IntelTrax Top Stories: September 28 to October 4
October 8, 2012
Lately, the IntelTrax information and advanced intelligence blog has been covering a lot of stories related to risk analytics.
The October 4 post “Risk Analytics Becomes Big Business” explains how the days of manually entering data into spreadsheets are over and how risk can now be quantified and lowered with the use of analytics technology.
The article give an example of a company using analytics to mitigate risk:
“Numerix (http://www.numerix.com/), the leading provider of cross-asset analytics for derivatives valuations and risk management today announced that Banque Internationale à Luxembourg (BIL), a pioneer in the Luxembourg financial industry has selected the Numerix CrossAsset analytics platform to support its model validation and model comparison processes. With Numerix’s highly flexible, fully transparent analytics architecture, BIL can conduct rigorous model analysis to independently validate pricing and risk sensitivity outputs, as well as make comparisons between different models to analyze how the outputs vary under different assumptions.”
Another article that emphasizes the financial impacts of data analytics is, “Effective Financial Data Analytics Rely on Quality.” This article discusses how important it is to utilize statisticians and data preparation along with a business’s strategy to form predictive models.
The article states:
“A critical aspect therefore is identifying what data is needed for effective prediction – and what data ends up actually being available and used to build the models. Most analysts can’t fix data – therefore they do the next best thing statistically, which is dropping or avoiding poor quality data.
Data analytics touches nearly all aspects of a business and it’s nearly impossible to achieve effective business intelligence without it.”
The Financial sector is not the only one that is using data analytics technology. It appears that the government is jumping on board the big data wagon as well. “Government and Utilities Get Big Data” explains how analytics spending has gone up quite a bit in the business world.
The article states:
“Utilities must solve data collection and storage challenges and learn how to analyze and act on new forms of information before they even get to the point of realizing real returns on their smart grid investments.
According to a new report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant‘s Energy Practice, the worldwide market for smart grid data analytics is expected to grow steadily through 2020, with cumulative worldwide spending from 2012 through 2020 totaling just over $34 billion.”
One company that has worked to provide data analytics technology for both the government and financial enterprises is Digital Reasoning. Digital Reasoning uses automated understanding to tackle some of big data’s most messy challenges by enabling enterprises and agencies to detect fraud, uncover market trends, gain better insight into customer behavior, gain competitive advantage, and mitigate risk.
Jasmine Ashton, October 8, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Increasing SharePoint User Adoption with Easy to Understand Training
October 5, 2012
Chris Wright, founder of the technical copyrighting company Scribble Agency, discusses SharePoint end user adoption issues in his CMSWire post, “Driving Adoption: Three SharePoint Concepts End Users Need to Understand.” Wright explains that because SharePoint is such a complex system, end user training is a necessity, even if it is simply a newsletter with tips and tricks. He has this to add:
There are three core SharePoint concepts that you need to explain to your end users, to give them any chance of sticking with SharePoint in the long term. These are Sites, Lists and Webparts. For those of us in the know this is basic stuff, and of course there are a ton of other things you could educate users about. But I firmly believe teaching these three things to the man or woman on the street will give them a huge head start.
Wright goes on to share in a little more detail each of the three core components and how he has found success in relaying the concepts to his users. He suggests starting with a discussion on sites using a ‘container’ metaphor – that sites contain all the content that will eventually be displayed somehow. He adds that lists can be explained in Excel terms of columns, rows, and cells and that Web parts are the main way to surface list data onto a page.
A third party application can also simplify SharePoint for end users while maximizing return on investment in the product. One worth looking at is Fabasoft Mindbreeze’s Enterprise search and SharePoint Connector. The Connector adds a powerful search to increase the findability of documents in SharePoint with the benefit of a friendly user interface.
