Oxymoron Department: Cloud Storage Appliance
February 23, 2012
This piece is not directly about search, but we think this is an interesting development which may spur more cloud-centric search solutions. Wired Cloudline reports, “Red Hat Appliance Smooths Storage on Amazon Cloud.” The application, Virtual Storage Appliance for Amazon Web Services, is intended to support cloud service providers besides Amazon sometime in the future.
The new appliance is POSIX compliant, which means data need not be modified before using it with the application. The write up informs us:
Terri McClure, an analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, said in a statement, ‘Organizations are increasingly looking for cloud storage that delivers the flexibility and cost savings of the cloud without having to overhaul their entire application and storage infrastructure. This newest offering by Red Hat enables organizations to seamlessly easily extend their datacenter storage to the cloud while still receiving the performance and availability desired.’
Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, Red Hat is a premiere provider of the Linux operating system and other open source solutions. It prides itself on being “the bridge between the communities that create open source software and the enterprise customers who use it.”
Now a virtual appliance in the cloud. How does that differ from any other cloud function? Beats me.
Cynthia Murrell, February 23, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Android App Developers Prepare for Global Expansion
February 11, 2012
Android is a big winner or a potential headache. Here in Harrod’s Creek we just don’t know. The dramatic increase of smartphone and other tablet users over the past couple of years has resulted in the creation of thousands of apps. Read Write Web recently reported on the international smartphone market in the article “There is a Huge Market For iOS & Android Apps Overseas, Report Says.”
According to the article, the mobile analytics company Flurry has been tracking the progression of Android and iOS penetration all over the world. The company has found that despite the fact that the United States is the most mature smartphone market, app developers should consider pursuing emerging markets like China, Korea, and the United Kingdom.
The article states:
Flurry encourages app developers to look overseas for potential growth markets. For instance, in China there are 122 million middle class adults age 15-64 that are not using iOS or Android. In the U.S. that number is 91 million (figuring a 200 million potential smartphone user base or about 60% of the population).
While the U.S. remains a hotbed for testing new apps, be prepared to see global app expansion in 2012. With Android “sort of” open and fragmentation a headache for some developers, can Android crush the annoying iOS and deal a death blow to Microsoft?
Jasmine Ashton, February 11, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Expert System Italy
February 9, 2012
In 1989, Marco Varone, along with Stefano Spaggiari and Paolo Lombardi, founded Expert System Italy. The three wanted to develop semantic software to extract knowledge from text by replicating human processes. Varone is the father of the company’s Cogito technology.
Unlike traditional technologies based on keyword and statistics that can only guess the content of a text, Cogito reads and interprets knowledge trapped in unstructured text, finding hidden relationships, trends, and events. It relies on deep linguistic analysis and semantic disambiguation of text to ensure a complete understanding of a text. The technology can be used on files, e-mails, articles, reports, and Web pages.
After developing Cogito, Expert System partnered with Microsoft and integrated the linguistic and semantic technologies into Microsoft Office. The Cogito Categorizer is also integrated to the SharePartXXL Taxonomy Extension for Microsoft SharePointby the SharePartXXL Cogito Connector. In April 2011, the company was awarded a US patent for the Cogito semantic platform.
Products include Cogito Semantic Search, Cogito semantic Advertiser, and Cogito Answers, and Cogito Intelligence Platform. Expert System positions Cogito Semantic Advertiser as an alternative to Google’s AdSense search keyword ad management tool. The company applies semantic technologies to its contextual ad formula, discerning greater meaning from the text in an article to provide more relevant ads. Cogito Answers can be used to improve customer service, combining semantic analysis of sentiment and customer satisfaction monitoring with advanced natural language customer interaction features.
Profitable from the start and with recent growth at a compound annual growth rate of 50%, Expert System has a client list that encompasses a variety of industries. Customers include Vodafone, Eni Group, Pirelli, Telecom Italia, the Italian Ministry of Defense, RIM and CVS Pharmacy. Competitors are Google, Cisco, Flurry, Nuance Communications, and RAMP. Expert System has a strong following in the mobile search space.
Rita Safranek, February 9, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Pingar Sets Up Shop in Silicon Valley
February 1, 2012
Pingar, smaller than Google’s catering staff, sets up shop in Silicon Valley. The Bay of Plenty Times announces, “Tauranga Firm Sets Up Silicon Valley Base.” The New Zealand publication reports that co-founders Peter and Jacqui Wren-Hilton were impressed by the size of the big dogs’ campuses when they visited. Pingar follows three other New Zealand tech companies into Silicon Valley: Endace, Xero, and SLI Systems.
