ISO Standards

International standards relating to the language services industry aim to set the bar on basic requirements and quality expectations on services provided. Standards provide the criteria upon which the professionalism of language service providers (LSPs) can be objectively assured.

The ATC endorses the development of language services industry standards to enhance the position of the language services industry by being seen to be at the forefront of both the development and the application of the emerging ISO standards for the industry and ensuring that they serve the purposes of its member companies.

ISO Standards for the Language Services Industry

ISO committees

ISO/TC 37 Language and terminology

ISO/TC 37/SC 5 Translation, interpreting and related technology

ISO standards (published and under development)

Standards by ISO/TC 37 Language and terminology

Standards by ISO/TC 37/SC 5

Read more about ISO standards and their development on ATC Certification’s ISO Standards page.

ATC ISO Library

ATC Member companies have access to the ATC’s ISO Library, a repository of published ISO standards relevant for language service companies via the Member Area on the ATC website.

ISO Standards Commenting Group

The ATC is actively involved in the development of new ISO standards for the language services industry via The British Standards Institution (BSI) and the United Kingdom’s mirror committee TS/1 Language and terminology at the ISO Technical Committee TC37 and Sub-Committee SC5 at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The ATC’s ISO Standards Commenting Group reviews and comments on ISO standards under development and votes on the UK’s stance during the various drafting stages towards publication of an ISO standard. The group is headed by the ATC’s ISO experts, and has representatives from a variety of UK-based language service companies and stakeholder organisations providing valuable input to the standards development process.

The ATC’s ISO expert, Council Member & Honorary Treasurer Carina Balbo is also actively involved in a number of ISO standards committees and liaises between language services and committees for the development of standards for AI and education.

Language and Terminology: translation, interpreting, training and translation-oriented writing:

• • ISO/TC 37/SC 5/WG 1, 2, 4
  • ISO/TC 37/WG 12

Artificial Intelligence:

• • ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 (AI)
  • CEN/CLC/JTC 21/WG 3 (AI/ Engineering Aspects)

AI & Education

• • ISO/TC 232/WG 10 (Education and Learning Services/ AI in Education)
  • ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 36 (Information technology for learning, education and training)

ATC Certification

ATC Certification is a specialist ISO certification body providing ISO certification and training to the language services industry: translation, interpreting, quality management, business management and information security management.

Formed by the ATC to meet the need for a translation industry expert ISO certification body, ATC Certification offers ISO certification across a number of ISO standards. ATC Certification’s specialist auditors and expert team ensure that your company’s unique operations are understood and respected, and that the auditing process adds value to your certification.