The Google Plan and Microsoft
November 6, 2011
There were some interesting factoids about Microsoft in my Overflight system today. The first was a link to a Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, Mary Jo Foley podcast in which Windows experts pointed out that Microsoft was making money from Windows 7 and (hang on to your beanie) Office.
As you may know, Google has been chasing the enterprise in general and Microsoft Office. If the information on the Windows podcast is accurate, Microsoft is doing just fine with Office, thank you. Even Google’s notable wins for its alternative to Office made headlines when Los Angeles raised some questions about the security of the Google enterprise apps.
But the big factoid was in the story “Half of All Android Devices Have Entered into Patent Agreements with Microsoft.” The key point was that Microsoft has taken steps to do a toll booth on the Android super highway. Here’s the passage I noted:
That noise you hear is Google swearing as Microsoft is now profiting on more than half of all Android devices being sold, kudos to Microsoft for finally finding a way to make money in the mobile phone segment. Although, Google is trying to find a way to protect Android with its acquisition of Motorola, but so far, that has done little to stop Microsoft on its crusade.
Let’s assume that Office is indeed selling and that Microsoft’s approach to intellectual property toll boothing is working or will work to some degree.
First, Microsoft may not have the Googley goodness or the nifty mouse pads, but it does have a clutch of patents and money from Office licenses to fund just about any legal challenge Microsoft may wish to launch against Google, Android, or my dog Max.
Second, Google’s marketing is chipper, but the company’s tactics to thwart Microsoft may not be working as planned.
Third, Google may be distracted with Viacom, Google Plus, and green energy investments. If Microsoft follows its present trajectory, Android may face some price friction. Free is okay but not if Microsoft slaps a surcharge on Android phones.
And that beast Office keeps on selling. Maybe Yandex will make a run at Google search?
Stephen E Arnold, Novewmber 6, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Studying What Is Obvious about News Consumption
November 6, 2011
Sometimes studies confirm what observation and common sense should tell us. The results of two such studies were released last week.
In “Study: Tablet Users Love to Read the News, Still Reluctant to Pay for It,” Silicon Filter cites Pew Research Center’s Tablet Revolution study. There’s a lot more to this study than the bleak outlook for news organizations, but that’s the facet that concerns writer Frederic Lardonois:
Reading news sites and watching news-related video is about as popular as sending and receiving email, for example, and more popular than using social networking services. As the news industry struggles to find viable business models in this new world, though, one number that stands out is the fact that only 14% of U.S. adults have paid for news directly on their tablets.
The number is higher if you include the 23% who have a print subscription that they also access digitally, but the total is still somewhere around a third of users. Why buy the cow, after all?
Business News Daily also states the obvious with the revelation, “Facebook More Popular Than TV During Daytime.” Here, writer David Mielach cites this study from The Frank N Magid Associates. It’s no surprise that while folks, especially the younger generations, are stuck at a computer all day they are more likely to follow their Facebook friends than follow a soap opera. However, the data may prompt advertisers to focus more on social network marketing during the day and less on those pricy evening television ads.
By the way, the reverse was found to be true: during “prime time,” more people are watching TV than using Facebook. I guess some habits are more entrenched than others.
Cynthia Murrell November 6, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Is Google Making Customer Support Progress?
November 5, 2011
Looks like more customer support issues for Google, this time revolving around App Engine services. Yikes.
Google has had previous customer support issues surrounding the Nexus One Android smart phone with no support provisions. App Engine customers are now asked to pay $500 a month for Premier services, but support stops at 6 p.m. and is closed on holidays. The service reopens at midnight, still leaving a six-hour gap.
The App Engine support is compared to Amazon Web Services, where customers only pay $400 a month and get support around the clock.
In the article “Google to App Engine Customers: Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” on InfoWorld, Bill Snyder shares more information:
According to Google’s guidelines, customers must try to fix problems themselves before contacting support, then submit a written request for help. If the issue is considered a priority, meaning a problem that affects customer operations, Google says it will respond within four hours. That doesn’t sound very good to me. After all, four hours is a big chunk of a business day. I’m not sure how many companies use App Engine for operational functions, as opposed to developmental ones, but those that do can’t be very happy about losing that much business time.
