Linguamatics Revealed
July 25, 2011
David Milward, CTO of Linguamatics sat down with The Inquirer for an in-depth look at the10 year old British company’s founder. Dr. Milward insists that it’s not hart to explain what Linguamatics is all about. The write up reported Dr. Milward as saying:
“Its software extracts knowledge from unstructured text. What’s difficult is to explain why it’s different. Isn’t that what a search engine does?”
Linguamatics is individual in that traditional searches are not very ‘agile,’ you have to program specifically what you want. With his system, you can ask any question and get relevant returns.
Milward and partner Roger Hale have taken text mining to another level with the development of the Linguamatics company. Dr. Milward said:
“Organizations are becoming more and more knowledge-driven,” he says. “Similarly to scientific discovery, they build new things based on existing knowledge.”
Automation is important in the fast paced world of enterprise. Pharmaceutical companies are just one of the knowledge driven arenas that have adopted Milwards approach to business intelligence. He demonstrated the advancements of his technology in the last election when he mined Twitter reactions. We learned:
“We found that although people don’t use fully grammatical sentences, they do use grammatical constructions.” The relatively few linguistic patterns enabled them to identify what was being said.
Linguistic structure varies with the various operations and field’s humans are involved in, as do the words we use. Dr. Milward added:
“We found that although people don’t use fully grammatical sentences, they do use grammatical constructions.” The relatively few linguistic patterns enabled them to identify what was being said.
Milward said his system can see the relationship between them all. For example his system can take the words: carcinoma, tumor and neoplasm and equate it with “cancer.” He said:
“The result is the ability to ask a question like, “What genes are associated with breast cancer?” and get back a list of genes rather than a list of documents.”
That’s pretty cool, for a system that doesn’t have a human’s rationality or ability to grow and think. Linguamatics maintains that it’s not trying to replace the human element within the process. They are simply trying to aid in the development so that a job can be done more effectively and in a shorter amount of time.
What this means to the business world is that you will be able to find companies and concepts that are linked in documents without having to pour over the results for hours on end. It will save time and in turn, will save money. Another key pint was:
“There are 20 million relevant articles in the biological domain,” says Milward. “And if you’re going into social media, for example, there are one billion tweets a week. It’s huge amounts of information and what we’re trying to do typically is pull out bits of information from that.”
While in theory Linguamatics has the ability to be a useful tool that can be utilized for the greater good, there are some barriers that it will have to overcome first. The challenge of accessibility is a big one. They have yet to find a graphical interface that can create queries that all computers understand. Let’s face it, even in this age of technology, not everyone is a programmer and knows ‘techspeak.’ All in all, it’s a promising technology and something to keep an eye on. The start-up is only ten years old and has plenty of room to grow this into something big.
Stephen E Arnold, July 25, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com, publishers of The New Landscape of Enterprise Search.
Searching for Local Prescription Prices
July 25, 2011
Search innovators keep surfacing. We learned about Local Drug Search recently. Local Drug Search is, according to the company, “the first Web site of its kind that empowers consumers to compare prices of prescription drugs at local pharmacies. We pull together information from the major U.S. pharmacies to find you the best prices for prescription drugs in your area.” When my mother was ill, I learned that prescription drug prices can vary widely depending on where you buy them- even for generic drugs. There have been several studies done over time demonstrating the massive price differences. You can give the service a spin at http://www.localdrugsearch.com/. When I ran queries, the search system happily sniffed my location. Cool. Drug search and IP sniffing. Is this a match made in heaven?
Stephen E Arnold, July 25, 2011
Freebie unlike prescription drugs in Kentucky
Inteltrax: Top Stories, July 18 to July 22
July 25, 2011
Inteltrax, the data fusion and business intelligence information service, captured three key stories germane to search this week, particularly abroad and at home.
One of our most widely read stories of the week “UK Public Sector Saves with Analytics” used England as a springboard to explore all the many companies and projects that are adjusting themselves to help the public sector save money with analytics.
Another topical tale, “India Shifting Toward Analytic Self Service,” discusses how, like IT services, India’s educated and inexpensive workforce is being bred to handle data analytics and business intelligence.
Also, the United States government was held under the analytic microscope with less-than-stellar results in “No Child Left Behind” was Bad for Analytics.” As the title suggest, the education bill actually used analytics in a way that skewed findings and likely set students back.
Analytics is spreading through the cultural lexicon from London, to Dehli, to DC. While some are helping the public with big data findings, others are missing on big opportunities. As analytics becomes a bigger and bigger staple of search, expect us to detail it from all points across the globe.
