Globalization vs. Localization

Answer 1

Straight from MSDN:

Globalization is the process of designing and developing applications that function for multiple cultures.

Localization is the process of customizing your application for a given culture and locale.

...Globalization focuses your applications capibilities on users as a generic user-base, whereas localization focuses on subsets of users in a given culture or locale. So you can think of globalization as a strategic venue, where as localization is tactical.

MSDN Globalization vs. Localization

Answer 2

Localisation is things like changing the user interface to be in differing languages; Globalisation (or internationalisation) is about being able to handle foreign content, such as being able to load a Japanese document on a English machine/build of the application.

Answer 3

Globalization is making your software ready for international markets:

• Format and parse numbers, dates etc. according to the user's locale
• Handle international text
• ...
• Making your software localizable

Localization is adapting your software to a particular local market:

• Providing translations for text messages in your software
• Sometimes adjusting screen layout to fit longer text