Google is quoted in the same article as looking forward to “expanding coverage in the future” and premier support is offered during business hours. Bottom line? Google sucks at customer service. The company should at least give customers good value for the money they are paying the multi-billion dollar company.
Is Google making customer support progress? Use the comments to let us know your Google experience. Maybe Oracle will pitch an InQuira or RightNow solution next time the two companies are meeting face to face.
Andrea Hayden,November 5, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Brainware Is on a Back Office Stampede
November 5, 2011
Brainware, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise search solutions and intelligent data capture, and KnowledgeLake, a SharePoint solutions provider, announced a partnership earlier this month.
The companies intend to optimize the ROI for global users for SharePoint and other Microsoft enterprise platforms. This partnership reflects Microsoft’s encouragement of its ISV partners to build on areas of diverse expertise. MarketWatch’s article, “KnowledgeLake and Brainware Join Forces to Serve Microsoft Customers,” tells us more:
‘We are very excited about pairing the KnowledgeLake Capture solution with the Brainware intelligent data capture platform,’ stated Chris Caplinger, CTO of KnowledgeLake. ‘This will provide our customers with a better solution for automatically classifying and performing data extraction on large volumes of documents. This joint effort enables KnowledgeLake and Brainware to leverage the strengths of each other’s products and provides KnowledgeLake customers with another option for intelligent document handling.’
This seemingly complementary solution of connecting companies with different expertise to benefit the Microsoft user community, just looks like another vendor wanting to cash in on SharePoint to me. The companies are pairing up for a better user experience. And for sales.
The advantage Brainware brings is somewhat of a throwback. Brainware can handle paper, which exists even in a Microsoft SharePoint environment. Should other search vendors look at adding this back office functionality?
Andrea Hayden, November 5, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Free Tools Convert Documents into EBooks
November 4, 2011
It is Friday and something only tangential to search—eBooks.
Here’s an interesting idea: KillerStartups has listed “2ePub.com – Create Ebooks for Free.” EPub has become the most popular file format for reading devices, but that isn’t the only format to which this tool will convert your Doc or PDF document. Even Kindle’s proprietary format is covered.
There are actually several tools out there that will convert your file into an ePub document for free. A few other choices include ePubConverter.org, Online-Convert.com, and Lulu EPUB Converter. The last of these even promises to fix “pesky errors” for you.
The write-up describes what is different about 2ePub:
The site’s not only usable for free, it can also be used without having to sign up for an account first. All you have to do is to select the files that you want to have converted for the job to be done before you can even snap your fingers. And you can select as many as five different files at the same time, too.
This may or may not be the best option for you if you have the next Great American Novel just waiting to be converted into an eBook for all to read; check out several options.
The fact that so many options exist for converting files does emphasize how far down the digital road we have traveled.
Cynthia Murrell November 4, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
A9 Flow Augments Shopping Reality
November 4, 2011
Amazon is putting a new spin on search, as reported in Cnet News’ “A9’s Flow app: Augmented consumerism.” This new app for the iPhone allows you to point your device at a product in a brick-and-mortar store and compare and log the price at Amazon. If you wish, you can order it from Amazon right then. The existing Amazon app allowed you to do this, but writer Rafe Needleman finds A9’s Flow, which operates closer to real-time, to be a lot more fun:
The recognizer seems faster and more tolerant of operator sloppiness than other scanner apps. You don’t have to hold very still or align the camera at a right angle to what you’re pointing it at. It’s not like it will pick up multiple items as you just walk by them, but it’s faster and more intuitive than other apps of the type.
As a side note, you can do the same thing at eBay with that company’s RedLaser (though the author finds Flow to be superior to that app, too.)
As the author points out, this sort of app could be but one more nail in the coffin of local businesses. No surprise there.
Cynthia Murrell, November 4, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Kroll Rolls Out Self Serve eDiscovery
November 4, 2011
It’s just a matter of common sense. With so much at stake, what company wouldn’t want to be in full control of their e-discovery processes? EWeek.com reports that “Kroll Ontrack Unveils Do-It-Yourself E-Discovery Cloud Service.”