Pingar, which, in addition to the Valley, has offices in two New Zealand locations and in London, Hong Kong, Bangalore, and, soon, Singapore. Its innovative search engine works by asking specific questions. The company also offers an API, with 18 components accessible to developers. It is looking to break into the scanner market, with a unique product that automatically applies metadata to scanned documents. Yes, that would be helpful!
The company was recognized by the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs as one of 30 hot emerging tech companies from around the world. Pingar is growing into its success; the article notes:
Twelve months ago Pingar employed 12 people, now the number is 30 and Mr Wren-Hilton predicts the staff will double to 60 by the end of next year; involving 20 in research and development, and 40 in business development, marketing and support services.
“Twenty-five of them will be based in Auckland and Tauranga, and 35 will be overseas, including seven in Silicon Valley.
Nicely played, Pingar.
Cynthia Murrell, February 1, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Chomp Takes App Search to the Next Level
January 31, 2012
As the app business is exploding in growth with over a billion app downloads a month a new service has been created by some of the Silicon Valley’s greatest minds and investors. The article, Chomp Leads in App Search During Move to ‘Appification’, on Infotech News, praises the young company for leading the masses in the ‘appification’ of the world.
Chomp, created in 2009, as an answer to the growing problem of app search provides an open source mobile app search for all the apps available to mobile customers on both the iOS and Android OS. Over the last few years as better developers have been incorporated into the company more precise searches are being conducted.
With this technology Chomp is pioneering in search app advertising. Of this new angle on app search the article says,
The new program, which is currently in private beta, allows developers for the first time, to bid on keywords or phrases which will deliver their ads when uses search on those terms within an app search engine. Chomp Search Ads is the only way to match app ads to the most relevant potential customer, resulting in quality ad matching for both the advertiser and the consumer.
As the app industry continues to grow and more and more app developers are making apps available on multiple operating systems the need for the regular Smartphone user to be able to search efficiently increases. Thanks to services like those offered by Chomp we will undoubtedly see an increase in the applications of such technology like the targeted advertising.
Catherine Lamsfuss, January 31, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Why Not Order a Victim Online?
January 22, 2012
Well, here’s a new spin on predictive search. CNet News reports, “Chicago Restaurants Stop Taking Cell Phone Orders.” In parts of Chicago, so many delivery drivers have been robbed by cell phone users that businesses are now limiting their orders to landline customers. Writer Chris Matyszczyk reports:
“Chinatown and Hyde Park are the two areas where cell phone miscreants appear to have had their pizza and eaten it.
It seems to have become such a problem that the local police had to issue a warning to all business owners, complete with certain cell phone numbers that have already been involved in such incidents.
What a racket; the criminals don’t have to search for a victim. Victims come to them. But since when is this specific to mobile orders? There are whole zip codes in my area that businesses refuse to deliver to, and this began long before cell phones became common.
The write up points out that the landline-only policy is impractical, anyway. Almost everyone has a cell phone, and landline subscriptions are in a free-fall. A cell-phone order ban could put a delivery establishment out of business. Purveyors of that famous Chicago pizza may want to look into the forbidden zip code option instead.
Cynthia Murrell, January 22, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Gartner Predicts a Volatile Year for the IT Industry
January 21, 2012
Technological innovation and the creation of media tablets and advances in mobile is having a disruptive impact on many industries. Taume recently reported on a predictive Gartner study for the IT industry in the article “Gartner Identifies Top Vertical Industry Predictions for IT Organizations 2012 and Beyond”
According to the article, Gartner’s annual Predicts research on industry trends features 15 strategic planning assumptions that CIOs, senior business executives and IT leaders should factor into their enterprise planning and strategy-setting initiatives.
Kimberly Harris-Ferrante, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner said:
“Many industry business models will be challenged through 2015 as customers continue to adopt an always-connected digital lifestyle and market competitors exploit emerging technologies to achieve business growth and success. Cloud computing and social media will continue to provide industries with new avenues for effective customer communication and engagement, facilitating increased revenue and sustainable interaction with key customers.”
It looks like 2012 is going to be a volatile year unless IT companies use the Gartner study predictions to effectively align their business practices with the needs of customer base and partner organizations.
