Laurent Couillard, CEO, Dassault Exalead: Exclusive Interview
June 28, 2011
Exalead caught my attention many years ago. Exalead’s Cloudview approach allowed licensees to tap into Exalead’s traditional Web and enterprise functions via on premises installations, a cloud implementation, or a hybrid approach. Today, a number of companies are working to offer these options. Exalead’s approach is stable and provides a licensee with platform flexibility as well as mobile search, mash ups, and inclusion of Exalead technology into existing enterprise applications. For organizations fed up with seven figure licensing fees for content processing systems that “never seem to arrive”, Exalead has provided a fresh approach.
Exalead provides high-performance search and semantic processing to organizations worldwide. Exalead specializes in taking a company’s data “from virtually any source, in any format” and transforming it into a search-enabled application. The firm’s technology, Exalead CloudView, represents the implementation of next-generation computing technology available for on-premises installation and from hosted or cloud services. Petascale content volume and mobile support are two CloudView capabilities. Exalead’s architecture makes integration and customization almost friction-free. The reason for the firm’s surge in the last two years has been its push into the enterprise with its search-based applications.
The idea of an enterprise application built upon a framework that can seamlessly integrate structured and unstructured data is one of the most important innovations in enterprise search. Only Google, Microsoft, and Exalead can boast commercial books about their search and content processing technology.
In 2010, Exalead’s market success triggered action on the part of one of the world’s leading engineering firms, Dassault Systèmes. Instead of licensing Exalead’s technology, the firm acquired Exalead and aggressively expanded the firm’s research, development, and marketing activities. Exalead’s approach enables more than 300 organizations to break the chains of the “key word search box” and has provided Dassault with a competitive advantage in next-generation information processing. In addition to mobile and rich media processing, Exalead is working to present integrated displays of real time information that add value to a wide range of business functions. These include traditional engineering to finding a restaurant on an iPhone.
Laurent Couillard, Chief Dassault Exalead
With the purchase of Exalead, Dassault appointed Laurent Couillard as Exalead’s chief executive officer. Mr. Couillard joined Dassault Systèmes as an application engineer in 1996, most recently serving as Vice-President Sales and Distribution for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In that post, he played a central role in the sales transformation of 3DS, establishing a powerful reseller channel for all PLM brands and contracting with more than 140 companies. As CEO of EXALEAD, his mission is to accelerate the market penetration of applications based on search technologies. Mr. Couillard holds an M.S. from Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace, a preeminent institution in Toulouse, France.
I asked him what was capturing his attention. He told me:
We are devoting more energy to developing packaged business applications or SBAs built on this foundation. That’s a mission right up my alley. And I intend to apply all my experience in sales and partner network development to this mission as well. That’s my charge from Dassault: To use my dual technology/sales background to develop Exalead and to penetrate new markets with SBAs, while preserving all the qualities that make Exalead so unique in this market. I’m fortunate to be in a position to leverage the full knowledge, resources, geographical coverage and expertise of the Dassault group to make this happen.
I probed for the reasons behind Dassault’s purchase of Exalead in 2010, a move which caught many analysts by surprise. He said:
Dassault saw first-hand how search-based applications based on Exalead’s systems and methods solved some of its clients’ long-standing, mission-critical business challenges quickly, painlessly and inexpensively. Dassault’s management understood–based on technical, financial, and performance facts—that Exalead’s search-based applications were a prime reason why search was, and is forecast to remain, an exceptional performer in the information technology software market. Because Dassault was seeking to diversify its content processing offerings, search in general and search based applications technology in particular were obviously an appealing choice. Dassault is, therefore, developing SBAs as one of its three core activities.
We discussed the challenges facing most of the traditional key word search and content processing systems. He noted:
You have to remember Exalead’s always understood search is sometimes something you do, and other times something you consume. In other words, sometimes it’s a search text box, and sometimes it’s the silent enabler beneath a business application, or even an entire information ecosystem.
You can read the full text of my interview with Mr. Couillard in the ArnoldIT.com Search Wizards Speak collection. The interview is located at this link.
