EasyAsk: NLP, SQL, and MDX
February 25, 2010
A reader sent me a link to DataPrix’s write up about EasyAsk as a business intelligence tool. Now owned by Progress Software, EasyAsk has dropped off my radar. My recollection is that the system supported search, facets, and eCommerce. I did wonder why Endeca did not crack down on EasyAsk’s use of the phrase “guided navigation”, but I may have mixed up which marketer cooked up which phrase. I had pegged as a system for searching structured data. DataPrix’s article positions EasyAsk as a business intelligence tool. The screen shots show the system generating the type of output that I associate with companies such as Megaputer, based on math magic from Moscow-based wizards.
Source: http://www.dataprix.com/node/1068
EasyAsk supports reporting, analysis, and scorecards (dashboards). The user formulates a query and the EasyAsk system retrieves the data and generates an answer. The query can be expressed in natural language, so the EasyAsk approach obviates the need for a goose like me to create a well formed query against a properly formed cube.
The DataPrix write up suggests that EasyAsk can be used to perform search and retrieval plus the more sophisticated queries against large structured data sets. EasyAsk added support for mainstream databases years ago. EasyAsk can also generate a user’s query in MDX (multi dimensional expressions), a favorite of end users who majored in business and then jumped into sales.
DataPrix provided a link to a demonstration of the system with which I was not familiar. You can check it out at http://www.easyask.com/demo.html.
How does EasyAsk stack up against SAS and Megaputer? I don’t know the answer to that question. I quite like Megaputer. Those Russian math dudes are in the flow in my opinion.
Stephen E Arnold, February 25, 2010
Nope, nope. Not paid. I will report a failure to receive money for this article and its frisky reference to undergrads with degrees in business and extensive sales training. The agency to which I am reporting is the Census Bureau. No explanation needed.
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2 Responses to “EasyAsk: NLP, SQL, and MDX”
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http://web.progress.com/en/easyask-llc.html
it’s not part of progress software anymore.
Stephen, from a functionality perspective, you have done a reasonably good job of describing some of the basic functionality we provide.
However, from the business side of things, we completed the leveraged buyout of EasyAsk from Progress Software in May, 2009. We are private, have taken a new approach to the sales and marketing of both the eCommerce product as well as EasyAsk for BI. Further we recently announced a partnership with NetSuite to provide both products on their SuiteCloud SaaS platform. Exciting things are happening at EasyAsk. Thanks for keeping tabs on us.
Craig S. Bassin – CEO
EASYASK