Lionbridge Technologies, which specializes in translation services, is betting so, acquiring virtualsolutions for $7.6 million.

Waltham-based Lionbridge said in a statement that it expects the acquisition to contribute modestly to earnings in 2013, with $3.6 million to be paid upon closing, $1 million to be paid on a deferred basis, and an additional potential $3 million earnout to be paid over three years, based on revenue metrics.

Dori Albert, who manages crowdsourcing for Lionbridge, wrote that the acquisition is the culmination of work that had begun years before.

“Since 1996, we’ve successfully partnered with more than 800 customers to bring crowd-based solutions for translation, search relevance testing, in-country testing and interpretation,” Albert wrote. “If recent discussions with clients and prospects are any indication, 2013 promises to be a year in which the enterprise segment of crowdsourcing takes another significant step.”

She highlighted three trends driving adoption:

— Maturation of the Model and Platform

— Scale of Services

— End of Traditional Outsourcing