Codex of PLM Openness Now in Effect
June 12, 2012
In an often time highly competitive field it is refreshing to see a major provider of product lifecycle management solutions, SAP, commit to high standards of openness with other providers and customers. A recent Market Watch article, “Newsbyte: SAP Joins Codex of PLM Openness”, explains how SAP has joined the Codex of PLM Openness (CPO) and what that exactly means.
The article describes the CPO by saying,
“The CPO defines criteria for the openness of IT solutions used in PLM in order to help ensure that data created throughout the product life cycle can be used throughout the business as well. ProSTEP iViP has driven the CPO in close cooperation with PLM software users, PLM software vendors and implementation partners. The initiative describes a common understanding of the openness of systems in the context of PLM.”
We applaud SAP’s efforts to collaborate with others within the industry rather than mark territory which ultimately will destroy progress. Hopefully through careful partnering of companies offering PLM solutions innovation can flourish and the problems facing all industries utilizing PLM can be addressed with real resolution as an outcome.
Catherine Lamsfuss, June 12, 2012
Blekko Removes Most Popular Websites From Search Results
June 12, 2012
The Blekko Blog recently reported on a new experimental search engine called Millionshort.com that removes the most popular websites from search results in the article “Searching Without PageRank.”
The way that Million Short helps users navigate web results more easily, is by removing the top sites (be it million, thousand or hundred) from search results. The theory behind this is that often when you type keywords into a search engine, you always get the same results. This allows other websites that may not have mastered Google’s page ranking algorithm to be seen.
Blekko also has a search feature that is similar to this. The article states:
“Blekko’s search engine has a feature called slashtags, which can be used to either restrict a search to a list of websites, or remove that list of websites from the results. We typically use this feature for human curation, for example, picking out the best health websites. Hm, I thought, what an interesting hack! I’ll take that list of the most popular websites, and make slashtags which can be used to either search or exclude the most popular 10, 100, 1000, 10,000, or 100,000 websites. Our current effective limit to slashtag size is 100,000 websites, so I couldn’t do the most popular 1,000,000 sites.”
Blekko and Million Short are taking interesting steps to create more of a discovery search engine by allowing websites that may be new or have poor SEO and small marketing budgets to rise to the top.
Jasmine Ashton, June 12, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Arnold June 2012 For-Fee Columns
June 12, 2012
The June 2012 for-fee columns by Stephen E Arnold have been shipped to the commissioning publications. The topics covered this month are:
- For Enterprise Technology Management, “Android and Humpty Dumpty” looks at the enterprise implications of the many versions of Google’s mobile operating system.
- For Information Today, “Is the SharePoint Tsunami Losing Force?” reviews some of the signals which may indicate that Fast Search could be nearing the end of its useful life. In the column are excerpts from an interview I conducted with Comperio US’s president, Bjorn Laukli.
- For KMWorld, “HP and Autonomy: Is Change Coming in Enterprise IDOL?” reviews some of Hewlett Packard’s plan for its $10 billion technology acquisition, Autonomy plc.
- I discuss a domain of content ignored by most enterprise search systems. I profile a vendor tackling this opportunity.
- For Online Magazine, “Has IBM Mapped the Course for Commercializing Open Source Search?” takes a high-level look at how IBM has used open source search to reduce costs and create new high-value commercial software which do not get described with the word “search.”
For copies of these articles, you will need to hound the publisher, not me. I just write ‘em. I don’t archive work for hire. I will gather together some of my older for-fee columns in pre-final mode. We will post these in the near future on the main ArnoldIT.com Web site.
Stephen E Arnold, June 12, 2012
Freebie
Dirty Secrets of SharePoint Online
June 11, 2012
SharePoint Online is getting a lot of buzz, and rightfully so. For many, the simplicity of a fully online solution is desirable. However, despite the hype, there are some seemingly essential features that have been overlooked, or have been poorly drawn.
Pankaj Taneja provides the details for Sys-Con Media in, “5 Dirty Sharepoint Online Secrets You Didn’t Know About.”
When you go through vendor feature datasheets, you get a view of features at a very high level. It’s only once you dive deep and actually start using the software do you get a sense of how it works. The experience might sometimes yield unexpected surprises . . . So while you might have absorbed some of Sharepoint Online’s marketing hype, here are some things they failed to mention.
The negative feedback ranges from the inability to cut and paste to customization difficulties to the fragmented overall structure.
