Attivio Hires a New Chief Scientist
April 6, 2012
PR Web recently posted “Attivio Promotes John O’Neil to Chief Scientist,” a new release announcing the promotion of John O’Neil to Chief Scientist at Attivio Inc, a software company specializing in enterprise search solutions and unified information access.
According to the release, in his new role, O’Neil will be responsible for developing and productizing Attivio’s core capabilities as well as working with the company’s Technology Advisory Board to drive corporate thought leadership.
We learned:
“O’Neil has written and designed software for search, natural language processing and machine learning for more than a decade. After receiving a Ph.D. in linguistics from Harvard University, he worked for LingoMotors where he designed the company’s main commercial product. He also worked at Basis Technology, Inc. where he was the designer and lead developer for the Rosette Linguistics Platform, a language processing and entity extraction suite of products. O’Neil is the author of more than 20 papers in Computer Science and Linguistics and has given talks at numerous professional conferences.”
We find this decision to be interesting. Could the Fast Search roots be in need of technical replenishment?
Jasmine Ashton, April 6, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Attivio Identifies a “Not Right”
April 5, 2012
Attivio Claims “Something Is Not Right” In Unified Information Access
Turn back to your yesteryears and take a cue from Attivio’s blog that uses famous children’s literature character, Madeline, to explain the problem with hard evidence vs. gut instinct: “ ‘Something Is Not Right’—Don’t Ignore Your Gut When Analyzing Information.” The author Mike Urbonas uses Miss Clavel, Madeline’s caregiver, famous line about trusting her instincts when something is wrong with her charge. Urbonas relates that in hospitals, healthcare professionals are worried about notifying doctors when they sense something is wrong with their cardiac patients because they not have hard data. If they had gone with their gut, more patients would have survived.
We totally agree with Urbonas when he leads into a unified information access argument:
“What I find very exciting is that unified information access (UIA) is playing a vital role in empowering managers and leaders to connect those dots between data and other silos of information to realize those critical new insights. UIA integrates, joins and presents all related information — structured data and unstructured content to complete the informational picture and significantly expand what organizations “know” to determine with confidence whether “Something is not right.”
This creative metaphor breaks up the monotony of most IT articles, but our favorite is Ikanow’s open source approach to analytics. Our concern is that as systems get improved “training wheels”, the rider may not recognize a risky situation.
Whitney Grace, April 5, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Datameer Has a New Analytics Toy
April 5, 2012
According to Marketwatch.com, Datameer, Inc, a provider of Apache built end user analytics solutions, announced the release Datameer 1.4 in “Datameer Releases a Major New Version of Analytics Platform. Datameer 1.4” improves functionality in data management, user and data security, and expanded support for data source adaptors, Hadoop, Cloudera, and IBM. We learned:
The new features in Datameer 1.4 demonstrate that Datameer is committed to delivering what customers want with an emphasis on quality and ease of use,” stated David Cornell, Software Development Manager at SophosLabs. “We are particularly excited to see support for partitioning which will dramatically enhance report generation performance.
Datameer 1.4 was released to meet the growing demands of the company’s clients. As the only Apache Hadoop analytics solution, Datameer builds solutions to aid businesses in linear scalability and cost-effectiveness to analyze/, integrate, and visualize structured and unstructured data. Datameer is a company that relies on open source software and is working hard to make a name for themselves in the business world.
The hook for this new release may be performance. Speed, more than fancy analytics, is becoming more important.
Whitney Grace, April 5, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
MapR Expands Hadoop Connectors
April 4, 2012
This MapR move signals more options for Hadoop users. Talkin’ Cloud reports, “MapR Announces Broad Data Connection Options for Hadoop.” Writer Brian Taylor specifies:
The data connections, according to the press release, enable a ‘wide range of data ingress and egress alternatives for customers,’ including direct file-based access using standard tools; direct database connectivity; Hadoop-specific connectors via Sqoop, Flume and Hive; and access to popular data warehouses and applications using custom connectors.
Sqoop, Flume, and Hive are all open source projects at Apache; the first two are still in incubation.
MapR is getting a hand on this project from tech providers Pentaho and Talend, who will supply direct integration with MapR Distribution. In addition, Tableau Software is helping to promote the new data connection options.
Co-founded by Xoogler M.C. Srivas, MapR has built on the work of developers behind the open source Hadoop, making it “more reliable, more affordable, more manageable and significantly easier to use.” MapR boasts that its innovations help its customers get the most out of the big data phenomenon.