Stephen E Arnold, June 28, 2011
Freebie from the leading vertical file service for search and content processing.
ROI, Google, and the Revenue Imperative
June 27, 2011
I had another conversation with the owner of a Web site which has been slammed by Google’s Panda updates. Google’s cash machine is based on an idea that originated at Idea Labs’ GoTo.com years ago. When GoTo.com made its début, I was interested in the impact of paying for traffic. It struck me in 1998 that relevance as defined by the university information retrieval PhDs was a gone goose. Forget precision and recall. Sell an advertiser a click which would be displayed on the screen of an “average Internet user.” Close enough for horse shoes. Most Web searchers in 2001 when GoTo.com was floating its secondary offering would not know how to figure out the provenance of a Web site. A search for “car rental” was good enough if it displayed links or ads to Avis or Hertz. Easy quick and, as I said, “Good enough.”
Flash forward to the world since Google. In the US, most consumers of digital information continue to struggle with figuring out if a hit is a straight arrow or bent like a bonsai tree.
It sure looks natural, but the entire tree is artifice. The same applies to “free” Web search results and content.
You will be surprised to learn that I am not writing about Panda. I am writing about why Panda is important. Panda is designed to clean up the Google index so that ads [a] become more useful because lost in a Mississippi flood of clutter, advertisers grouse. And [b] Google is not having much success generating significant revenue from its other products and services. You don’t need me to point out that Android is predicated on Google having a bobsled run to display search results – actually ads – to the millions of mobile users. If you think determining provenance of an alleged “news story” or “white paper” is tough on a desktop device, the mobile device makes the exercise even more difficult. In fact, our work on The New Landscape of Search makes it clear that even for purpose built search systems, users are pretty inept when it comes to finding and knowing how to separate the knowledge goose feathers from the giblets. (I don’t remember who coined that memorable phrase.)
OpenText to Unify Data with an Integration Center
June 24, 2011
I am easily confused. I thought OpenText’s original SGML data management system performed integration. Guess not.
In “Content Integration Software unifies data across enterprise,” ThomasNet News serves up welcome news from OpenText about its latest product, Integration Center. Ah, unification; such a lovely concept. We learned:
Most integration technologies focus on either structured data in databases or content in document repositories, but not both. Now with OpenText Integration Center, which inherently understands both structured data and unstructured content, customers can give business decision makers easy access to corporate information assets through ECM Suite 2010.
Being able to go to one source for all its data would certainly be a boon for most companies, saving both time and money. It could unlock the value of data that has been sitting dormant because wrangling it was not deemed worth the effort.
OpenText also boasts about several other advantages of its software. For example, simplified content migration and data archiving and, consequently, the ability to decommission legacy systems.
Yay, efficiency! It also integrates diverse systems, from data warehouses to content management.
The company has been helping clients manage their data for a couple of decades now, and does so around the globe.
Cynthia Murrell June 23, 2011
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, the resource for enterprise search information and current news about data fusion
SharePoint: Is The Dorian Gray Effect in Play?
June 21, 2011
“Is the SharePoint Community Past Its Prime?” sparked some discussion at Search Technologies. Our firm works with a number of search and content processing systems. We find that no single system is perfect and that most search systems can deliver significant return on investment to their licensees.
The article by the SharePoint Hillbilly raised several questions. Although the author’s focus was on Microsoft SharePoint, the implications of the author’s argument resonate across the search landscape.
The jumping off point for the article was an analysis of Microsoft’s role in the SharePoint community. In this case, “community” refers to the developers (certified and uncertified) who manage SharePoint installations, develop add-ins and add-ons for SharePoint, or support SharePoint implementations with management or engineering services.
With the rapid uptake of SharePoint, the SharePoint community has grown rapidly. Growth brings both challenges and opportunities. Among the challenges the SharePoint community faces are:
- Ego collisions
- Conference exhaustion
- Microsoft.
The issue in the article is not that SharePoint is unique. In our experience, user groups have been an important part of most major software companies marketing. The Dorian Gray effect is that the user group ages rapidly, often passing through a complete life cycle quickly and then fades away. I suppose there are some stalwarts from the DEC 20 user group that once met every month in Washington, DC, but the action has shifted.
