Virginia Beach-based Jubilee Tech International Inc. answers the question for Microsoft Corp. and dozens of other companies that want to "internationalize" their Web sites and business operations.

Jubilee Tech provides software localization, which converts computer software from one language into others, plus Web site globalization, which translates and maintains content in foreign languages on the Internet.

Jubilee Tech President Jay K. Yoo founded the company in 1991 with Microsoft as its largest client. Today, Yoo estimates that 60 percent of the company’s sales are in foreign markets. The company has more than 70 clients worldwide. Jubilee Tech employs 25 people in Virginia Beach and more than 1,000 free-lance translators worldwide.

"Our plan is to be a $100 million sales company in the next five years," Yoo says. He believes it’s possible as more U.S. businesses go global. "They can’t survive unless they can overcome the language barriers and improve their global communication skills."

"Software localization was about a $3 billion market in 1999, and experts say that it’s growing at about 20 percent a year," says Jubilee Tech’s COO, Matt Breitenberg, who merged his management consulting firm with Yoo’s business last year. "Web globalization is almost zero now but will be a billion-dollar industry in 18 months."

Jubilee Tech’s rapid growth appears to support these figures. The company’s revenues were about $1.4 million in 1998 and more than doubled to $3.2 million in 1999. Breitenberg expects revenues to double again this year.

Yoo, who had planned to become a missionary before Microsoft came calling, has faith in more than his company’s profits: He plans to funnel those profits into missionary work. For now, though, the money is being reinvested in the company to facilitate growth. Yoo envisions Jubilee Tech expanding to 500 employees and 4,000 free-lancers within five years.

"The more technologies that become available, the more there’s a need for globalization," Yoo says.

"I’ve been blessed."

— Mike Ashley