It used to be that when an IT company needed something translated, they had to send the translator an Excel file to work with — not exactly convenient. Later, translators began working with CAT (computer-assisted translation) tools, such as Trados or MemoQ, which was a big step forward. To this day, CAT tools remain an ideal option for long-term projects that require a custom setup, but they are still too ponderous and inflexible for Agile projects.
And then LMS/TMS (Localization Management System/Translation Management System) tools appeared on the scene. Unlike desktop-only CAT tools, these localization platforms do all their work in the cloud and are extremely flexible. The advantages this presents for both the client and the localization agency are self-evident.