The SDL OpenExchange (now RWS AppStore) (aka the SDL AppStore)

This is only the second blog I’ve written and the early dliemma is what to write about first.  I decided to talk about the OpenExchange (rebranded later in 2016 as the SDL AppStore) created by SDL as this is an industry first and in my opinion is a very strong reason to buy into the Studio platform this is created for.
The SDL OpenExchange (now RWS AppStore) is a platform that SDL have invested into to enable anyone with a license for the Studio tools to be able to develop applications that plugin, or work with the Studio application itself. The address for the OpenExchange is:
https://appstore.rws.com
So I imagine the world where most people working with CAT tools in the Localisation industry live in and you can draw a picture looking something like this;

The blue icon with the gold globe inside represents the SDL Trados Studio desktop application as this sits central to this portrayal of the translation world.  So you have to receive files in any format, analyse them and send out quotes, work with colleagues using other tools, connect to different Translation and Terminology Providers, make use of machine Translation Engines (free or secure) etc.
In a nutshell the SDL OpenExchange (now RWS AppStore) provides ways for anyone to integrate their solutions within this environment, or to create small tools that solve specific problems they are facing on a day to day basis.
So a few examples could be things like the ability to:

• Create TTX or Bilingual Doc files from an SDLXLIFF, to export and import back in again
• Create MS Word files for review from an SDLXLIFF, to export and import back in again
• Connect to any Machine Translation Engine
• Look up Terminology from external dictionaries, or terminology sources
• Connect to a Translation Memory provided by someone other than SDL
• Create quotes per client automatically from the Studio analysis
• Open bilingual filetypes from other CAT tools
• Creat watch folders to automatically set up projects and email users
• Quickly see the analysis and what’s inside a translation package
• etc…

The list goes on, and I would recommend taking a few minutes to browse the site and see for yourself.  I’ll probably do the occasional article in this blog using some of these tools, the majority of which are free.
https://appstore.rws.com
Of course I’m biased… but I do think this is a very nice initiative from SDL that really helps to cater for all the things that a main stream development strategy might not get around to for a long time… or might not get around to at all!