Philip West, October 5, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Empowering your SharePoint User Base
October 4, 2012
CMS Wire brings the article, “SharePoint: Empowering Your User Base,” to discuss how to get the most out of your SharePoint solution by getting the most out of your user population. The author begins by framing her argument:
In previous articles, we have covered the different solutions that can be built using SharePoint. But even the best of features are no good if they aren’t being fully utilized by the organization. One of the best features of SharePoint is that with the right expectations, training and guidance your internal Information Workers can be empowered to build solutions without having to work with IT or have IT build it for them. There are endless possibilities for the potential solutions that can be implemented.
The author then goes on to discuss how the empowerment happens, particularly through training. While training is important in any organization for a number of functions, most SharePoint analysis would show that the learning curve for SharePoint is steep enough that most end users will never harness its full potential. For that reason, many small or medium organizations are turning to intuitive third-party solutions to optimize their enterprise solution without a huge investment in time or training. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise is one such solution that optimizes efficiency simply by an intuitive interface and ease of use for the end users.
Emily Rae Aldridge, October 4, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Making Web Site Search Better for Users and Search Engine Optimization
October 3, 2012
When it comes to improving search engine optimization, there are many services available to choose from. One of these services is discussed in the article, “Smart Rank – Make Your Website Search Engine in a Smart Way.” The author has this to say about the service:
There are many things you have to do if you are looking for a solution regarding making your website top in sales. You would have also come across various seo websites, which are exclusively out there over the internet to help in search engine optimization. A best example for this kind of seo agency is Smart Rank. Smart will help you to increase website traffic without facing the difficulties of technical aspects of search engine optimisation.
The author adds that increasing the bottom line and visibility should be the main focus upon when you own a business or Web site online. And while he advocates Smart Rank, details of the service are not explained but rather that it is simply an easy solution to boost SEO. It may be worth reading into, but you might consider looking at a service with a proven record. Fabasoft Mindbreeze’s InSite solution offers faceted search for your site to give visitors the latest and most relevant content. Additionally, InSite allows you to extract the value of real-time search reporting to give insight so to keep your site optimized.
Philip West, October 3, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Semantic Search May have Google on the Offensive
October 2, 2012
Search Engine Watch follows the latest in the world of search and they are filling us in on the latest competition to Google, Wolfram|Alpha’s Siri. Some see semantic search as the future, with Siri being the leader of that particular parade. Google may therefore be in jeopardy of becoming outdated and irrelevant. Read the full analysis in “Is Google Afraid of the Big Bad Wolfram?”
The article also gives a good introduction to the new buzz term semantic web:
Search experts have been talking up the ‘semantic web’ for years and no doubt you will have read about how it will ‘transform the landscape.’ For those that have not yet had had the pleasure, let’s explain the basics of what it really means.
While semantic web has many facets, intrinsically it is about organizing data in a way that helps understand the user intent behind a search query. It makes that process easier by mapping things like the relationship between words and phrases to ‘entities’ (people, places, etc). The word semantics literally means ‘the study of meaning.’
So is semantic search important and how can it benefit your organization? Yes, the future is moving toward semantics. But there are ways to incorporate semantic search into your web presence without your own personal army of developers or spending a fortune on an outsourced solution. Fabasoft Mindbreeze brings semantic search to your web presence through its InSite web site search. Insite is immediately ready to use as a Cloud service and can bring your organization into the latest search technology without the customary pain and suffering.
Emily Rae Aldridge, October 2, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Tips for Boosting Information Security in the Farm
October 1, 2012
As information storage and access extends to the Cloud and mobile devices, security concerns are an increasing priority for organizations. Rob Rachwald shares five tips to boost information security in his ComputerWeekly.com post, “How to Secure a SharePoint Environment.” Access rights, protecting Web applications, and controlling data migration are just some of the challenges discussed. Addressing compliance mandates is also on the list:
’60% of organizations have yet to bring SharePoint into line with existing data compliance policies. – AIIM 2011.’ Native SharePoint activity monitoring lacks an intuitive, easy-to-use interface for reporting and analytics. Without a third-party solution, businesses must first decode SharePoint’s internal representation of log data before they can access meaningful information. Use enterprise-class technology that combines permissions and activity details to automate compliance reporting.
