Specific, reliable information in this respect is difficult to find as the sources of information are fairly disparate and very little comprehensive global research has taken place. However, we believe that the most useful articles are those listed below:

• The Market for Multimedia Localisation Services in 2011
  
• The Market for Software Localisation in 2011
  
• Language Services Market Segmentation (2010)
  

Some current trends:

Mobile apps are definitely a new niche to be considered.

Businesses developing these apps include both small developers and larger companies. The clear increase in companies identifying the need for this marketing channel can be seen on the chart below by Distimo:

This, alongside the boom in mobile and apps usage in emerging economies like China, India and Brazil, explains why this service may be important in the future.