For those who desire the low overhead of an online enterprise deployment, but the intuitiveness and customization of an on-site installation, we encourage you to explore Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise. Mindbreeze has both Cloud and on-site installations, both of which are updated are far more regular intervals than SharePoint. Mindbreeze can stand alone or work alongside an existing SharePoint installation.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise finds every scrap of information within a very short time, whether document, contract, note, e-mail or calendar entry, in intranet or internet, person- or text-related. The software solution finds all required information, regardless of source, for its users. Get a comprehensive overview of corporate knowledge in seconds without redundancy or loss of data.
In addition, Fabasoft Mindbreeze finds strengths in its seamless integration with other auxiliary services. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Connectors incorporates all manner of electronic data repositories. Mobile search and public-facing web site search are all done with Mindbreeze, while full attention is given to security concerns.
For a flexible and intuitive third-party enterprise solution, consider the offerings of Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 11, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Electronic Industry Focuses on Technology and Open Source
June 11, 2012
While manufacturing may be one of the largest industries employing product lifecycle management (PLM) to keep costs down and processes moving as efficiently as possible other industries are gaining speed in PLM adoption as they realize the many benefits solutions offer. A recent Virtual Strategy Magazine article, “SUB10 Systems Limited Selects Aras Solution Suite Combined with Minerva EHT for Enterprise Product Lifecycle Management”, explains how one Electronics company recently joined forces with a PLM provider with a lot to offer.
Leon Lauritsen, Director at Minerva, was quoted in the article as saying,
“At Minerva, we’ve applied our more 10 years of experience implementing PLM solutions specifically for the Electronic industry into a solution that combines advanced technology with an open source business model to enable companies such as SUB10 Systems to get their PLM projects up and running quickly and cost-effectively with minimal risk.”
No matter in which industry a company seeking PLM solutions may be involved the need for the solution to be open source is a growing requirement as is a quick implementation of the software and/or updates. While those are very important considerations when choosing a PLM provider we also would like to add the requirement of upgraded data management solutions. Inforbix, a leader in the field, is self-described as “…integrated cloud solutions for manufacturing companies that tackle everyday tasks such as finding, reusing, and sharing product data without the overhead of traditional data management systems.” Combine those qualities with competitive pricing and excellent customer service and training and anyone can see how they are among our favorites.
Catherine Lamsfuss, June 11, 2012
Metasearch Can Cut Research Time by Half
June 11, 2012
There is a new Meta search engine that has entwined Google, Yahoo and Bing results into its database according to announcements. Sperse also implements real-time results from Twitter, thus returning more comprehensive, relevant and fast results. Harnessing the information of multiple providers at once could decrease research time by half.
Founded in 2008, Sperse has implemented some unique features that make it stand out in the meta search engines crowd:
“Unlike other search offerings, users will also be able to optionally streamline their selections through Sperse’s ability to offer color images displayed in conjunction with the selected results. Additionally, when results are displayed, the ‘Preview’ options shows a live preview of the website and helps users save substantial time by promptly identifying the content they need. Also the integration of several specialized search fields i.e. Web, Images, Audio, News, Video, and others creates a centralized platform for professional users to filter the content they need.”
Sperse also offers AdLight, their premier platform for search, display and performance marketing. This ‘smart advertising’ platform utilizes Sperse’s network of publishing properties and search engines to amplify target access. Use ability, convenience and ease of access for consumers increases ROI for advertisers.
Summer is here, and shaving off a few hours of research can provide some time to enjoy it. Sperse takes one query and sends it to different indexes, gets the results, and shows them in one result list. The idea is that you don’t have to run the same query in different search systems, so it is a time saver.
Jennifer Shockley, June 11, 2012
Sprylogics Tech Update
June 11, 2012
In an effort to make the most of their innovations, Sprylogics is focusing on four particular areas of further development. Canada Newswire lets us in on the “Sprylogics Technology Update.” The write up informs us:
“The Sprylogics Technology Team is focused on leveraging and enhancing the existing patent pending technology base to build mobile search solutions that interpret what people are saying online and on their mobile phones in order to:
a) Better understand what they are looking for (query intent);
b) Better understand trends and patterns in people’s behavior and opinions in aggregate (improve quality and relevancy of search results).
“This is accomplished through the use of semantic technologies and natural language processing techniques like entity extraction, semantic graph creation, disambiguation, matching and clustering to process massive volumes of unstructured data in order to extract key sentiments, facts, opinions, user interests and intents. “
Sprylogics’ solutions have been updated in the following areas: expanded natural language processing; improved machine learning; a beefed up knowledge base; and advances in mobile development and API’s. See the article for details on each. We wonder how much of this progress is linked to the company’s financing boost earlier this year.
Sprylogics, Based in Ontario and was formed in 2011, styles itself the “semantic search engine.” Cluuz is the catchy name of the company’s search platform, while their Analyst and Evidens analyzes workflow. Sprylogics is awaiting a patent on their unique semantic graph visual display.
