Open Source Is the Foundation for Cloud Computing
November 19, 2012
It is common knowledge that open source technology is the basis for many large-scale corporate projects, including Cloud computing. The UK Register printed “The Cloud Made of Penguins: Open Source Goes ‘Industrial Scale’,” an article that explains how the big names in open source are being used. OpenStack Software, a mere child of two years, specializes in storage, networking, plus many more components built on Apache platforms. It has caught the attention of many corporate giants, such as HP for its Cloud and the telecom company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation. Amazon EC2 is the favorite of Linux servers, mostly for storage. Also do not forget that it is used in infrastructure-as-a-service technology, such as Microsoft Azure.
The article predicts that since the Linux kernel and middleware are not the attention-grabber they used to be, that Cloud-computing projects on the industrial level will begin to make more headlines. Jim Zemlin of the Linux Foundation pointed out this new idea:
“’The difference now is they are not just obviously tinkering around with how to make a software defined network or block storage file format,’ Zemlin said. ‘These are broad-scale industrial initiatives that are financed by the largest computer companies in the world to create the comments they need to make commercial products.’”
What is surprising is that people find this trend surprising. After technology become a core part of industry, developers puzzle over how it cane be manipulated for other projects. Remember, necessity is the mother of invention and you use the tools you have to make it. Thinking back on how open source search programs were back in the day, LucidWorks saw a need for a powerful and robust, yet economically priced, search application. Using Apache Lucene, LucidWorks created LucidWorks Search and LucidWorks Big Data.
Whitney Grace, November 19, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Cloud Services Keep Operational Efficiency Firmly Grounded
November 16, 2012
There is a new theory of evolution in the enterprise or possibly just in enterprise software itself. Either way something informative this way comes. An expert panel in Enterprise Architect’s article “The Evolution of PaaS in the Enterprise” discusses some changes that may have enterprise users floating on cloud nine in the near future.
The overall impression was that PaaS could be a huge enabler for Cloud Computing:
“Enterprises are starting to take interest in running PaaS solutions virtually, as app developers want to focus on building apps rather than dealing with infrastructure issues. Enterprises that use PaaS solutions almost always go down the private route. In this session we focus on private PaaS offerings and look at the considerations and what will happen if one day enterprises want to use PaaS solutions in the public cloud. PaaS should cover the complete application lifecycle and help to transfer old way of working seamlessly to cloud.”
This shift to private PaaS may just be the enterprise’s first step toward services designed to increase productivity through the cloud. Businesses want solutions that can evolve swiftly and efficiently and the cloud is a good way to build in those abilities. Another key success factor for businesses is the ability to harness the power of relevant data. Intrafind offers cloud services that seamlessly integrate into existing business processes by utilizing flexible search and text mining from within the cloud itself. Established methods such as these keep operational efficiency firmly grounded while potential for ROI can aim for the skies.
Jennifer Shockley, November 16, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Leading Austrian IT News Portal Adopts Mindbreeze InSite Solution
November 15, 2012
Monitor.at is Austria’s leading IT news portal for small and medium businesses. The organization recently added the Mindbreeze InSite search solution to their Web site. This integrated cloud solution helps site visitors quickly and efficiently find important and relevant facts. Details of the InSite adoption can be read in the article, “Monitor.at with New Site Search.” The author includes this comment from Monitor’s editor:
’With over 13,500 products to monitor.at it is for visitors not always easy to find the desired information. Integrating Mindbreeze InSite, we are offering our visitors a convenience feature to quickly and easily find the desired information. Addition be easier for us Mindbreeze InSite work. Messages to the top topics automatically, appears seeking based,’ explains Ing Markus Klaus Eder, editor monitor.
Monitor.at is a good example of a major Web site that has incorporated a powerful search solution for improved site experience. Increasing Web traffic and retaining site visitors is increasingly becoming a major avenue for business success as a Web site is often the first customer interaction with a business. The power of semantic search in addition to relevant content is necessary for gaining and retaining an audience. A powerful search system that can make connections among vast amounts of data can also help deliver a better search experience for the user. InSite is capable of searching a wide variety of specific documents, including PDFs, Excel sheets, and Word documents, as well as searching social media sites and Web sites. Consider the free-trial to see if the Mindbreeze solution works for you.
