XML

In the world of digital information, XML is the universal translator. It allows disparate computer systems to exchange data without compatibility issues. Before XML, moving information between a database, a website and a publishing system was complex and prone to error. XML solved this by introducing a standard way to "mark up" data.

The power of XML lies in its separation of content from presentation. In an XML file, the content is stored as pure data wrapped in descriptive tags. This means the same XML file can be processed by different systems to produce entirely different outputs: a printed PDF manual, an interactive web page or a data feed for a mobile app. This capability makes XML the foundation of Structured content management. It allows organizations to break information down into granular components that can be reused, reassembled and restyled automatically. It is the underlying architecture for major industry standards such as DITA (for technical communication) and XLIFF (for translation). Because XML files are text-based and non-proprietary, they ensure long-term data accessibility.

At RWS, XML is the DNA of our intelligent content solutions. We believe that structured, semantic data is the prerequisite for automation, AI and global scalability.

Our technology stack is built to harness the power of XML without forcing users to become coders. Tridion Docs manages complex XML content (DITA) at an enterprise scale, while Fonto provides an intuitive interface that lets subject-matter experts write XML as easily as they use a word processor. Furthermore, our localization technologies – Trados and Language Weaver – rely on XML-based standards to streamline the translation supply chain. By championing XML, RWS helps organizations turn static documents into dynamic, intelligent data that flows freely across the enterprise.