Deduplication: Flawed Method or Just More Woes for HP?
June 19, 2012
Is HP duping consumers or is SEPATON waging a product war? Its sales versus sales in the article SEPATON: HP Offers ‘Least Capable’ Dedupe in the Industry, with SEPATON full of fire and not pulling any punches. HP did a little dodge and duck, but mainly stayed straight forward.
Linda Mentzer and Peter Quirk from SEPATON stated:
“The HP B6200 offers the least capable de-dupe in the industry. Each tape device on a B6200 is effectively a distinct de-dupe domain. Backups sent to a one drive don’t de-dupe against backups sent to another drive on the same node! What happens when you’re back up exceeds the capability of one drive?”
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and apparently HP finds the B6200 much more appealing than its own creator. Sean Kenney from HP Storage challenged SEPATON’s comments, stating:
“It is important to note that the B6200 is a single logical system. Any emulated tape drive within a VTL completely de-duplicates with all other tape drives in that VTL. The B6200 is a terrific solution for database and multiplexed workloads.”
Ah, hardware performance and software issues it seems. HP doesn’t claim the system to be perfect, but instead presents realistic options to prevent issues. Though SEPATON argues that B6200 lacks functionality, they also make it a point to promote their other products. Could this be a coincidence or just more woes for HP?
Jennifer Shockley, June 19, 2012
The Alleged Received Wisdom about Predictive Coding
June 19, 2012
Let’s start off with a recommendation. Snag a copy of the Wall Street Journal and read the hard copy front page story in the Marketplace section, “Computers Carry Water of Pretrial Legal Work.” In theory, you can read the story online if you don’t have Sections A-1, A-10 of the June 18, 2012, newspaper. Check out a variant of the story appears as “Why Hire a Lawyer? Computers Are Cheaper.”
Now let me offer a possibly shocking observation: The costs of litigation are not going down for certain legal matters. Neither bargain basement human attorneys nor Fancy Dan content processing systems make the legal bills smaller. Your mileage may vary, but for those snared in some legal traffic jams, costs are tough to control. In fact, search and content processing can impact costs, just not in the way some of the licensees of next generation systems expect. That is one of the mysteries of online that few can penetrate.
The main idea of the Wall Street Journal story is that “predictive coding” can do work that human lawyers do for a higher cost but sometimes with much less precision. That’s the hint about costs in my opinion. But the article is traditional journalistic gold. Coming from the Murdoch organization, what did I expect? i2 Group has been chugging along with relationship maps for case analyses of important matters since 1990. Big alert: i2 Ltd. was a client of mine. Let’s see that was more than a couple of weeks ago that basic discovery functions were available.
The write up quotes published analyses which indicate that when humans review documents, those humans get tired and do a lousy job. The article cites “experts” who from Thomson Reuters, a firm steeped in legal and digital expertise, who point out that predictive coding is going to be an even bigger business. Here’s the passage I underlined: “Greg McPolin, an executive at the legal outsourcing firm Pangea3 which is owned by Thomson Reuters Corp., says about one third of the company’s clients are considering using predictive coding in their matters.” This factoid is likely to spawn a swarm of azure chip consultants who will explain how big the market for predictive coding will be. Good news for the firms engaged in this content processing activity.
What goes faster? The costs of a legal matter or the costs of a legal matter that requires automation and trained attorneys? Why do companies embrace automation plus human attorneys? Risk certainly is a turbo charger?
The article also explains how predictive coding works, offers some cost estimates for various actions related to a document, and adds some cautionary points about predictive coding proving itself in court. In short, we have a touchstone document about this niche in search and content processing.
My thoughts about predictive coding are related to the broader trends in the use of systems and methods to figure out what is in a corpus and what a document is about.
First, the driver for most content processing is related to two quite human needs. First, the costs of coping with large volumes of information is high and going up fast. Second, the need to reduce risk. Most professionals find quips about orange jump suits, sharing a cell with Mr. Madoff, and the iconic “perp walk” downright depressing. When a legal matter surfaces, the need to know what’s in a collection of content like corporate email is high. The need for speed is driven by executive urgency. The cost factor clicks in when the chief financial officer has to figure out the costs of determining what’s in those documents. Predictive coding to the rescue. One firm used the phrase “rocket docket” to communicate speed. Other firms promise optimized statistical routines. The big idea is that automation is fast and cheaper than having lots of attorneys sifting through documents in printed or digital form. The Wall Street Journal is right. Automated content processing is going to be a big business. I just hit the two key drivers. Why dance around what is fueling this sector?