The question becomes, “How can a community of those actively involved in a particular enterprise system maintain the freshness and excitement of the pre-gray hair stage of life. The answer is, “User groups cannot.”
The community begins with a handful of people, expands, and then shrinks. Email, LinkedIn, and other types of communication methods make it possible for those who want to be involved and stay connected can. However, the buzz of the face-to-face meetings, coding sessions, and heated arguments about the best way to accomplish a specific task mellow and often fade away.
The author says:
I want the SharePoint community to stay strong and inviting and growing. I don’t want the cracks I see to start causing division and fracture the community. I don’t want to see SharePoint Sundays pop-up because they don’t want to be associated with those Saturday guys. So I blog… I shout to the wind… and have a SharePint… or three…
We agree. However, the task is not to preserve the community around SharePoint, Autonomy IDOL, or Exalead CloudView, among others. The job is to recognize that individuals, consulting firms, third party developers, and even the “owner” of the enterprise software system form an interdependent ecosystem. The “community” is one part of that ecosystem.
At Search Technologies, we participate in multiple user groups. Some are relatively small and fast growing. Others are mature and shrinking. Our professionals are encouraged to participate, and we make an effort to monitor many groups which we are unable to attend.
The reason is simple: We think that the knowledge we gain from these interactions makes us better and more informed problem solvers. Furthermore, we think that our active participation in user groups contributes to our success. Some software systems fade away, but the value of the personal relationships continues.
Point your browser at www.searchtechnologies.com to learn more about our company and our services. We can help companies gain a business advantage from search applications. Alternatively, look for us at your next user group event, on LinkedIn, or at a conference.
There is no Dorian Gray effect if you remain active. Time is reversed with engagement and continuous learning.
Iain Fletcher, June 21, 2011
Search Technologies
Magic and Its Implications for Search Start Ups
June 21, 2011
“Abracadabra! Magic Trumps Math at Web Start Ups” struck me as a reminder that in a lousy economy, sizzle remains important. The write up references some interesting terminology and the even more interesting Groupon red ink. But with marketing magic mixed with accounting legerdemain, some start ups look quite exciting. Sizzle or the odor of freshly popped corn at the movie theater in a mall.
What about search start ups?
I have had briefings from several search start ups in the last week. I received one email this morning asking me, “Should we start marketing even though we are a new company?”
My answer was, “Sure. You can never be too rich or too thin or do too much selling and marketing.”
Then I realized that as sizzle starts to take precedence over financial performance, there may be some tough sledding for search and content processing vendors. Here’s why:
- Anyone can get search “free” or at low cost. Some outfits will toss in search when the client licenses another product.
- The financial performance of search companies has only a couple of bright stars amidst a number of brown dwarfs. Autonomy has done well, but other companies have flopped or been unable to mount an initial public offering.
- The market for search has shifted, so even Google killers are likely to struggle. Heck, even Google is marketing like crazy in order to keep its revenue engines running at peak efficiency. Despite the effort, traditional search is starting to pant. Social search seems to be keeping pace.
- Investors like data analytics and nifty outputs. Search systems can perform this trick, but specialists seem to be hogging the spotlight.
I think magic is important. Dassault Exalead has some, but the company is diversifying its technology across high profile, high value enterprise challenges, not just search. I don’t see too many vendors getting a gig in Las Vegas with information retrieval showmanship.
Traditional search is at risk of becoming a “Norton utility” in an outfit like Symantec. Magic is needed and quickly by start ups in the search sector. Repositioning key word search as customer support, business intelligence, and knowledge management won’t work as well as in the past with today’s funding sources in my opinion.
Stephen E Arnold, June 21, 2011
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, the resource for enterprise search information and current news about data fusion
Polyspot Connectors
June 21, 2011
PolySpot asserts that it has become the “go to” company for information retrieval solutions for companies.
According to the PolySpot Web Site, the company offers:
a modular solution for designing all types of applications research and implement a true transverse research infrastructure, meeting the needs of all company’s business. “PolySpot depends on a number of connectors for “interfacing solutions with a large number of applications.”
