processes.
The aim is not to replace Trados. The aim is to enhance existing Trados processes with company-specific generative AI.
Why is a central Language AI platform becoming increasingly important?
AI models are continuing to develop at a rapid pace.
For companies, this means a new challenge: they would have to continuously test new models, optimise prompts, review security requirements and adapt their translation processes to technological changes.
A central Language AI platform can decouple this complexity from the individual user.
ownvia follows precisely this approach.
New technological possibilities should be made centrally available there, while existing applications and work processes can remain in place.
The Trados AI Plugin is one example of this.
Conclusion: Trados and generative AI do not have to be separate worlds
Companies do not have to abandon their established translation processes to benefit from generative AI.
The ownvia Trados AI Plugin makes it possible to connect the Language AI platform ownvia directly to Trados Studio.
This brings together three key components of professional AI translation:
established CAT processes, modern generative AI and company-specific knowledge.
The real progress therefore does not lie in simply making another LLM available in Trados.
It lies in making enterprise AI available where professional translation is already taking place.
Do you work with Trados Studio and want to integrate generative AI into your existing translation processes?
Then we would be happy to show you how ownvia and the Trados AI Plugin can be used in your existing workflow.
Frequently asked questions about the ownvia Trados AI Plugin
What is the ownvia Trados AI Plugin?
The ownvia Trados AI Plugin connects Trados Studio with the Language AI platform ownvia. This enables companies and language service providers to use generative AI directly in existing Trados workflows. Trados remains the CAT working environment, while ownvia provides the central AI layer for professional translation processes.
What advantages does the ownvia Trados AI Plugin offer?
The plugin connects existing Trados processes with modern generative AI. Translators can continue working in Trados Studio, while AI translation is provided via ownvia. This helps reduce media breaks and integrate company-specific guidelines, terminology and relevant context into the AI-supported translation process.
Does ownvia take terminology and corporate knowledge into account in Trados?
ownvia was developed to combine generative AI with terminology, translation guidelines, reference information and relevant corporate context. This means that the AI should not only produce linguistically strong translations, but also take into account the guidelines applicable to the respective company or use case.
What is the difference between the ownvia Trados AI Plugin and ChatGPT?
ChatGPT provides a general AI system. ownvia turns generative AI into a centrally controllable component of professional translation processes. Instead of individual translators managing their own prompts, terminology and contextual information, relevant guidelines can be provided via ownvia and used within Trados through the plugin.
Does the ownvia Trados AI Plugin replace Trados Studio?
No. The plugin was developed to supplement Trados Studio with the Language AI from ownvia, not to replace Trados. Companies can continue using their existing CAT processes, translation memories and familiar workflows while connecting them with generative AI.
Who is the ownvia Trados AI Plugin suitable for?
The plugin is particularly suitable for companies, translation departments and language service providers (LSPs) that already work with Trados Studio and want to integrate generative AI into their translation processes in a controlled manner. It is particularly relevant for organisations that want to manage terminology, corporate knowledge and consistent translation guidelines centrally.