Follow the Inteltrax news stream by visiting www.inteltrax.com
Patrick Roland, Editor, Inteltrax.
Inteltrax is powered by Augmentext, an information dissemination service of ArnoldIT.com
Must Attend Conference: Text Analytics Symposium
July 25, 2011
Analysis on another level
PRWeb.com has released information on the newest trend in business technology and marketing. Sentiment Analysis. In the press release “Sentiment Analysis Symposium to Spotlight Agency, Finance, Technology, and Social Media Thought Leaders, November 9,2011 in San Francisco,” we are able to gauge the excitement that is building behind this new approach to consumer marketing. The release asserted:
“Businesses are eager to extract and exploit consumer and market sentiment and opinion from the broad array of information sources online and in the enterprise,” said symposium chair Seth Grimes.
The conference is going to provide agency leaders with multiple solutions and networking opportunities. In its third year the conference boast participation from TripAdvisor, Saltlux, Acrolinx, and Amazon. The announcement added:
“They focus on online and social media measurement and analytics — on business intelligence for enterprise, Web, and social opinion sources — whether representing an enterprise-software leader or start-up, research firm, an online information provider, an agency, or a consultancy.”
The sentiment analysis approach to marketing, business and technology is becoming more and more prevalent. It promises to be an ‘area to watch’ and may explode into an industry to invest in somewhere in the near future.
We think the conference is a must attend affair. The US enterprise search conferences have been flapping and panting. The European conferences wobble around governance and content management. This conference is different. It has zing and substance.
Stephen E Arnold, July 25, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com, publishers of The New Landscape of Enterprise Search
Brainware Fuses Synapses with Hewlett Packard
July 24, 2011
The Sacramento Bee has posted the PR Newswire story,”Brainware Named HP Silver Partner.” This is good news for Brainware, a leading data capture and search solution provider that focuses on financial management. They help clients keep track of the money; yeah, that’s pretty important.
We expect this means good news for back office and work flow functions. According to the press release:
“By working together with HP imaging and print devices, this technology will provide businesses with an opportunity to put vital data in users’ hands more quickly and accurately, so they can pay bills, fill orders, answer audits, address customer issues and more with efficiency and ease.”
Hardware giant Hewlett Packard established their Business Partner Program for Imaging and Printing in order to help businesses integrate their products with HP devices. The program has Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels. Will Brainware eventually go Platinum?
One point is clear: Brainware has found a way to make sales, which is something that some of the search vendors chasing customer support and the XML centric folks have not been able to do with Brainware’s alacrity.
Cynthia Murrell, July 24, 2011
Knowledge Assessment: InQuira and IBM
July 24, 2011
Banner relates an interesting case study of their work for InQuira in its piece, “The Future Is Closer Than You Think, and Qualified Leads.” The technology marketing specialists at Banner developed the online Knowledge Assessment Tool as a way for InQuira to engage potential clients. The write up explains:
“It worked by enabling visitors to determine their current level of KM [Knowledge Management] preparedness and understanding through a series of questions. They could then review this score against their specific industry (as well as against all industries). Respondents could view their results online as well as have them sent to their inbox as a custom-generated PDF file. These results were viewable as a spider diagram (to make them easier to digest and show how they related to the industry as a whole) and were accompanied by a set of InQuira best practice information.”
The hope, of course, is that many of the respondents would then turn to the knowledge management experts at InQuira for help in improving their score.
Bonus: IBM offered to co-brand the software and deliver it to its own database. As of the date of the article, the tool had been 241 times in 52 countries; that’s success the company is happy to boast about. No word about Watson in this knowledge space, however.
Cynthia Murrell July 24, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com, publishers of The New Landscape of Enterprise Search
Massachusetts Governor Recognizes Endeca Contributions
July 23, 2011
With his state over $98 billion in debt, it’s no wonder that “Governor Deval Patrick Joins Endeca to Celebrate Continued Growth and Innovation in Massachusetts,” as Sys-con Media reports. Successful companies are the best hope for such troubled states. (Nations, too.)
The recognition is part of Governor Patrick’s larger initiative to spur growth. The press release, originally posted by Business Wire, observes:
“Governor Patrick’s Innovation Economy initiative emphasizes the significant resources that Massachusetts can uniquely bring together to create employment opportunities in knowledge-based industries and grow the overall Massachusetts economy. These resources include leading educational institutions, information technology organizations, life sciences and healthcare organizations, clean energy organizations, and an unmatched population of human capital.”
The Governor believes there’s a lot of promise in Big Data. He also sees that, as a prominent player in that field, Endeca is positioned to create jobs and boost the economy in his fair state. Smart man.