More Predictive Silliness: Coding, Decisioning, Baloneying
June 18, 2012
It must be the summer vacation warm and fuzzies. I received another wild analytics news release today. This one comes from 5WPR, “a top 25 PR agency.” Wow. I learned from the spam: PeekAnalytics “delivers enterprise class Twitter analytics and help marketers understand their social consumers.”
What?
Then I read:
By identifying where Twitter users exist elsewhere on the Web, PeekAnalytics offers unparalleled audience metrics from consumer data aggregated not just from Twitter, but from over sixty social sites and every major blog platform.
The notion of algorithms explaining anything is interesting. But the problem with numerical recipes is that those who use outputs may not know what’s going on under the hood. Wide spread knowledge of the specific algorithms, the thresholds built into the system, and the assumptions underlying the selection of a particular method is in short supply.
Analytics is the realm of the one percent of the population trained to understand the strengths and weaknesses of specific mathematical systems and methods. The 99 percent are destined to accept analytics system outputs without knowing how the data were selected, shaped, formed, and presented given the constraints of the inputs. Who cares? Well, obviously not some marketers of predictive analytics, automated indexing, and some trigger trading systems. Too bad for me. I do care.
When I read about analytics and understanding, I shudder. As an old goose, each body shake costs me some feathers, and I don’t have many more to lose at age 67. The reality of fancy math is that those selling its benefits do not understand its limitations.
Consider the notion of using a group of analytic methods to figure out the meaning of a document. Then consider the numerical recipes required to identify a particular document as important from thousands or millions of other documents.
When companies describe the benefits of a mathematical system, the details are lost in the dust. In fact, bringing up a detail results in a wrinkled brow. Consider the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test. Has this non parametric test been applied to the analytics system which marketers have presented to you in the last “death by PowerPoint” session? The response from 99.5 percent of the people in the world is, “Kolmo who?” or “Isn’t Smirnov a vodka?” Bzzzz. Wrong.
Mathematical methods which generate probabilities are essential to many business sectors. When one moves fuel rods at a nuclear reactor, the decision about what rod to put where is informed by a range of mathematical methods. Special training experts, often with degrees in nuclear engineering plus post graduate work handle the fuel rod manipulation. Take it from me. Direct observation is not the optimal way to figure out fuel pool rod distribution. Get the math “wrong” and some pretty exciting events transpire. Monte Carlo anyone? John Gray? Julian Steyn? If these names mean nothing to you, you would not want to sign up for work in a nuclear facility.
Why then would a person with zero knowledge of how numerical recipes, oddball outputs from particular types of algorithms, and little or know experience with probability methods use the outputs of a system as “truth.” The outputs of analytical systems require expertise to interpret. Looking at a nifty graphic generated by Spotfire or Palantir is NOT the same as understand what decisions have been made, what limitations exist within the data display, and what are the blind spots generated by the particular method or suite of methods. (Firms which do focus on explaining and delivering systems which make it clear to users about methods, constraints, and considerations include Digital Reasoning, Ikanow, and Content Analyst. Others? You are on your own, folks.)
Today I have yet another conference call with 30 somethings who are into analytics. Analytics is the “next big thing.” Just as people assume coding up a Web site is easy, people assume that mathematical methods are now the mental equivalent of clicking a mouse to get a document. Wrong.
The likelihood of misinterpreting the outputs of modern analytic systems is higher than it was when I entered the workforce after graduate school. These reasons include:
- A rise in the “something for nothing” approach to information. A few clicks, a phone call, and chit chat with colleagues makes many people expert in quite difficult systems and methods. In the mid 1960s, there was limited access to systems which could do clever stuff with tricks from my relative Vladimir Ivanovich Arnold. Today, the majority of the people with whom I interact assume their ability to generate a graph and interpret a scatter diagram equips them as analytic mavens. Math is and will remain hard. Nothing worthwhile comes easy. That truism is not too popular with the 30 somethings who explain the advantages of analytics products they sell.