Watch for our forthcoming open source analytics blog. Roll out is April 9, 2012.
Cynthia Murrell, March 29, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Digital Reasoning and Semantic Research Tie Up
April 2, 2012
Digital Reasoning and Semantic Research today announced that they have integrated Digital Reasoning’s Synthesys big data analytics solution with Semantica data fusion and analysis software.
The integrated solution combines unstructured text analytics at scale has been combined with visualization. In addition, the tie up provides licensees with analytical workflow tools to deliver a unique solution for automatically understanding people, places, and hidden relationships in big data.
The ability to manipulate information with these tools facilitates the understanding of content without an analyst’s manually reading. Information from social networks, supply-chain networks, terrorist networks, financial networks, and government networks, among others, can yield new insights . Navigate to http://www.digitalreasoning.com/SemSynDemo to check out a video of some of the features and functions available.
Tim Estes, founder and CEO of Digital Reasoning, told us:
There is no other solution that provides massively scalable unstructured data analytics with auto-populating of visualizations and workflows tailored for the Intelligence Community. The solution we are delivering together has the ability to address key big data analytics challenges in the enterprise and government markets alike.
For more information about Digital Reasoning, point your browser at www.digitalreasoning.com. The firm provides automated understanding for Big Data. “Automated understanding” analyzes unstructured and structured data to reveal the hidden and potentially valuable relationships between people and organization in space and time. Digital Reasoning’s flagship product, Synthesys uncovers insights and accelerates the time to actionable intelligence.
Semantic Research (www.semanticresearch.com) is redefining the way users visualize, interact with, and understand data and information within the Department of Defense, Intelligence and Law Enforcement communities.
This looks like a promising tie up.
Stephen E Arnold, April 2, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Inteltrax: Top Stories, March 26 to March 30
April 2, 2012
Inteltrax, the data fusion and business intelligence information service, captured three key stories germane to search this week, specifically, the ways in which unstructured data is impacting the big data industry.
Our feature story this week, “Digital Reasoning Makes Major Move in Military,” shows how the leader in unstructured data wrangling is helping the military increase its reach.
“Unstructured Data Demands Right Tools” proves that not all unstructured data softwares are created equal. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just a shell game for users to find the right one for their needs.
“Governments Get Self Conscious with Analytics” showed how clever government agencies are clearing up inaccuracies and becoming more efficient by utilizing the massive collections of unstructured data lingering in their systems.
If you aren’t familiar with the term “unstructured data” you will be. It’s the big horizon in the analytics world. We, fortunately, are well versed in the ephemeral stuff. It’s going to change the way the entire industry works and we’ll be following it every day.
Follow the Inteltrax news stream by visiting www.inteltrax.com
Patrick Roland, Editor, Inteltrax.
April 2, 2012
SAS Gets More Visual
March 31, 2012
Inxight (now owned by BusinessObjects, part of the SAP empire) is history at SAS or almost history. Now the company is moving in a different direction.
Jaikumar Vijayan writes about a new visual analytics application recently unveiled by SAS in his article “SAS Promises Pervasive BI with New Tool.” Einstein is believed to have once said “computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid. Human beings are incredibly slow, inaccurate, and brilliant. Together they are powerful beyond imagination.” We noted this passage from Mr. Vijayan’s write up:
Unlike many purely server-based enterprise analytics technologies, Visual Analytics gives business users a full range of data discovery, data visualization and querying capabilities from desktop and mobile client devices, the company said.
The initial version of the new tool allows iPad users to view reports and download information to their devices. Future versions will support other mobile devices as well, SAS added. The quote is actually a good description of the concept that underlies Visual Analysis. The process uses analytic reasoning to detect specific information in massive amount of data. For example, a clothing manufacturer might use it to determine current trends in ladies’ fashions. The results are presented in charts and graphs to the users, who can fine-tune the parameters until their specific queries are answered.
SAS is known for its statistical functionality, its programming language, and its need for SAS-savvy cow pokes to ride herd on the bits and bytes. Will SAS be able to react to the trend for the consumerization of business intelligence.
While the technology is impressive, SAS may be a little late to the game. Palantir and Digital Reasoning have already introduced applications that offer clients powerful Visual Analysis capabilities. Time will tell if SAS is able to catch up to some competitors’ approach. We are interested in Digital Reasoning, Ikanow and Quid.