Rachwald also suggests using a policy framework to build rules across SharePoint’s components to be able to respond in real time to suspicious activity. Investing in the tools to organize, manage, and protect valuable business information assets is part of improving business security. One solution worth a second look is Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Fabasoft is certified and tested according to relevant standards, including ISO 27001, ISO 200000, ISO 9001, and ISAE 3402, for security and reliability. And compliance is checked in regular external audits.
Philip West, October 01, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Intel Trax Top Stories September 20 to September 27
October 1, 2012
This week the IntelTrax advanced intelligence blog published a series of articles that explained the importance of integrating analytics solutions to increase performance efficiency within the workplace.
Big data can be quite confusing. That is why it is always great to listen to the opinions of experts in the field. “John Whittaker on the Need for Data Integration for Big Data Analytics” explains why successful big data analytics requires integrating data from a multitude of sources.
When explaining why big data integration is necessary, Whittaker said:
“One of the big aspects that people are trying to get a handle right now, and one of our major uses, is big data analytics. Once you get beyond the Google or Facebook use cases and start talking about how the rest of us will use big data, it is going to be analytics. Whenever you’re doing analytics, you want to marry information from different sources. You might want to be able to correlate what’s happening within your ERP and the operational data that might exist there, with experiential data from your website. The operational data often tends to reside in relational databases, but when you’re talking about experiential data, about how people are utilizing your website or what people are saying on social media about you, that sort of data resides within the unstructured big data world of Hadoop. It’s really about being able to marry these sources together into one environment and drive better decisions based on the information there is the primary value that the big data environment is going to provide for the normal enterprise.”
Along with integrating big data, many experts are also making predictions regarding the future of big data. “Predicting the Next Big Thing in Big Data” talks about some of the new up in comes in the industry that may make a big impact.
When explaining a new report that has come out, the article states:
“Big Data – The Next Big Thing”, a first-of-its-kind report on the ‘Big Data’ industry, focusing on the opportunities, challenges, and its impact on businesses globally. ‘Big Data’ relates to rapidly growing, structured and unstructured datasets with sizes beyond the ability of conventional database tools to store, manage, and analyze them.
The report identifies five key insights on global ‘Big Data’ trends and the opportunity it throws up for IT and analytics players in India. First, Big Data has become all-pervasive with the potential to create significant benefits for a number of sectors. The early adopters driving the business with appetite for Big Data analytics are industries such as Manufacturing, Retail, Financial Services, Telecom and Healthcare.”
In “Marketing Analytics Industry Expected to See Dramatic in India” references a report that shows companies are increasingly using marketing analytics technology as a way to stay ahead of their competition. This is particularly relevant in India because the marketing analytics industry is expected to grow from $200 million to $1.2 billion by 2012.
The report explains:
“Over the past few decades, the evolution in traditional media and the emergence of digital media has revolutionized the way products are sold to the customers. Marketing analytics play a pivotal role in helping marketers take informed data-driven decisions and effectively reach out to the audience. The marketing analytics industry is poised for exponential growth and India will be one of the foremost forces leading this revolution. This report is an effort to showcase potential of analytics to organizations, analytics players and prospective employees and will help pave the way for concerted effort to increase the usage.”
While these articles may discuss different aspect of big data, they all have one thing in common. They all call for a need for companies to invest in solutions that evolve with the times. Digital Reasoning is a big data analytics company that works within nearly every business sector to promote automated understanding over human effort.
Jasmine Ashton, October 1, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT, developer of Augmentext.