- Sizzle over content. Most of the wild and crazy decisions I have learned about come from managers who accept analytic system outputs as a page from old Torah scrolls from Yitzchok Riesman’s collection. High ranking government officials want eye candy, so modern analytic systems generate snazzy graphics. Does the government official know what the methods were and the data’s limitations? Nope. Bring this up and the comment is, “Don’t get into the weeds with me, sir.” No problem. I am an old advisor in rural Kentucky.
- Entrepreneurs, failing search system vendors, and open source repackagers are painting the bandwagon and polishing the tubas and trombones. The analytics parade is on. From automated and predictive indexing to surfacing nuggets in social media—the music is loud and getting louder. With so many firms jumping into the bandwagon or joining the parade, the reality of analytics is essentially irrelevant.
The bottom line for me is that the social boom is at or near its crest. Marketers—particularly those in content processing and search—are desperate for a hook which will generate revenues. Analytics seems to be as good as any other idea which is converted by azure chip consultants and carpetbaggers into a “real business.”
The problem is that analytics is math. Math is easy as 1-2-3; math is as complex as MIT’s advanced courses. With each advance in computing power, more fancy math becomes possible. As math advances, the number of folks who can figure out what a method yields decreases. The result is a growing “cloud of unknowing” with regard to analytics. Putting this into a visualization makes clear the challenge.
Stephen E Arnold, June 18, 2012
Inteltrax: Top Stories, June 11 to June 15
June 18, 2012
Inteltrax, the data fusion and business intelligence information service, captured three key stories germane to search this week, specifically, how governments and the voting public are utilizing big data.
In “Government Leads Way in Big Data Training” we discovered the private sector lagging behind the government in terms of user education.
Our story, “U.S. Agencies Analytics Underused” showed that even though we have all that training, some agencies still need more to fully utilize this digital power.
“Cultural Opinion Predicted by Analytics” used the Eurovision song contest to show us the power of people using analytics and gives the nugget of thought as to how this could be used in government elections.
While sometimes the outcomes contradict one another, there’s no denying that big data analytics is a huge part of governments around the world. Expect these facts to only rise as the popularity catches fire.
Follow the Inteltrax news stream by visiting www.inteltrax.com
Patrick Roland, Editor, Inteltrax.
June 18, 2012
Fabasoft Sees Share Growth and Profit in the Technology Sector
June 18, 2012
In “Fabasoft Linzer makes 700,000 Euros Profit,” the Futurezone.at blog takes a look at the climbing revenue at Fabasoft. Fabasoft AG (FAA.DE) shares have seen an uptick in recent months and have generally been hovering between €3.5 and €4 since March. According to the Fabasoft Annual Report, 2011/2012 saw an 8.3 percent increase from the 2010/2011 fiscal year.
The company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange Austrian software manufacturer Fabasoft AG announced Friday evening, an operating profit of 700,000 € for the financial year 2011/12. In the previous financial year 2010/11 the company had suffered losses amounting to 300,000 euros. Revenues climbed from 21.1 million euros to 22.9 million euros. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounted to 2.2 million euros (1.0 million euros a year earlier).
In the Fabasoft Annual Report letter from the managing Board, Fallman and Bauernfeind also have this to say about the growth,
However, it is not only the intensity of use of our cloud products that has increased over the past fiscal year. We have also recorded encouraging growth in the ‘classic’ business sector with software licenses and the associated services. In the key business with public sector clients we have continued to make good progress despite – and in some cases also because of – considerable savings targets. Our government clients benefit from the innovation that characterizes our product development combined with the years of professional experience of a leading and proven supplier in this market segment…Based on our commitment to responsibility and sustainability the Fabasoft Group has, in the fiscal year under review, developed even further in terms of product portfolio, product accessibility, sales and marketing and in respect of providing services.
With such growth, it seems clear that Fabasoft is on the right track. In terms of cloud services and search, you may consider the full suite of solutions available from Fabasoft, including Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise. The cost-efficient and comprehensive search solution creates relevant knowledge from processing data. With extensive search, your users can find the right information at the right time facilitating the reuse of valuable business knowledge. And with mobile and Web site search features, consider Fabasoft Mindbreeze as the comprehensive solution for your information management. Read more about the full suite of solutions at http://www.mindbreeze.com/.