Philip West, November 15, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
ZyLAB on Mixing Social Media with Business
November 15, 2012
EDiscovery and social media: another tricky content issue. The CodeZED blog offers, “Compliance in the Cloud: How to Deal with Social Media in the Workplace.” Writer Brenda Mahedy succinctly lays out the problem. For example, she writes:
“The combination of business sensitive information and a mass broadcast capacity keeps legal departments awake at night! Have you thought of some of the legal challenges facing the use of social media at the workplace?
- At this moment there are no specific laws and regulations for the governance of social media.
- There is no generally recognized right to privacy in social media postings.
- The effects of publicly available information stretch out beyond the recruitment process and are entering courts.
- More and more legal cases insist on the production of social media e-discovery as evidence…
- Social media information lives on servers that are not in the enterprise’s direct custody or control.”
All important points to consider. Despite the title, the article directly offers no actual solutions for dealing with social media in the workplace. Instead, the ZyLAB blog suggests a ZyLAB white paper (registration required), titled “Compliance in the Cloud: How to Deal with Social Media in the Workplace” by Annelore van der Lint. It is probably a good idea to check out the paper if you use, or plan to use, social media in connection with your business. As Mahedy reminds us, research firm Gartner has predicted that, “by the end of 2013 half of all companies will have been asked to product material from social media websites for e-Discovery.”
ZyLAB was founded 1983, with its release of the first full-text retrieval software for the PC. Its current flagship product, the eDiscovery and data management solution ZyLAB Information Management Platform, was released in 2010. The company maintains headquarters in the Netherlands and the United States, and has offices around the world.
Cynthia Murrell, November 15, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Monitor in Austria Adds Mindbreeze InSite for Improved Web Site Search
November 13, 2012
monitor.at is Austria’s IT guide for small and medium sized businesses, whether looking to stay in the loop on IT happenings or advance their business with more efficient and effective usage of information technology. The company recently added a new feature to their Web site: Mindbreeze InSite. Details of monitor.at’s usage of InSite can be read in, “monitor.at uses Mindbreeze InSite.” The new feature is explained:
With just one search inquiry website visitors receive all relevant information from the site, clearly structured using search tabs. Results can be further refined using facets so that the right information can be found in a matter of seconds.
The content of the page ‘Top-Themen’ (top topics) as well as the associated overview pages are automatically created by InSite – without any manual effort by the web editors. This service is enabled by Mindbreeze’s information pairing technology.
In addition, pre-defined search queries set the parameters for the content. This means that Mindbreeze is constantly checking contents and updates the landing pages automatically. A powerful Web site search can help drive traffic to your site and increase the number of revisits to your pages. InSite is a fast and intuitive search feature that is powered by information pairing technology. And with no install required, the self-service solution can save you time and resources.
Philip West, November 13, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Mindbreeze InSite Announces Screen Reader Accessibility Feature
November 9, 2012
Mindbreeze InSite recently announced added capabilities and features to the search system to make it more accessible for people with disabilities. In the announcement, “Mindbreeze InSite Search Accessible,” Fabasoft highlights that they are working to make all products more accessible in parallel, rather than making long-term promises and working on each product successively. The new accessibility features are explained:
Use the functionality of your screen reader to find the entry field with the label “Search”. If your screen reader has shortcuts for landmarks, you can enter the region “Search” and focus the search field by pressing the TAB key. Enter the search term here and start the search by pressing the ENTER key. If the search is successful, an accessible results list is displayed. The focus is initially set on the title ‘Search Results.’
Steps for navigating search results and resuming a search after an error message using a screen reader are also included in the article. Mindbreeze InSite seems to really understand how to add features and capabilities to increase not only search, but also information access for users. With intuitive search facets and increased access capabilities, Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite can really boost a user’s Web site experience.
Philip West, November 9, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite for an Intuitive Web Site Search
November 7, 2012
Ensuring that Web site users find the right content on a site the first time is an imperative way to gain and retain site visitors and customers. Mindbreeze InSite makes it easy to know customers are finding what they need. In “Mindbreeze InSite: The First Steps,” Iris Fallmann explains the simple process of setting up InSite on your site.
With no install required, it only takes a few minutes to tailor the search solution to fit your needs. The first step is to register, which simply requires a name, email address, and the URL of the site to be indexed. You’ll receive a demo page to try the search and find feature. Fallman explains how to then create views:
You can create search tabs quickly and easily on your demo page. In the first tab the results from all data are displayed. To refine the search, just enter the searched word into the search field. All the results are displayed. If these results should now be displayed in a separate tab, you just have to click on the ‘plus’ symbol next to the existing search tab, enter a name for the new tab and click on ‘add search tab.’
