60 Months, Minimal Search Progress
January 1, 2012
When I was writing the Enterprise Search Report, I was younger, less informed, and slightly more optimistic. I wrote in August 2005 “Recent Trends in Enterprise Search”:
The truth is that nothing associated with locating information is cheap, easy or fast.
I omitted one item: accurate. About five years after writing this sentence, I have come to my senses. The volume of information flushing through the “tubes” continues to increase. To explain what petabytes means to the average liberal arts major now working at a services firm, someone coined the phrase “big data.” Simple. Tidy. Inaccurate.
That’s why the notion of accurate information is on my mind. I am tough to motivate in general, and burro like when I have to admit that something I wrote in one of my addled states is incomplete, stupid, or just plain wrong.
Let me start the New Year correctly. Here are four observations which will probably annoy the “real” experts, the self appointed search mavens, and the failed middle school teachers now consulting in the fields of ontology, massive parallelization in virtual environments, and “big data.” I don’t plan to alter my rhetorical approach, so too bad about giving some of these rescued Burger King workers some respite. Won’t happen.
First observation: Even a person as wild-and-wonderful as Jason Calacanis, the much admired innovator who makes a retreating Russian army’s scorched earth policy look green, wants to limit Internet content. “Jason Calacanis: Blogging Is Dead & Why Stupid People Shouldn’t Write” captures his take on accuracy. If one assumes stupid people should not write, then one reason may be that stupid people produce inaccurate information. Sounds okay to me, so let’s go with the stupid angle. In the era of “big data”, trimming out the stupid people should result in higher value information. Keep in mind I am addled. I am not sure where to stand on the “stupid” thing.
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Image source: http://www.northernsun.com/Boldly-Going-Nowhere-T-Shirt-(8257).html
Second observation: Disinformation is becoming easier for me to spot. For you? I am not so sure. Let me give you a couple of examples. Navigate to the now out of date list of taxonomy systems prepared by Will Power. The page is available from Willpower Information in Middlesex. Now scan the description of the taxonomy system called MTM. Here’s a snippet:
MTM is the software for multilingual thesauri building and maintenance. It has been designed as a configurable system assisting a user in creating concepts, linking them by means of a set of predefined relations, and controlling the validity of the thesaurus structure…
The main features of the software are inter alia:
- thesaurus maintenance and support system;
- KWOC and full tree representation and navigation tools available on-line;
- KWIC, KWOC and full tree printouts (in an alphabetic and systematic order);
- defining and customization of up to 100 conceptual relationship types;
- management of facets, codes (top classification), sources, regional variants, historical notes, etc.;
- support of the various types of authority files;
- computer assisted merging;
- thesauri comparison by means of windows;
- support of the various alphabets;
- support of linguistic and orthographic variants;
- sorting facilities consistent with national standards;
- variable length data handling;
- flexibility in defining input and output forms;
- versatility in terms of relative ease of configuring the software for the various sets of languages;
- flexibility in defining data structures needed for a given application;
- a possibility to exchange data with other organizations and systems through exporting and importing terms and relations.
High-End CAD Software Can Deliver at Every Level
December 27, 2011
Steven M. Samuel P.E. made a smart analogy in his article “The Value of High-End CAD Software” where he compares CAD software to a professional race team. People, product and competition are the keys in both racing and product design. If one area is lacking, then end result will be less than desirable. However, if everything is hitting on all cylinders, then Samuel is right that the value is indeed high.
The top companies almost always use high-end CAD software, but smaller companies who are not making jet engines or automobiles often rely on mid-range CAD systems which are unable deliver at the same level. However, the article explains that these companies:
must realize that the nature of design automation is such that even simple geometry can be created much more quickly with software over which you have full control, with all the latest design automation technology.
The value of high-end design software “will get your product to the market sooner, with less risk, less cost, and better quality.”
We agree that a high-end CAD program is worth its weight in gold, but the problem is that locating high value assets is often overlooked. The financial burden of inefficient search and retrieval adds friction to an otherwise smooth operation. Fortunately, Inforbix has not only simplified the approach to data access, but has done it in a cost effective way. It is certainly time for CAD users of any level to check out Inforbix’s product data solutions. With their help, you will finally have that well oiled machine you have always been looking for.
Jennifer Wensink, December 27, 2011
Protected: Is Search Engine Evolution Information Control?
December 27, 2011
Hewlett Packard: Misunderstood for 2012?
December 26, 2011
Now that Autonomy, one of my all-time favorite search vendors, is part of Hewlett Packard, I feel obligated to pay attention to the ink vendor. Oh, I know you may think HP is more than ink, but I learned that HP ink is worth more than diamonds or gold when you have a gallon of the stuff in those nifty cartridges.
