Plan for Scalability with SharePoint
March 1, 2012
Brett Kovatch, “The SharePoint Dude,” takes an non-traditional approach to the common issue of SharePoint and its long list of things to do and things not to do. Kovatch gives his offerings in the article, “Five SharePoint Don’t-Dos.”
In addition to topics like planning and governance, the author also addresses the importance of scalability:
Don’t forget to plan for growth! This is extremely critical. All too often, I’ve seen companies build a solution that works . . . Right now. In order to build a successful solution, it must be one that works now and in the future. So many companies start out small and then, because they have done some key things right, suddenly grow to an unexpected scale. This is great news (unless you failed to plan for it). If you’re not prepared for growth, you will be scrambling at a time when your business critically needs a stable solution.
Many third-party solutions can make the issue of scalability a much simpler one. Fabasoft Mindbreeze offers an entire suite of enterprise search solutions. In addition to the software itself, the Fabasoft Mindbreeze Appliance meets an organization’s needs by providing swifter implementation and seamless upgrades.
The Fabasoft Mindbreeze Appliance is the optimal basis for highly efficient enterprise-wide search and easy configuration. To utilize the full potential of a software solution it is essential that hardware and software are fully aligned. Even more, the required time for deployment to the user is critical for gaining the highest ROI. The Fabasoft Mindbreeze Appliance components have been optimally synchronized in numerous tests.
The device can be simply scaled out at any time, eliminating the need for on-site scalability preparations or plans. While any enterprise solution should be implemented with care and planning, the addition of a third party solution can greatly reduce the effort that goes into preparation and customization and greatly improve the overall user experience.
Emily Rae Aldridge, March 1, 2012
Sponsored by: Pandia.com
Good Fit for Isotoner and SLI systems
February 29, 2012
Better grab your brolly and your gloves, readers.
Cincinnati, Ohio-based gloves and rainwear retailer totes ISOTONER has announced that its conversion rate and revenue per visit has more than doubled after implementing SLI Systems’ site search. The article, “totes-ISOTONER Adds More to the Bottom Line with Full-Service Site Search From SLI Systems,” tells us about the company’s decision to switch from the default site search on its e-commerce platform to the full-service hosted site search and to add search to its mobile site.
By selecting the site search solution SLI, the company improved the overall customer experience and ultimately revenues from its site. ISOTONER states users are spending more time browsing the site and the company has seen increased click-through activity. In the article, we learn:
“‘We liked the fact that a partnership with SLI Systems would also help us improve our SEO efforts,’ Reighley [vice president of e-commerce for totes-ISOTONER] explained. ‘The service we’ve received from SLI is amazing — we can add new content or change refinements in a much faster timeframe than with our previous site search solution. It’s also easy for us to customize merchandising — if visitors come to one of our product pages from a search engine, we can add banners showcasing the top site search results for the keyword used.’”
These types of search solutions help online retailers meet customer expectations and reduce costs, all while increasing site conversions. Business like SLI Systems allow companies to maximize results with full-service and customized solutions.
Andrea Hayden, February 29, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Taking Care with SharePoint 2010
February 29, 2012
Enough is written on SharePoint 2010 that we all know by now that SharePoint is not an intuitive creature. James Mullan eases the strain by offering, “SharePoint 2010 Do’s and Don’ts.”
Mullan sets the context for his suggestions:
SharePoint use will vary dependent on who you talk to, but for the most part organisations are using it as a Web Content Management (WCM) or an Enterprise Content Management System (ECM). A recent survey found that, since its release more then 10 years ago, SharePoint has moved from ‘being an intranet and basic collaboration application to something that is now used for portals, collaboration, forms processing, business intelligence, business process management and content management.’
The author then goes on to provide the promised list of do’s and don’ts, trying to save SharePoint developers investment in terms of time and money. While it is true that much can be streamlined through SharePoint customization, third party solutions are available that provide a more intuitive interface without a major investment in time or training.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze is one offering that provides a suite of solutions, performing as a standalone CMS or complimenting an existing SharePoint installation.
The essence of Fabasoft Mindbreeze can be summed up in terms of speed and efficiency:
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise searches all structured and unstructured data (e-mails, documents, contracts, contacts, notes etc.) within seconds and provides all relevant information structured, prioritized and ready for further use. Staff resources are released to concentrate on their actual task.
If your organization could benefit from a more customized or intuitive enterprise search interface, but cannot spare the investment, investigate what Fabasoft Mindbreeze might be able to do to improve your existing CMS.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 29, 2012
Sponsored by: Pandia.com
Balancing Collaboration and Information Security in your SharePoint Environment
February 28, 2012
Collaboration technologies and sound security practices can sometimes be at odds. Some of these bad security habits are discussed in, “SharePoint Users Develop Insecure Habits.” The article highlights a Cryptzone study that discovered 92 percent of respondents understood that taking data out of SharePoint made it less secure; however, 30 percent were willing to take the risk stating they were “not bothered if it helps me get the job done.”
