CrossWorlds product provides leading edge solution for the enterprise application integration (EAI) industry. This presentation is a case study of the internationalization of the CrossWorlds product. Although delivering a release to satisfy the Japanese market requirement was the main motivation for this effort, CrossWorlds needed a plan that addressed not only its immediate needs, but also the future prospect of a completely global product.

We will explore the high level view of the CrossWorlds solution. The talk will present different options on how to enable the globalization support. We will also touch on the considerations in design to alleviate the impact on existing customers. Finally, We will look at merits of UTF8 over other UTF formats in the context of CrossWorlds' needs and why UTF8 was chosen in the end.

Although this is a specific case of internationalization, the work and considerations involved are representative of the internationalization process necessary for any software provider looking to bring their product to markets worldwide.