Philip West, June 18, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Assumed Pain of SharePoint and Proposed Solutions
June 15, 2012
There seems to be a disconnect between what employees say they need from their enterprise storage and search system, and what SharePoint delivers. However, SharePoint has become an assumed presence, regardless of the pain of configuration and upkeep. “Is SharePoint a Pain Point? Maybe It’s Time to Ditch It.” gets right to the point.
The disconnect is explained:
According to a number of studies, the No. 1 justification for spending money on a corporate intranet is to reduce the time and effort on enterprise search. With that being said, I personally haven’t met an employee at a company that feels their SharePoint system meets their needs. There is clearly a disconnect between theory and practice in the IT world.
So what are the major complaints about SharePoint? SharePoint is slow to deploy, difficult to configure, and users do not like it. Interestingly, it is estimated that SharePoint is not as cheap as it’s often said to be. For every $1 spent to license SharePoint, an additional $6 is spent to make it work.
Approximately 80 per cent of large organizations have a SharePoint system and while it can do a lot for you, it asks a lot in return. This system, designed to let people within a company collaborate and share information, requires heavy customization, has poor social computing capabilities and is not based on intuitive navigation whatsoever, making it difficult for most people to use.
So what’s the solution? We recommend using a smart third party solution like Fabasoft Mindbreeze to bridge the gap between what enterprise search should do and what SharePoint can do. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise can stand along or work alongside an existing SharePoint infrastructure. The addition of Connectors ensures that the Fabasoft Mindbreeze platform works seamlessly across all manner of software.
See what the Federal Ministry of Justice Agency in Austria had to say about Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise:
Mag. Jürgen Atzlsdorfer: ‘In introducing ELAK light we have made it possible to manage and store data, some of which are highly sensitive, in a secure and traceable way. Using Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise as an integrated search solution simplifies our information search. This speeds up case processing, which in turn saves time and money.’
SharePoint has its shortcomings, so for those who need to rescue an existing infrastructure, look into Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 15, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Enterprise Search Questions Answered by the Expert behind Fabasoft Mindbreeze
June 14, 2012
When it comes to managing your data, you sometimes need to consult with an expert. Daniel Fallmann is the founder of the independent distribution Mindbreeze Software GmbH. Fallmann holds a Master’s degree in computer science from Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria, and before founding Mindbreeze, he worked in systems architecture, systems development, parallel computing and systems management/monitoring. While working on his Master’s degree, Fallmann worked at Fabalabs, a division of Fabasoft Corporation dedicated to ensuring Fabasoft’s products seamlessly run within enterprise-class environments on an open source stack.
In “Ask the Experts – Daniel Fallmann,” at the Computerwelt.at blog, you can submit your enterprise search questions to Fallmann. His background and product are further explained:
Daniel Fallmann is a recognized expert in enterprise search, information access, enterprise-class architecture and software. The Mindbreeze Software GmbH, based in Linz, is a leading provider of software products for fast and intuitive search to find relevant facts in corporate data and the Internet, particularly in organizations where the size or the variety of data sets to link and cross-search is not yet approved.
Fallmann’s experience with strategy makes him a valuable expert you may want to reach out to with your question. Using open standards, Mindbreeze offers high-performance enterprise search and digital cognition for all kinds of enterprises that also boasts quick and easy install so you can be up and running in no time.
With Mindbreeze Mobile, your users can access valuable business knowledge when they need it, and “Fabasoft Mindbreeze Mobile is living proof that the time-saving use of an extensive mobile information access does not compromise data security.” The Mindbreeze InSite solution is a Web site search solution based on the power of semantic technology so your Web site visitors can take advantage of intuitive search. And with no installation, configuration, or maintenance required, InSite’s ease lets you focus on more business critical operations.
Here you can read more from Fallmann about efficient Web site semantics solution:
The best search machine is one that doesn’t attract attention but that simply always delivers the right results. Individual, personalized, exact and relevant. Wherever and whenever. It knows what the customer wants and leads them with pinpoint accuracy to the relevant information. Your search environment becomes your center of knowledge.
Navigate to www.mindbreeze.com to learn more about the full suite of solutions.