To better understand user thoughts about the security implications, the study also found:
When examining users’ handling of sensitive or confidential information, a defiant 45% of SharePoint users said that they disregard the security within SharePoint and copy sensitive or confidential documents from the collaboration tool to their local hard drive, USB device or even email it to a third party. The main reasons for copying documents from SharePoint were either to work from home (43%) or share it with third parties who don’t have access to the tool (over 55%).
Can effective collaboration and sound security coexist? The article touches on both the technological capabilities and the business policies and user behaviors, such as snooping or bypassing security measures to get on with their work, that play a role in the information security system. The survey highlights that this latter user behavior is the dominant. Ease of access can help curb these bad security habits.
To connect your users to the right information they need at the right time, consider Fabasoft Mindbreeze. With unparalleled data processing capabilities, Fabasoft Mindbreeze for 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.
Add in certified security with regular audits for security standards compliance, Mindbreeze connects users to their needed information without compromising information security.
Philip West, February 28, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Blekko is Moving Forward
February 28, 2012
Here comes the new search engine Blekko. Online Media Daily reports, “Blekko Begins Testing Search Ads.” Writer Laurie Sullivan reports:
Blekko has begun to test search ads on its site through feeds from Google and Bing. It works with brands through ad networks, but does not yet have direct ad relationships. Google and Bing built up an inventory of search ads so search start-ups like Blekko can tap into the pool through the AdSense search feed.
As of yet, most ads are not linked to users search terms. That could make for some refreshingly impersonal advertising.
The article notes that, among others, Yandex is helping to bankroll Blekko. That development may have some interesting implications for Google.
Founded in 2007, Blekko aims to provide better search results than its predecessors by tapping into a stash of three billion trusted websites and avoiding content farms. It also uses slashtags to filter and categorize searches. Its hope is that custom sorted searches will reduce spam. However, the company should be careful; doing too many things means that one cannot master them all. if the core competency slips, trouble looms. Behind Blekko stands the wizards from Yandex. Yep, Russian mathematicians, computer scientists, and systems engineers.
Cynthia Murrell, February 28, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Social Business: Collaboration Trends for 2012
February 27, 2012
Leigh Jasper’s blog series, Collaboration for Grown-ups, reflects a focus on the benefits of enterprise collaboration across supply chains. Jasper, of the ComputerWorld.com Blog, looks at collaboration challenges with big data and the social and mobile forces arriving to the enterprise search world in the first post, “Collaboration Trends for 2012: Part One.”
And as big data becomes a key basis of competition, it will also necessarily become the foundation for new forms of collaboration. In 2012, I believe that more companies will recognize that along with having to deal with storing and analyzing big data, they will need to adopt collaboration platforms capable of capturing, sharing and analyzing it.
With growing data, it is no wonder SharePoint adoption is growing, as well. Of course, 2012 trends could not be discussed without mentioning social and mobile media in the enterprise. With consumer demand for social networking and personal mobile devices driving trends, enterprises are looking to search and analyze this data, such as the conversation between brands and their customers. But the supply chain is also feeling the impact. Jasper suggests that 2012 will see collaboration in the supply chain go beyond email and file sharing and businesses will look to solutions for capturing the many-to-many flow of content.
Business-to-business collaboration development is inevitable as business gets social. To tap into the new possibilities, consider a third party solution to complete your enterprise search system. We like Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Managing director Michael Hadrian explains the Mindbreeze solution,
Fabasoft Folio Cloud enables quick, secure and mobile collaboration both internally and between international companies. Business processes with customers and partners cannot be realized any quicker or more cost effectively…This enables worldwide connected collaboration and secure data exchange in protected team rooms.
For a complete search solution with the power of information pairing, check out the full suite of solutions at Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Philip West, February 27, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
HP Spills Beans about Autonomy
February 27, 2012
In case you’ve been curious, “HP Finally Explains Its Big Plans for Its $10 Billion Purchase, Autonomy,” announces Business Insider. Mike Lynch, former Autonomy CEO and currently HP’s executive vice president of information management, went into detail at his new company’s reseller conference in Las Vegas. Writer Julie Bort observes:
“HP is working on Autonomy-based hardware appliances that will power enterprise search. This will compete with Google’s Search Appliance. A hardware/software product is logical given that enterprise search is Autonomy’s classic market, but it’s nothing earth shattering.”