Quick Tips for Boosting Web Site Search Rankings
September 28, 2012
With the growing number of active Web sites, getting noticed online can be a challenge for small businesses. TheStar.com shares some insight on the topic and provides tips for improving a site’s search rankings. Jeff Quipp’s article, “Seven Tips to Improve Website Search Rankings,” starts off the list of tips with adding secure links to your site, updating content regularly, and adding variety to the content.
The author has this to say about social media integration:
Ensure the site is “social media optimized” – With the growing influence that social media has on a company’s relationship with potential and existing customers, it’s vital to ensure all website pages have the company’s social profile icons (i.e., Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest). These icons encourage and make it easy to share the information and increase the chance of it being found in a search.
Quipp also points out that keywords should be used in page titles and offering valuable and unique content that is user-friendly will help boost search rankings. Part of making a site user-friendly is a comprehensive search feature. Fabasoft Mindbreeze offers InSite, a Cloud based service that allows you to generate search tabs on your site to customize the searching experience for your visitors. With semantic and faceted search, site visitors can quickly and easily locate your content.
Philip West, September 28, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Amazon Web Services Announces Online Marketplace for Selling Reserved Instances
September 27, 2012
In the PCWorld.com post, “Amazon Web Services Allows Users to Sell Reserved Instances,” Mikael Ricknas discusses the recent Amazon announcement of an online marketplace where users of cloud computing services will be able to sell their reserved server instances to other companies. Riknas explains reserved instances:
Reserved instances allow avid cloud users to lower their cloud costs by making a one-time payment to reserve compute capacity for a specified term, and in turn, receive a discount on the hourly charge, Amazon said. For example, a standard Linux instance costs from US$0.08 per hour, while a reserved instance with a one-year term and light utilization costs $69 plus $0.039 per hour. That cost divided by the discount means that it is a good deal after running the instance for more than 70 days.
Ricknas says the change is an effort to make the marketplace more attractive and flexible. The announcement may be worth the read if you’ve been looking at Cloud options, especially to learn more about the fees associated with the one-time transactions. You may also consider Fabasoft Mindbreeze’s InSite solution. InSite is a Cloud service that brings together all content from your Web sites, blogs, social media networks, and more so that information can be indexed and accessed remotely with proven security.
Philip West, September 27, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Moving to SharePoint 2013: Planning Necessary
September 25, 2012
Many organizations will want to take advantage of the new features, services, and functions of SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint Search 2013. “Planning the Infrastructure Required for the new App Model in SharePoint 2013” makes clear that a shift to Microsoft’s 2013 enterprise systems requires planning and preparation.
Because the name of the solution is the same, many SharePoint administrators may feel that SharePoint 2013 is a routine upgrade. The article points out: “SharePoint 2013 brings with it a brand new application model, which we euphemistically refer to as the ‘app model’ or ‘cloud app model’. “
The scope of the planning required, according to Steve Peschka, includes, the development model, the security model, and the infrastructure. The article jumps from broad themes into quite specific information about modifications to url formation. For an administrator with this specific concern, the information is useful. The recommendation focuses on creating additional Web applications.
Comperio, one of the world’s leading specialists in search and content processing, approaches SharePoint planning by considering the context of the client’s needs, the existing SharePoint implementation, and the requirements the client has which can benefit from the 2013 solution. Comperio’s search engineers can handle the technical details of an implementation, but these are integrated into the roll out of a SharePoint system which considers budget, timetable, and existing resources.
According to Jørn Ellefsen , CEO and founder of Comperio:
Search matters. Our approach is to gather information, analyze the data, and develop a migration plan which focuses on meeting client requirements. Our engineers specialize in the search element of SharePoint for SharePoint migrations. However, our capabilities embrace the preparation and post-migration work that are important to SharePoint licensees.
Comperio’s approach to SharePoint Search reduces the time and cost of a shift from an existing SharePoint installation to the latest version of SharePoint. For more information about Comperio Search’s SharePoint 2013 planning and implementation services, visit www.comperiosearch.com.
Stephen E Arnold, September 25, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
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