Cynthia Murrell, June 11, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
A Serenade for Social Web by Spindle
June 9, 2012
The Social Web’s being serenaded again, but this song has a different beat. Spindle croons a tale of exploration and discovery with a realistic element according to, Announcing Spindle. Their company mission is simple; they want to make social content more discoverable.
Spindle freely acknowledges the web is vast and stated:
“We believe that we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible via the social web and that discovery needs to be reimagined from the ground up. Location, device, time of day, the structure of the physical world, the social graph, and your interests can uncover better content than keywords. At Spindle, we’re building the discovery engine for the social web.”
When information is delivered only via a specific group or source, one might miss something pertinent. Regardless of how informative and insightful your group of friends, something more logical might be just outside your circle. Spindle realizes that and is developing a way to change how you discover information and relate to the people, organizations and places all around you.
The competition for the perfect web tool has been growing strong. Until now, most the players have sang the same old song with variations in the beat. Spindle’s new tune has a catchy jingle that sticks in the mind. The new search system spotlight just may be shining on them, as they continue to serenade the social web.
Jennifer Shockley, June 9, 2012
Search Appliance MaxxCAT Speed Test
June 8, 2012
MaxxCAT has a created speed test where prospective customers can see just how their “lightning fast” search appliances compare to their Googley rivals. They pit their SB-250 against Google Mini, and the heftier EX-5000 against Google Search Appliance version GB-7007. The page instructs:
“Use the drop-down list of queries, or enter new search terms to experience the different search performance demonstrated by this network search comparison. . . . Users of the enterprise search comparison will discover that the entry-level SB-250 and Enterprise-level EX-5000 network search appliances return results with lightning speed, saving time – which translates to dollars for businesses and enterprises. It is important to note that during the search appliance comparison, as the Google mini and Google Search Appliance reach their maximum capacity, the SB-250 and EX-5000 still have enough space for collections three times as large as those in the demo.”
That’s quite an assertion, but is difficult for me to gauge because, as of this writing, the MaxxCAT results are not displaying when I click “show results” (oops). Their products did clock in faster, but that means little without that list.
If the company’s claims are accurate, though, their products are well worth a look. According to their cost and features chart, MaxxCAT’s “startup costs” are considerably less than Google’s comparable offerings. However, just what goes into calculating these “startup costs” is left to the imagination. Do some research before hitching to this wagon.
Based in Pittsburg, PA, MaxxCAT was founded in 2007 to capitalize on the high-performance, specialized hardware corner of the enterprise search market. The company also provides integration services and managed hosting, and they pride themselves on quick and painless deployment. MaxxCAT believes in keeping it simple, silly, but still incorporates customer input into its products. Their developers come equipped with experience in the search and systems integration fields.
Cynthia Murrell, June 8, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
IBM Concerned with Personal Mobile Device Security
June 8, 2012
In an age where technology is moving completely towards mobile, including enterprise and content management solutions, concerns about security are valid and growing. General security awareness regarding mobile technology has not yet caught up to the level that is assumed for desktop or in-network computing.
David Roe gives a full report for CMS Wire in, “IBM Curtails Use of Personal Mobile Devices Over Unsecured App Fears.”
According to an article in the MIT Technology Review, IBM is stopping employees from using their own portable devices in the IBM workplace.
Some of the concern is about business intelligence and keeping a tight lid on proprietary information.
Public file transfer systems like Dropbox have been banned as has Apple’s iCloud; instead, employees use an IBM-hosted version called MyMobileHub as, Horan says, there is the possibility that internal, sensitive information will get loose and into the wild. Also getting the chop is Apple’s personal assistant Siri based on fears that confidential information will get out. It seems that the licensing agreement says that anything recorded using the app will also be recorded by Apple servers so you can see why IBM might be nervous.
However, this opens up a broader discussion about the security of mobile devices and software, and its continued usage for business essentials such as enterprise search. SharePoint deployments are common, but secure means to access the farm remotely are plagued with security concerns. Some third party solutions are doing a good job of anticipating the need and bridging the gap.
We like Fabasoft Mindbreeze and their attention to the mobility needs of the enterprise.
Smartphones and tablets allow you to act quickly in business matters – an invaluable competitive advantage. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Mobile makes company knowledge available on all mobile devices. You can act freely, independently and yet always securely. Irrespective of what format the data is in. Full functionality: Search results are displayed homogenously to the web client with regards to clear design and intuitive navigation.
Keep an eye on Fabasoft Mindbreeze and their ability to adapt quickly to the ever changing needs of SharePoint users or enterprise newcomers.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 8, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
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