Perhaps the revelation is not unexpected, but the numbers are significant. Autonomy comes equipped with 60,000 existing customers; that’s quite the market penetration. In fact, according to our information, it is more than the Google Search Appliance has attracted. Interesting.
HP also plans to use Autonomy’s tech to pursue augmented reality apps. Though others are also working on such functionality, Bort notes that no one has successfully brought the concept into the mainstream. With a boost from Autonomy, perhaps HP will beat the market on this one.
Cynthia Murrell, February 27, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Hadoop Technology: Calling All Mathematicians!
February 26, 2012
Scalability and big data solutions are not simply buzzwords thrown around the search industry. These are both key items in assessing value of platforms, and are both key reasons users are drawn to Hadoop technology.
However, the fact that Hadoop is picking up steam poses a major problem to those attempting to find talent to work the technology. People experienced in Hadoop are hard to come by. Cloudera, IBM, Hortonworks, and MapR are all investing in Hadoop training programs, choosing to invest in internal candidates rather than trying to hire new talent. A related article on CIO.in, “Hadoop Wins Over Enterprise IT, Spurs Talent Crunch” asserts on the topic:
‘We originally thought we needed to find a hardcore Java developer,’ Return Path’s Sautins says. But in reality, the talent that’s best suited for working with Hadoop isn’t necessarily a Java engineer. ‘It’s somebody who can understand what’s going on in the cluster, is interested in picking up some of these tools and figuring out how they work together, and can deal with the fact that pretty much everything in the Hadoop ecosystem is not even a 1.0 release yet,’ Sautins says. ‘That’s a real skill set.’
The problem of finding talent could eventually limit the continued adoption of Hadoop technology. Search analytics is now opening doors for those with deep math skills and backgrounds in statistics and science. People with this basic skills can be taught how to use these tools, and will be very valuable to a great number of companies adopting this technology.
Andrea Hayden, February 26, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Lucid Imagination: A Look Ahead
February 24, 2012
Enterprise search can be over simplified in many people’s mind because it is so intuitive. However, while understanding the concept may be relatively simple, orchestrating it proves to be more difficult.
IT World’s Brian Proflitt recently reported on Lucid Imagination’s new enterprise search product in the article, “Enterprise Search is a Valuable, and Growing Component of Big Data.”
According to the article, enterprise search allows users to treat data as they would fields within a relational database. It is excellent for examining large sets of structured or unstructured information. Documents that are structured uniformly like weblogs do particularly well with this technology.
Many enterprise search software providers, including Lucid Imagination, use Apache Lucene and Apache Solr products.
The article states:
“Lucid is to Lucene and Solr what companies like Red Hat, SUSE, and Canonical are to Linux. Like a Linux distribution, Lucid Imagination’s LucidWorks Enterprise product pulls together the best features of Apache Lucene/Solr, adding a few more features along the way, such as search connectors to SharePoint, Web, and Active Directory data. This is not an open core company: like Red Hat, versions of LucidWorks are provided free of charge, with a support subscription required for production use.”
Lucid Imagination’s new product promises the functionality of enterprise search but is delivered from the cloud. We’re looking forward to seeing how this develops. The generator is humming at Lucid Imagination we believe.
Jasmine Ashton, February 24, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
SharePoint, Training Not Required?
February 24, 2012
Lorette S. J. Weldon, a librarian, offers a unique approach to conquering SharePoint in her piece, “SharePoint, Training Not Required.” Weldon argues that many of the skills and tools used by information professionals transfer well to the SharePoint environment, therefore, intense training is not required if some analogies are made.
Weldon observes:
Through my study last year, I found out that librarians were using SharePoint in the corporate, government, and non-profit sectors . . . Microsoft embedded social media tools within the SharePoint platform. World-wide librarians have been customizing SharePoint by using their social networking skills from MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. It is a ‘plug and play’ social media tool for the office. It has helped to embed the researching skills of the librarians within the normal business flow of their sectors.
Weldon makes a unique observation about the connection between librarians’ skills and their ability to navigate SharePoint. However, a chorus of opinion does exist amongst those who are not trained information professionals and cannot successfully navigate SharePoint. For those individuals who are muddling through, a smart third party solution like Fabasoft Mindbreeze may be worth a second look.
Read more about their quality, usability, and style:
The Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise user interface is based on Web 2.0 technology and combines simplicity with elegance. The operation is self-explanatory. Work just as you are used to. Access your data from anywhere. Also on smartphones and tablets. Elegant design, easy operation. With you wherever you are. Find and access your enterprise and cloud information straight away.
Until we are all trained information professionals, work with Fabasoft Mindbreeze to improve the quality of your SharePoint experience.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 24, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
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