Some of the politicians here in Kentucky only recognize their relatives and opportunities to make a smart investment in a road maintenance company owned by a golfing buddy.
Stephen E Arnold, July 23, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com, publishers of The New Landscape of Enterprise Search
Going Fast and Missing a Curve: Collision or Near Miss?
July 23, 2011
Last week we heard a number of rumors about layoffs and other organizational shifts at the Microsoft Fast Search units. We are not sure whether the news reported at Enterprise Search: The Business and Technology of Corporate Search was accurate. We don’t want to speculate.
We, like you, read:
[We] just learned that most of the FAST people we work with here in California and across the country have been laid off by Microsoft, apparently effective immediately. This is the team that was responsible for selling the FAST ESP products – FSIS and FSIA – as well as working with the Microsoft sales teams on Fast Search for SharePoint (FS4SP). Funny, I was just drafting a blog post today on ‘the future of FAST’ and I’m glad I hadn’t finished; I never would have guessed this at all.
Let’s assume that the rumor is false. The Microsoft consultants don’t make any changes. SharePoint generates significant consulting opportunity just the way it is.
Let’s assume the rumor is true. There are many firms ready, willing, and able to provide the technical support you need for your current SharePoint and Fast search installation. For most licensees, Microsoft’s shifting staff or reorganizing is almost a business-as-usual management method in Redmond.
Let’s assume there is just more uncertainty about the Fast search technology. My view is that deep experience in search is more important than speculating about what a very large company is doing to manage its products and services for its clients. I explain some of the issues associated with Microsoft’s approach to search in my new monograph The New Landscape of Enterprise Search. Check it out. (Sorry. I don’t provide the juicy details in this free blog.)
So, let’s put aside the issue of a single shift in a product. The focus at most SharePoint focused service firms will be on helping clients solve their technical problems. What is likely to happen is that some SharePoint licensees will look for search solutions which have traction in the marketplace and proven staying power. For that reason, you may want to check out the Exalead approach.
Stephen E Arnold, July 23, 2011
Sponsored by Article One Partners, your source for patent research.
Endeca Wraps up Buyagift
July 22, 2011
“Buyagift Selects Endeca InFront,” announces iStockAnalyst. Buyatgift is a British shopping site looking to expand. Endeca is a prominent information management solutions provider whose InFront software helps manage customer relations. The article states,
Endeca technology is expected to allow Buyagift to create, deliver, and manage content-rich, multichannel customer experiences from a single platform, allowing merchandisers and other non-technical users to deliver targeted, always-relevant customer experiences that drive conversion rates and accelerate cross-channel sales. Endeca technology is also expected to allow the company to generate more targeted clicks at a much lower cost through SEO integrated with site taxonomy and search, creating a dynamic site with millions of different paths to products of interest.
Buyagift will also use the technology to build and integrate their mobile presence. Sounds like a good choice to us. Endeca markets across many different search sectors, but it has always struck us as a darned good eCommerce system.
Cynthia Murrell, July 22, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com, publishers of the New Landscape of Enterprise Search
Is XML Running Out of Steam in Search?
July 22, 2011
XML is probably the most well known web technology in the world but users are discovering that depending on their needs other technologies can be quite valuable. According to the XML article “JSON vs XML – A Jason vs Freddie Sequel,” JSON is a functional and feature friendly web technology. XML/XMLHttpRequest refers to “the world wide XML standard for data” and is used to describe data format as well as transportation pattern.
The XMLHttpRequest is needed in order to obtain information from servers. Unless a proxy server featuring an AJAX XML toolkit is used, “the server has to be in the same domain as the web page.” JSON, stands for JavaScript Object Notation and this option of data formatting makes information obtained from any server native JavaScript. When information is obtained from the server it is already in JavaScript object format and ready to be used. In addition users can add additional tools such as methods and procedures to JavaScript depending on their needs.
JSON allows users to gain flexibility and build technology that meets their specific needs. “You can call it “serverless” programming. Users drop small pieces of JavaScript into their HTML to get big functionality. “XML is still highly used and is a good choice but JSON definitely gives them a run for their money.”
So what?
With certain XML centric vendors repositioning or taking a low, low, low profile, maybe XML for search is running out of steam or in search of a new way to generate revenues? Want me to identify some XML search engines which have drifted out of the spotlight? Well, I won’t. Let’s just look for vendors who are repositioning or telling me, “Just because we have no blog posts and no tweets, we are really cruising along.” Okay with me.
Stephen E Arnold, July 22, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com, publishers of the New Landscape of Enterprise Search
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