Jasmine Ashton, January 21, 2012
Inforbix: A New Mobile Search Service for CAD and Product Data
January 16, 2012
Beyond Search recognizes that mobile applications are on the rise and people are moving their business to devices that are as flexible as they are. However, our team notices that this trend leaves a lot of people confused about how to deal with the excess of data that is available in the world of mobile applications. Search systems that navigate the chaos are often difficult to use or are simply nonexistent.
Boston-based Inforbix is responding to the rising issue. The company develops intelligent apps for CAD and product data access and is rolling out an iPad mobile application that allows customers to search engineering data anywhere, anytime.
Inforbix is a software company founded in 2012 that addresses the excess of product data within manufacturing companies. The company strives to develop software solutions and apps to address specific data trends and improve productivity. Inforbix is currently a cloud service accessed by web browser and assists customers in finding and sharing product data companywide.
Inforbix products work together with Product Data Management systems that may already be in place at organizations and connect companywide product data. Smaller companies without PDM systems can find an affordable alternative with Inforbix.
The new iPad app is the first mobile application release by Inforbix. The app is powered by InforBix’s semantic technology, which connects structured and unstructured related product data. This link allows users to find and access product data quickly on-the-go, while still providing correct and thorough information that is crucial to efficiency and productivity.
The service is cloud-based and requires no data migration or maintenance. The app can also access multiple file types and addresses searching and accessing product data, as well as other product data tasks such as organizing and presenting data patterns. The app is easy to use and requires no training or prior experience to use.
Chief Executive Officer Oleg Shilovistsky speaks on the topic of the mobile app release in the PR News Release:
“There’s lots of data everywhere. Customers are asking ‘How can I access it all with a single solution?’ Enter Inforbix, and the new iPad app will take Inforbix, a fresh new approach to find, engage with, and administer product data in manufacturing companies, a giant step forward in accessibility.”
The software is simple for companies to employ and is an intelligent solution to sorting through the endless product data that is available. The app can be demoed by pointing to http://www.inforbix.com/demo. Current Inforbix customers can already begin using the iPad app, which is available for free on the Apple App Store. New users can register with Inforbix to enable the app and begin accessing company product data.
At Beyond Search, we applaud companies that are focusing on creatively solving the issue of excess data and are impressed with Inforbix’s move to mobile. The future of technology is going fluid and companies need to remain accessible in the transition.
Andrea Hayden, January 16, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Engineers Skeptical of Mobile Apps
January 13, 2012
The public is sold on mobile technology. They gobble up the latest tablets and download the greatest apps. But “Do Engineers Have an Appetite for Mobile Apps?” It might surprise you that CAD users are still a quite hesitant about going mobile.
Engineers are not convinced “that their day-to-day design tools can translate well to a tablet or smartphone platform.” It is up to vendors like Autodesk to change their minds. Engineers will likely use mobile apps differently than they do their traditional CAD software.
Rather than serving as a direct replacement for desktops or laptops for doing traditional CAD and modeling work, the mobile platforms are far better suited for specific tasks and workflows, and design tool apps have to follow suit.
Change is almost always met with some type of resistance. CAD users will eventually integrate mobile apps into their everyday professional life. But apps have to win their trust by becoming more reliable. Inforbix is doing just that. Their product data apps help users, like engineers and product managers, quickly and easily find, re-use, and share product data from disparate sources and file types. Inforbix’s revolutionary product data apps will quickly change the mind of any skeptical engineer.
Jennifer Wensink, January 13, 2012
Mobile Users May Say No
January 13, 2012
In such a heavy mobile based technology world, businesses understand the need to be in tune with what customers are doing on these devices and readily jump on their ability to collect data from those who are willing to share. However, according to the Ontrack Data Recovery News article “Business Data Collection “May Face Backlash From Mobile Users,” users may no longer be so eager to share. “Businesses’ ability to collect data from those using mobile and pad devices may be short lived, as individuals become more cagey about what they are willing to share.” According to the article business data collection is going to gain even more popularity in 2012 but the importance of privacy and data security is also going to grow. Psychologist Graham Jones makes a bold prediction “Business which focus on tapping into geolocation and so on will probably only have a relatively short life, as human beings batten down the hatches and increase their privacy.” From phone tapping in Congress to sharing on Facebook, privacy is becoming an issue. Seems more and more people have adopted the philosophy “just keep it to yourself.”
April Holmes, January 13, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
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