Stephen E Arnold, March 31, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Attensity Sallies into the Insurance Sector
March 30, 2012
Insurance Networking News recently reported on a new application that is designed to enable insurers to analyze unstructured data in the article “Insurance – Specific Social Analytics Software Launched.”
According to the article, Attensity, a provider of social analytics and engagement solutions, is working to help insurance companies make their claims processes more efficient by assisting them with the analysis of data gathered from a variety of sources including: claim forms, adjuster notes, as well as customer feedback from social media, surveys, emails and other sources.
The article states:
The software builds on the company’s text analytics application with out-of-the-box category sets, topics, reports and dashboards tailored specifically for the insurance industry. The new solution enables insurance carriers to spot fraudulent patterns, identify customer pain points early, respond to customer service requests proactively as well as analyze the data of customers that switch providers.
This is just one more example of text analytics software providers helping other industries get a better feel for what their consumers are saying. Will insurance have the same appetite as the intelligence community for Attensity’s system and method of extracting nuggets of information?
Jasmine Ashton, March 30, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
The Invisibility of Open Source Search
March 27, 2012
I was grinding through my files and I noticed something interesting. After I abandoned the Enterprise Search Report, I shifted my research from search and retrieval to text processing. With this blog, I tried to cover the main events in the post-search world. The coverage was more difficult than I anticipated, so we started Inteltrax, which focuses on systems, companies, and products which “find” meaning using numerical recipes. But that does not do enough, so we are contemplating two additional free information services about “findability.” I am not prepared to announce either of these at this time. We have set up a content production system with some talented professionals working on our particular approach to content. We are also producing some test articles.
Until we make the announcement, I want to reiterate a point I made in my talks in London in 2011 about open source search and content processing:
Most reports about enterprise search ignore open source search solution vendors. A quiet revolution is underway, and for many executives, the shift is all but invisible.
We think that the “invisible” nature of the open source search and content processing options is due to four factors:
Most of the poobahs, self appointed experts and former home economics majors have never installed, set up, or optimized an open source search system. Here at ArnoldIT we have that hands on experience. And we can say that open source search and content processing solutions are moving from the desks of Linux wizards to more mainstream business professionals.
Next, we see more companies embracing open source, contributing to the overall community with bug fixes and new features and functions. At the same time, the commercial enterprises are “wrapping” open source with proprietary, value-added features and functions. The leader in this movement is IBM. Yep, good old Big Blue is an adherent of open source software. Why? We will try to answer this in our new information services.
Third, we think the financial pressure on organizations is greater than ever. CNBC and the Murdoch outfitted Wall Street Journal are cheering for the new economic recovery. We think that most organizations are struggling to make sales, maintain margins, and generate new opportunities. Open source search and content solutions promise some operating efficiencies. We want to cover some of the business angles of the open source search and content processing shift. Yep, open source means money.
Finally, the big solutions vendors are under a unique type of pressure. Some of it comes from licensees who are not happy with the cost of “traditional” solutions. Other comes from the data environment itself. Let’s face it. Certain search systems such as your old and dusty version of IBM STAIRS or Fulcrum won’t do the job in today’s data and information rich environment. New tools are needed. Why not solve a new information problem without dragging the costs, methods, and license restrictions of traditional enterprise software along for the ride? We think change is in the wind just like the smell of sweating horses a couple of months before the Kentucky Derby.
Our approach to information in our new services will be similar to that taken in Beyond Search. We want to provide pointers to useful write ups and offer some comments which put certain actions and events in a slightly different light. Will you agree with the information in our new services? We hope not.
Stephen E Arnold, March 27, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Inteltrax: Top Stories, March 19 to March 23
March 26, 2012
Inteltrax, the data fusion and business intelligence information service, captured three key stories germane to search this week, specifically, the myriad of ways companies are handling tough times through analytics.
One positive light was shone in “Netflix Sets Analytic Example” which shows how the once-sagging movie giant is correcting its course with analytics.
On the flipside, “LexisNexis Fighting a Losing Analytic Battle” shows the original king of analytics and discovery to be going about a big data conversion all wrong.
And on a slightly less concerning note, “Mobile BI Might Be Too Much for Some” shows that while handheld analytics is cool, it’s wasted on many users.
Big data anatlyics is a soaring field, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ups and downs on the way to the top. We help you see all the good and the bad this wild world of innovation has to offer by bringing you the latest every day.
Follow the Inteltrax news stream by visiting
www.inteltrax.com
Patrick Roland, Editor, Inteltrax, March 26, 2012
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