HP generated in 2010 about $120 billion. IBM, by way of contrast, generated about $100 billion in 2010 and will nose closer to $120 billion when its 2011 fiscal year closes. HP is big, diversified, and the proud owner of Autonomy. The deal was worth about $11 billion which is nearly 10 percent of HP’s 2011 revenues. I would not ignore Autonomy, but that’s what happened in “Hewlett-Packard Isn’t Looking Forward to Next Year, Either.” The write up from the Motley Fool, which is certainly no silly goose, asserted:
Even though Whitman nixed most of her predecessor’s moves, she agrees with Leo Apotheker in that HP needs to focus more on software in the coming year, competing more directly with other enterprise-software giants such as IBM (NYSE: IBM ) and Oracle(Nasdaq: ORCL ) . She decidedly doesn’t want to transform HP into a software company, as Apotheker was clearly trying to do, but rather wants to build up the software segment as a complement for customers. Whitman has her work cut out for her but has admitted that 2012 is not the year that HP investors should be looking forward to. The mobile revolution is going to be huge. But just because HP left early, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out. We’ve just released a brand-new, 100% free report that details one stock that is in an enviable position powering the mobile Trillion-Dollar Revolution from the inside, while also having exposure to China’s red-hot growth.
Ah, ha. the article is not really about HP, Autonomy, or the price challenge HP will face from outfits like Google. The Motley Fool, which is no fool, is using the HP story to market a report. I don’t have much of a problem with a free report, but I do wish, some of the smart folks would pay attention to Autonomy and the financial potential it may deliver to HP. I just wrote about Aurasma, Autonomy’s augmented reality technology in my Information Today column for February 2012. I think the idea of putting Autonomy technology in printers is interesting, but there are some aspects of Autonomy that warrant its inclusion in HP write ups. I am fascinated with mobile, Ms. Whitman, and enterprise hardware, but there are some more interesting topics to explore. That’s the difference between a fool and a goose I suppose.
Stephen E Arnold, December 25, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Ektron Brings Enterprise Search to SharePoint
December 23, 2011
SharePoint is a content management platform that markets itself as a product that anyone can use but, in reality, can be quite tricky without help from a third party solution. The Sacramento Bee reported on a new way to harness the power of existing information through enterprise search in “Ektron Announces Expanded Support for FAST Search for Microsoft SharePoint 2010.”
According to the article, Ektron, a privately held Web content management software company based in Nashua, New Hampshire, announced this week expanded support for FAST Search for Microsoft SharePoint.
We learned:
FAST Search for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is an enterprise search platform that delivers relevant, accurate and timely answers that help organizations use information for a competitive advantage. It helps people search intelligently, which reduces costs and risks with flexible, closed-loop enterprise search and security features. FAST Search for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 also helps harness the power of existing information assets and IT investments through flexible, standards-based enterprise integration.
While it is great to hear that Ektron is creating software to make SharePoint more user-friendly, we’re surprised that Ektron does not hook into more third party solutions. Our suggestion is that Ektron licensees take a close look at the Mindbreeze search and content processing solution. Our investigations suggest that users will benefit significantly.
Stephen E Arnold, December 23, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Protected: SharePoint: Easy Enough for Kids
December 23, 2011
Search Engine White Papers
December 20, 2011
Anyone looking for guidance in advance of starting a new search engine project, might want to take a look at these search engine white papers which I came across by chance the other day. Search Technologies is probably the most experienced company out there when it comes to implementing search engines, and these white papers, collectively, provide a pragmatic perspective on the search engine world. Titles include the provocative “Glass Box Approach to Enterprise Search” and “Making the Most of Search Navigators.” Worth a read if you’re into search engines. Recommended resource at this link.
Stephen E Arnold, December 21, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Oracle: Search Will Not Reverse the Downturn
December 20, 2011
The financial news about Oracle is typical bad news with the happy bunny hop. Navigate to “Oracle Falls Short on Weak Software Sales” or any of the stories reporting the financial basics. Here’s a taste of the December 2011 financial report:
The company reported a profit of 54 cents per share on $8.8 billion. The results fell short of the consensus view that Oracle would report sales of $9.23 billion and a per-share profit of 57 cents. Oracle shares, which had risen by 56 cents, or 2 percent, during the regular trading session, to close at $29.17, fell sharply in after-hours trading. As of 4:15 pm ET, Oracle shares were trading down $1.72, or 6 percent, on the news. In the plus column, Oracle said its operating margin on a non-GAAP basis improved to 45 percent, and that it expects those margins to keep rising. Operating cash flow grew by 45 percent, as well, to $13.1 billion.