The Web Page “List of Connectors PolySpot” located on the PolySpot Web Site provides a detailed list of connectors they utilize to access comprehensive data as well as the metadata of various applications.
What is interesting is that Polyspot is embracing social media. The social content connectors play a role in the firm’s product development since the management reshuffle.
Social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and MediaWiki are popping up everywhere and their influence continues to grow. Polyspot wants to make these sites’ content available to its licensees.
The fact that PolySpot uses information from these sites to design research and search solutions for businesses demonstrates how powerful and important social sites have become. Who knew simple terms such as “like or dislike” could pack such a punch.
April Holmes, June 21, 2011
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, the resource for enterprise search information and current news about data fusion
Sinequa and Blue Infinity
June 21, 2011
Blue-infinity has made headlines with the announcement of a new partnership. According to the blue-infinity blog post “Blue-infinity Partners With Sinequa” blue-infinity has partnered with Sinequa. This partnership will allow them to expand their already broad range of Enterprise search solutions. We learned:
“blue-infinity’s new partnership with Sinequa will enable us to continue to provide the most effective and cost efficient Enterprise Search solutions, tailor-made to our clients’ needs.”
Sinequa’s solutions are already in place several large international companies and over two hundred companies currently use their technology. The company’s customizable search engine “incorporates linguistic and semantic analyses” and is a useful tool for breaking down large volumes of complex data. Juan Manuel Garrote, a Partner at blue-infinity made the following remarks:
“We are really excited about this new partnership, and are sure that this will continue to strengthen our position as Switzerland’s number one provider of Enterprise Search solutions.”
With blue-infinity’s range of option and Sinequa’s extensive client base this could be a match made in heaven.
April Holmes, June 21, 2011
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, the resource for enterprise search information and current news about data fusion
Protected: Tips to Improve Search In SharePoint 2010
June 21, 2011
What Does OmniFind 9 Cost?
June 20, 2011
Good question. We fielded this one a week or so ago. The answer was surprisingly difficult to find. We did get the info, and we wanted to pass along an item form 2010 which we wanted to document.
Cnet Japan reported “IBM Japan, Ltd., Announcing Search Software Which Mounts Both Functions ‘Reproducibility’ and ‘Comprehensiveness.’” In an article which describes the advances in this version of OmniFind, what caught our attention was the section on price. As translated via Google Translator:
“IBM OmniFind V9.1 fee is large for ‘IBM OmniFind Enterprise Edition V9.1’ is 716 million yen (excluding tax, 100PVU per case) per division that can start small ‘IBM OmniFind Enterprise Starter Edition V9.1’ is 40,000,491 yen (excluding tax, 100PVU per case, up to 200PVU).”
40 million yen was almost $500,000. We liked the entire post.
Cynthia Murrell, June 20, 2011
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, the resource for enterprise search information and current news about data fusion
Endeca Pursues Customer Support
June 20, 2011
Always striving to stay abreast of trends, we found this post at CMSWire “Endeca Spotlights Customer Experience Mgmt with Infront” quite interesting. It is no secret that the search landscape has changed. Traditional vendors of “findability” solutions have put on their thinking caps in order to find ways to pump up revenue in a tough economic climate.
Endeca is pushing its technology’s applicability to customer support. Endeca’s InFront suite of products offers a solution to certain customer support information challenges. Endeca’s system does search and Guided Navigation. It also ads support for search engine optimization, social content, and mobile media support. Endeca asserts:
InFront allows businesses to create greater customer engagement with richer content and promotions,” explained Jason Purcell, General Manager, eBusiness, Endeca. “With integrated analytics and agile business user tools, InFront adapts to changing market needs, influences customer behavior across channels, and scales a relevant, personalized experience for every customer, every time.
Which search vendor will emerge as the victor in the pursuit of customer support license revenue? There are a number of search horses in the race, but there are incumbents. The race is difficult to call.
Micheal Cory, June 20, 2011
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, the resource for enterprise search information and current news about data fusion
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