Philip West, June 14, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
New SharePoint Book Features Business Connectivity Services
June 13, 2012
The InfoZine story, “Microsoft Sharepoint 2010: Business Connectivity Services,” introduces us to a new book by the same name. Ideal for all manner of SharePoint engineers and developers, the guide is a good resource for maximizing all the potential that SharePoint has to offer.
The review gives us an introduction:
Led by a team of SharePoint experts, you’ll learn how to integrate data from several systems—such as sales, accounting, and inventory—and then search, display, combine, and modify the information using code and no-code SharePoint solutions. This hands-on guide is ideal for SharePoint project managers, business analysts, architects, and administrators.
Customization is a big part of utilizing SharePoint, and no doubt this book provides a lot of customization details and tips. However, many users find that customization is too consuming in terms of time and staff to be able to do it properly. For these users we recommend a smart third party solution, like Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise understands you, or more precisely understands exactly what the most important information is for you at any given moment . . . The information pairing technology brings enterprise and Cloud together . . . Information pairing brings enterprise information and information in the Cloud together. This gives you an overall image of a company’s knowledge. This is the basis for your competitive advantage. In this way you can act quickly, reliably, dynamically and profitably in all business matters.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise can stand alone or work alongside an existing SharePoint infrastructure, making it a seamless way to add a level of intuitiveness and efficiency without the added investment in customization. Furthermore, Fabasoft offers an entire suite of additional solutions, seamlessly weaving your SharePoint installation together with your other systems.
SharePoint is no doubt the industry leader, and readers will always be interested in more tools, tips, and tricks. However, for the organization that needs increased efficiency and user experience without the added hassle, a smart third party solution like Fabasoft Mindbreeze is worth consideration.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 13, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Another Award for Fabasoft Mindbreeze
June 12, 2012
One of the greatest strengths of the Fabasoft suite of solutions is their interoperability. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise is a wonderful compliment and/or alternative to SharePoint. But the flagship product is not the only product getting attention. “Fabasoft Wins EuroCloud Austria Award 2012,” tells us that Folio Cloud is the best Cloud service product in Austria. We would argue that the product can hold its own internationally.
The article reports:
Karl Mayrhofer, Managing Director at Fabasoft Distribution GmbH accepted the award together with Fabasoft Folio Cloud Product Owner Mag. Harald Pfoser: ‘We are pleased to receive this award as the best Cloud service product in Austria. The expert jury showed a clear focus on more security in the Cloud and particularly highlighted the Cloud access with Digital ID, state-proofed identities. In Austria Folio Cloud supports this with mobile signature, in Germany with the digital ID card and in Switzerland with the SuisseID. Because business partners want absolute clarity concerning whom they are collaborating with online in Europe.’
More information about the Folio Cloud product can be found on the Fabasoft web site:
Folio Cloud stands for security and agility. Folio Cloud is the optimal online tool for efficient data management on all devices and secure online storage. Whether at home on your PC or on the move with your smartphone. Folio Cloud has established itself as the best solution for your mobile, secure data exchange. Agile data management and secure online collaboration are hereby guaranteed. Folio Cloud stands for a secure alternative to FTP Server.
So for SharePoint users who are struggling with Cloud service and mobile accessibility features, an implementation of Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise, teamed up with Folio Cloud may just offer the needed solution. The award-winning combo is definitely worth a second look.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 12, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Inteltrax: Top Stories, June 4 to June 8
June 11, 2012
Inteltrax, the data fusion and business intelligence information service, captured three key stories germane to search this week, specifically, how financial markets are being influenced and affected by big data analytics.
In “Venture Capitalists Invest in Cloud Based API Provider” we explore how tons of financial investments, namely in the cloud, are changing the game of big data.
In “UK Financial Industry Benefiting from Analytics” we discovered how England is attempting to avoid Eurozone financial catastrophe with analytics.
Finally, our feature, “Quantitative Financial Analytics is a Serious Weapon” dove headlong into this new buzzword and its impact on financial markets and the vendors supplying software.
With global markets plummeting or rising in equally shaky motions, analytics looks to be a potential stabilizing force. We’ll keep watching to see what kind of aid it can be.
Follow the Inteltrax news stream by visiting www.inteltrax.com
Patrick Roland, Editor, Inteltrax.
June 11, 2012
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