Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) launched a new online tool to find “the best translators around the globe.”
The new tool, called HERMES, is an online subtitling and translation test and indexing system. Netflix claims that HERMES is the first online subtitling and translation system by a major content creator.
The online streaming service is looking for talented translators as it now supports 20 languages – including Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish – for user interface and customer support purposes.
“Since Netflix launched globally, the scale of our localization efforts has increased dramatically. It’s hard to believe that just 5 years ago, we only supported English, Spanish and Portuguese. Now we’ve surpassed 20 languages and that number continues to grow,” the company said in a blog.
Netflix said that thousands of candidates around the world have already completed the test, covering all represented languages.
“This is incredible to us because of the impact it will ultimately have on our members as we focus on continually improving the quality of the subtitles on the service. We’re quickly approaching an inflection point where English won’t be the primary viewing experience on Netflix, and HERMES allows us to better vet the individuals doing this very important work so members can enjoy their favorite TV shows and movies in their language,” Netflix said in the blog.
Netflix Global Expansion
Last year, Netflix launched its streaming services in 190 countries. The streaming service is now available everywhere worldwide except Mainland China, Syria, North Korea and the territory of Crimea.
During the fourth quarter of 2016, Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) added a 7 million new subscribers, thanks to the company’s global expansion. The streaming giant now has more than 93 million subscribers worldwide, including more than 49 million in the United States.
Shares of Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) were trading 0.07% down on Friday. The stock is up more than 19% year-to-date. During the last 12 months, NFLX has surged nearly 45%.
