Funnelback 8: New Version Now Available
June 8, 2008
Funnelback, a search and content processing system, has released Version 8 with a number of new features and enhancements. Formerly Panoptic, the system now supports Microsoft SharePoint, Lotus Notes, and mainstream content management systems such as EMC Documentum and Interwoven. (For search history buffs, you can see a demo of the original Panoptic system here.)
You can now generated point-and-click interfaces. Like Vivisimo, Funnelback makes it possible for a user to add a tag to a document. The system can process structured data and index data behind a Web form. The system has added support for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai. The system can be installed on premises or it can be deployed in a software as a service model (SaaS).
You can get more information at the company’s Web site. I profiled the Panoptic / Funnelback system in the third edition of the Enterprise Search Report. I can’t recall if that profile was retained for the current edition of Enterprise Search Report. The company has a number of customers in Canada and the UK, but its profile in the United States was modest. You can access a client list here.
You can see the system in action at the Australian job search site CareerOne here. You can enter a free text concept like “Web developer” and narrow your focus via point-and-click drop down boxes. Funnelback has implemented a browse feature, which some vendors call guided navigation or assisted navigation. Whatever the concept’s buzz word, users like this feature.
There’s an implementation of the system’s capabilities on the Australian Securities Exchange site. You can use the text search method, or interact via point-and-click, ticker symbols, or role-based views. You may recall that role-based views are a feature of Microsoft’s next-generation Dynamics’ systems. Funnelback seems to be ahead of Microsoft in this approach to complex information retrieval. You can see the Funnelback Financial Planner view of Australian Securities Exchange data here.
The company has roots in academia (Australian National University, I believe) like many other search and content processing systems. My take on the original Panoptic system and the newer Funnelback system was that it represented a good value. The drawback is one that many non-US companies face when trying to make a sale in the American market. Procurement teams like to have a local presence for a product that has brand recognition on senior managers. I’ve heard rumors that Funnelback will open a US office, but I have no confirmation that this is true. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, check out the system.
Stephen Arnold, June 7, 2008
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