In the late eighties, the only option for conducting research in countries was by using local agencies or subsidiaries. Orchestrating this was difficult; the results were inconsistent (different methodologies, different CATI or paper-based solutions, difficulties in adequate briefing) and results were unreliable in delivery.

We looked for a centralized approach using the local language but from one call center. We found one center in Europe that covered the whole of Europe but not beyond.

In 1996, we established our own center in London, which we operate 24 hours each day calling into 44 countries in 22 languages from 150 interviewer stations. The interviewers are mainly students and come from all these countries. They conduct the interviews in the local language, and their supervisors also come from these countries. We developed CATI software, Results for Research^â, which supports all languages and character sets (including double byte).

We have found that, over the past few years, this has been a cost-effective approach while ensuring high quality levels in interviewer briefing, management and consistency in data. A senior national of that country supervises each country, but there is an overall project manager on site to ensure that deadlines for the total study are met and that the overall quality is the highest possible. London has long been the best place from which to operate a global center, with skilled interviewers (mostly students) available in every language, and recent competition in the Telecommunications industry has reduced tariffs to make this highly cost effective compared with the older, distributed approaches.

The questionnaire is programmed in English and piloted and then translated into the foreign languages. The logic of the questionnaire is identical. Both our interviewers and translators specialize in the IT industry, adding further to the quality product that we deliver.

Translations are undertaken centrally and the questionnaires back-translated by the Call Center supervisors.

The centralized model has also been incorporated for web surveys, with these administered in the local language from our London or Princeton servers. The software we use is Results for the Net^â which operates seamlessly with our Results for Research^â CATI software, allowing hybrid studies and easy panel recruitment and management.

Qualitative research uses the same model with multilingual focus group moderators specializing in the high tech industries, and in-depth interviews by multilingual staff, either as semi-structured or unstructured interviews, by telephone or face-to-face. Our clinic methodology is also implemented on a global basis.

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