Financial PR speak is tough to figure out. My hunch is that Oracle squeezed out costs to pump up the profit. Going forward Oracle has to do better. Once the downturn takes hold, it costs a lot of money to reverse the slide. Maybe Oracle will work magic with search? The company now owns and has to pump support and research resources into:
- Secure Enterprise Search or SES11g
- Triple Hop, if it still is around
- Endeca, the $1.1 billion bundle of MBA inspired search applied to ecommerce, the enterprise, business intelligence, and just about any other niche the B-School brigade can identify
- RightNow, a content and search service for customer support which, as you know, I interpret as “methods for preventing a customer to communicate with an informed human”
- InQuira, the blend of two search firms which is in the natural language processing game as applied to customer support. See item 4 above
- Oracle’s structured query language which is the database administrators’ favorite method of locating an item within an Oracle table.
The role of search at Oracle is to drive services, customization, opportunities for upselling and cross-selling, and “synergies”.
Will search provide a stream of significant revenue stream for Oracle? No. The deterioration of traditional database revenue, in my opinion, is part of a structural shift in computing. The search acquisitions make it easy for the 1,000 new sales professionals to get appointments, but a meeting is not a sale. Oracle’s hardware business may make Endeca-powered systems run with more speed, but will Endeca’s customers opt for an Oracle server or bite the bullet and look for an alternative like Lucid Imagination, PolySpot, or some other open source centric search solution? Endeca touts its analytics, but based on our work, next generation analytics vendors like Digital Reasoning make Endeca’s methods look a little like a 1998 Buick next to a 2012 Ferrari 458 Italia Spider.
Search will help, just nor deliver a gusher of cash. Search is not the answer to Oracle’s revenue challenges. I hope I am wrong. So do our customers who are dependent on Oracle and looking at options which appear to cost less.
Stephen E Arnold, December 21, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
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United Nations and Its Tech Challenges
December 20, 2011
From the “Why Am I Not Surprised” Department. News Flash.
UN Computer System Failure
A flub at the United Nations— an estimated nearly $400 million flub– has been made public as UN officials are scrambling to get the botched project back on track. Perhaps “flub” is too strong? Maybe in UN speak, the error was an administrative concern. Yes, that’s it. Administrative concern.
The United Nations’ project, known as Umoja, is a computer and software system that promised to reform the organization but has been at a standstill since June. Umoja, which was intended to be an administrative system to cut down on waste and fraud, was led by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Fox News’ article, “UN’s Botched Computer-System Overhaul: A Major ‘Failure’ of Ban Ki-Moon’s Management” tells us more:
Ban’s officials are scrambling to get the jinxed project known as Umoja (Swahili for unity) back on track after a key UN budget committee heard from Ban’s office last week that the sweeping information technology overhaul, already a year behind schedule, won’t be finished until 2015, three years beyond the original target date. The committee also said it was “deeply disturbed and dismayed” by the UN’s “apparent lack of awareness and foreknowledge” about the sputtering status of the project.”
This is entropy from top to bottom. Is this the UN’s approach to information management? It appears that guessing about technology may not work and the organization should probably make more solidified plans before pushing such a large and costly project forward. From peacekeeping to computing, the UN is rowing against the current of competence in my opinion.
Andrea Hayden, December 20, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Isys: Eliminating Search Speed Bumps
December 15, 2011
I thought speed bumps were sleeping policemen. ISYS Search tackles them. Thump. Squish. Navigate to “Isys Tackles Enterprise Search Speed Bumps.” The idea is that Isys can make a problematic findability problem a non issue. According to the write up:
The new version features ISYS 1-Click File Finder indexing, analytics and search technology, as well there are seven major new application features. ISYS Research Accelerator is a customizable interface that lets business users search and refine the results the way they want – and make the information easily available and actionable for others. ISYS Information Map offers an advanced visual navigation tool that lets business users see and explore the links between pieces of information. The new Timeline Refinement Bar makes large results sets easy to navigate and ensures users know they’re getting to the most accurate and recent versions of documents. ISYS Enterprise 10.0 introduces Multi-core Indexing, which promises to significantly improve indexing speed and robustness, with multiple ‘worker tasks’ able to handle unlimited filename lengths and unlimited document container depths. Users can now view common document formats (like MS Office, Adobe PDF) the way they were intended, with full layout, fonts, images and hit-highlighting. ISYS Enterprise 10.0 can search by document type extension across 400+ document, file and email types. Also, there are native 32-bit and 64-bit Server Versions to allow organizations to make use of their existing hardware.
The write up did not include information about license fees, visualization, extensibility, application programming interfaces, and customer support options. You may want to contact the company for these details. I did not include Isys in my “The New Landscape of Enterprise Search.” The company hit my radar with its connector licensing strategy, which struck me as an interesting idea. This new release reminds me that Isys is in the enterprise search market. That sector is in flux with other vendors repositioning themselves, throwing around buzzwords, and reinventing themselves as big data analytics companies. Isys is using the the lingo of a more traditional, pre mobile app approach to enterprise search. You can get more information at the Isys Information Center. One question: Will I get a ticket for speeding down the enterprise information highway with the goddess of he goddess of motherhood, magic and fertility? Kentucky is a pretty conservative place.
Stephen E Arnold, December 15, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
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