When a tab is added, all the results for the topic are then displayed under the search tab and a new search only searches in restricted data. The friendly user interface makes it simple to get up and running. Setting up, facets, information pairing, and embedding InSite are also explained in the brief how-to. It may be worth it to check out the 28 day free trial offer.
Philip West, November 7, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Optimizing a Web Site and Google Places to Improve User Experience
November 2, 2012
Terry Van Horne has over 17 years of experience in Web development and search engine optimization (SEO) and is founder of SEO Pros and the OSEOP Organization, the first organization for search engine optimization professionals. He shares some tips and tricks for optimizing your site and Google Places landing page in his article, “Google Local Search: Optimization of Your Google Places or +Local Website Landing Page.” Horne has this to share about proving good content on a site:
I strongly recommend using structured data on your contact page and I always include full contact details in the footer of every page. I now recommend this information be marked up in structured data as well. Reviews, events, testimonials and more can be included in the SERP and these ‘Rich Snippets’ always drive more clicks on your listing. The number of testimonials and ratings on your website affects the ranking.
He adds that microdata information and syntax is available at Schema.org and strongly encourages linking your home page to your testimonials page to maximize the link equity to the page and structured data it contains. The power of semantic search in addition to relevant content is a big part of gaining and retaining an audience. One way to boost your site’s experience is to add a powerful search system, like InSite. Mindbreeze’s InSite solution gives a custom searching experience unique to the user with the added benefit of mobile capabilities. Latest content can easily be displayed to Web site visitors to keep your site fresh, and robust reports provide you with the feedback on what and why your visitors are searching.
Philip West, November 2, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Boosting Web Site Impact with Optimized Search
November 1, 2012
Web site search optimization is a way to give your visitors intent to stay on your site and revisit. In addition, a powerful search feature can introduce users to good content on your site they may not have found otherwise. In “Changed Way of Site Optimization,” the author discusses the importance of SEO for Web site design and SEO Brisbane Company as one option. This is given about using SEO to boost traffic using SEO Brisbane:
Regardless to what type of website you are building, implementing SEO Brisbane into your website will result in better search results and high traffic numbers. And whether you plan on hiring a company or doing it yourself, it’s imperative that you know how to properly implement SEO techniques into your website. Some techniques are smaller than others, while other techniques take time. But there are a few SEO Brisbane techniques that you can use to help your website grow undeniably.
The author also points out that navigation tabs should be coded so that search engines can crawl them and to ensure no loss of pages as URLs change. However, techniques are still only vaguely explained and a glance at the SEO Brisbane Web site shows they heavily promise results without being as clear about the technology behind the solution, which makes us worry about the lack of substance in the tool. When you’re weighing options for Web site search solutions, consider Mindbreeze InSite to add a powerful and customized search experience for your Web site visitors. InSite is powered by semantic search and a visit to their site quickly illustrates the benefits of the cloud deployment options, customizable tabs, multiple data sources options, and faceted search features.
Philip West, November 1, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Finding a Cost Effective Solution for Search Marketing
October 30, 2012
In the Marketing Week post, “The Digital Path to Purchase,” Michael Barnett discusses budgetary considerations companies should keep in mind as mobile and social media trends continue to dominate search strategies and search technology developments. Barnett explains that marketers are continuing to see the importance of understanding the wide variety of journeys that consumers take toward making a purchase. The integration of search and social is discussed:
One marketing manager from a professional services company says in answer to the survey: ‘The continued integration of search and social has to have an effect. Which social networks have the greatest influence remains to be seen. I think it will depend on their willingness to co-operate with each other, or more specifically with Google and Microsoft – but mainly Google.’ At present, content shared on social networks probably does not rank as highly as it naturally would in search results, since some search engines are restricted from crawling certain social sites.
In the same survey, three quarters of respondents claimed their search budgets they work with have increased in the past year. However, only 21 percent say search marketing is very effective. One industry leader in search is Fabasoft Mindbreeze. If you are looking for an integrated social and search solution to boost marketing efforts, consider taking advantage of the no obligation free trial InSite demo to test the enhanced finding experience for your Web site. InSite illuminates all of your information, from documents and emails to social networking channels.
Philip West, October 30, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
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