SurfRay AB Update
July 6, 2008
In the first two editions of Enterprise Search Report, I profiled Mondosoft, a Microsoft-centric search system. I gave it a favorable review. Like most Microsoft-centric products, unless properly resourced, performance can become an issue. By the time I started work on the third edition of ESR in 2006, I had heard rumors of some changes underway at the firm. By late 2007, Mondosoft became part of SurfRay, a Danish search conglomerate. I found the search system implemented for the Vatican quite interesting. Hit boosting and multi-lingual support added zest to what could have been a sinfully bad (no pun intended) search experience. You can try it here.
In 2004, Mondosoft caught my attention because it was one of the first search vendors to offer analytics for licensees. Mondosoft, when deployed in a SharePoint environment, brought much needed usage data into the SharePoint picture. Instead of flying blind, Mondosoft gave the system administrator useful information about user actions. With Mondosoft’s analytics, SharePoint sites could be tuned to improve the user’s experience. Microsoft talked about SharePoint user experience; Mondosoft delivered technology that addressed user experience.
Mondosoft then acquired Ontolica, a company that made better use of SharePoint metadata and generated other useful tags. With Ontolica 3.2 installed and properly resourced, a SharePoint administrator could provide a useful set of hot links related to the user’s query. Microsoft delivered a blunt instrument; Ontolica provided a precision tool.
SurfRay’s product line includes an advanced, multi-lingual search engine suite with three components [a] MondoSearch, [b] BehaviorTracking, and [c] InformationManager, SurfRay’s Speed Index search and retrieval system, and Ontolica Search for SharePoint, providing business intelligence on information creation, search, retrieval and use. SurfRay also owns technology that can speed up searches of traditional relational database tables. In addition, SurfRay provides consulting services to its licensees. Plus, the company offers SurfRay XP search for Xerox’s multifunction document systems.
SurfRay/Mondosoft customers include Bosch, Burger King Corporation, Coleman. Hilton Hotels, Honeywell Process Solutions, Microsoft, Overnight Transportation, People’s Bank, Shell Oil, Siemens, SimCorp, The Swiss Army, TDC, The Vatican Holy See and United Technologies. SurfRay’s CEO and founder is Martin Veise. The president of the company is Steffen Saxil.
SurfRay has offices in New York, Stockholm, Bangkok and Copenhagen. You can learn more about the company here.
Stephen Arnold, July 6, 2008
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