The ArcGIS Mobile application is available in multiple languages! When ArcGIS 9.3 was released, ESRI France was the first ESRI distributor to localize the ArcGIS Mobile Application. However just recently, ESRI Japan released the ArcGIS Mobile 9.3.1 application for Windows Mobile in Japanese and Korean!

Localized screen capture of the View Map Task

How does this happen?

When we develop our applications within the software development group, we also produce a Localization Kit to our distributors. This enables our distributors to localize our products and release/sell them in their local markets. The Localization Kit for ArcGIS Mobile includes 44 resource files (all text strings used in the application are stored inside of resource files, cab files, a public key file, and a set of instructions on how to localize ArcIS Mobile.

The localization procedure for the Distributor goes like this:

1. First they will translate the strings stored in the resource files (.resx files).
2. Next they will build a satellite assembly using the resource files that were translated in their desired locale.
3. Deploy their satellite assembly as a dll and test the mobile application to ensure that the translation was complete.
4. ESRI will sign the application and return a CAB for final release testing to the Distributor (this is a necessary step as if not properly signed - the application may not be installed on mobile devices that are fully locked). Please refer to the following Microsoft article for details on Application Security and Code Signing http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms839377.aspx. 

ESRI Korea currently has approximately 100 ArcGIS Mobile users spread over 5 organizations with another 50 to 100 users set to deploy applications this year using the localized version. The majority of the deployments in ESRI Korea are in the field operations for Utilities (gas, water, etc). Now that a localized version is available, ESRI Japan is anticipating adoption of the application soon.

Thanks to Sunee Puckdee for her hard work with both distributors and developers on the mobile team to make this a success. Sunee is a product engineer on the mobile development team that focuses on testing and localization. You may have met her at the Users Conference this year as along with Jay Chen they led the "Try ArcGIS Mobile" event. Perhaps next year we will use the Japanese version!!

Mobile Team