Kroll Ontrack launched its cloud-based e-discovery service last autumn. Now its newest version places more control into the hands of clients’ legal teams. The write-up describes the update:
Kroll’s new Verve e-discovery software as a service (SaaS) enables users to upload data, select processing criteria, conduct early data assessment and review, and manage production in a Web-based interface. The service gives corporations and law firms more control of e-discovery projects without requiring upfront purchase or maintenance of infrastructure, hardware or security, as is the case with conventional e-discovery software packages.
The company’s VP of SaaS Products, Ken Ewell, boasts that the product can process, on average, 800GB per day and is provides an intuitive interface equipped with a wide range of data sorting tools. The Verve review platform can then be used to make sense of it all.
We’re all in favor of do-it-yourself e-discovery. Avoid the orange jumpsuit, maybe? Or, if you make an error, get a free orange jump suit and time in the prison library to review the rules of discovery. eDiscovery is not a cafeteria. There is something called law school and expertise we think.
Cynthia Murrell November 4, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Spotlight: Mindbreeze for Easy Search and Access
November 4, 2011
CMS Wire weighs in on SharePoint 2010 and its viability as an internet site CMS. In, “Is SharePoint 2010 the Right Web CMS for Your Internet Site?” Michal Pisarek makes an argument for the integration of SharePoint 2010 as a broad web content management system.
Although the author argues that SharePoint 2010 has made improvements over the 2007 version, some issues remain.
Of course the breadth of SharePoint’s capabilities can also serve as its downfall. If your organization has specific needs that need deep vertical capabilities than you should be considering the cost of implementing this custom functionality on the SharePoint platform.
If this is the case then you might be better served with a niche solution, rather than the broader set of features that SharePoint offers. A product like Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise makes it easy to really handle adaptive and personalized website content. So your site acts like an information hub that adapts to users’ behavior on your site. Search-driven content as a building block of a next generation web content management functionality. Where SharePoint lags, Mindbreeze bridges the gap with your website, intranet, or mobile applications. Find more details at, “Search & Information Access as easy as 1-2-3.
“Showing search results in your Web site is hard? A new API to learn because your Web site uses a different programming language than available from your search engine vendor? Read on and learn how easy it can be to search-enable your content.”
An explanation of features follows, including personalized, search-driven and contextualized content. This Mindbreeze tutorial demonstrates how easy it is to add Fabasoft Mindbreeze functionality to a site, without much more than basic knowledge of HTML and JavaScript. We agree that SharePoint 2010 improves usability, but if ultimate efficiency and precision are desired, Mindbreeze is the best solution for search and information access.
Emily Rae Aldridge, November 4, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
SharePoint 2010 Assemblies
November 4, 2011
The SharePoint Developer Team Blog published an authoritative article on “Configuring Versioning of Assemblies in SharePoint Automated Build.” SharePoint developers you will really need to pay attention to this piece. Versioning refers to changing the number on a new software release and it allows you to see which version of a part of code was installed. Versioning has its own challenges with SharePoint and the article covers many of the common situations you will find.
“Assembly versions are everywhere in SharePoint – web.config files, web part definitions, workflow definitions, event receiver bindings – the list goes on. In each case, the version number is absolutely required so that SharePoint can load the code to run at that time. If you update an assembly’s version, you have two choices to ensure your code can still be loaded:
– Find and update every reference to the previous assembly version.
– Use a binding redirect in the relevant .config file (e.g. web.config) to point to the new version of the assembly.”
What follows is a rundown of specific version cases with screenshots and longwinded instructions. Despite that flaw, the esoteric ideas are handled well—without controls SharePoint content becomes quite a tricky issue.
If search is part of the problem, SurfRay Ontolica will solve the issue.
Whitney Grace, November 4, 2011
SurfRay
Now That Is a Blue Chip Consultant
November 4, 2011
Every once in a while I am asked what I mean when I use the phrase “azure chip consultant.” One way to explain is to give an example of what an azure chip consultant can only aspire to achieve. Navigate to Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s “Ex-McKinsey Consultant Banki Wins Release From Prison.” The idea is to be so darned good it is a crime. Here’s the passage I noted:
U.S. District Judge John F. Keenan signed papers ordering Banki’s immediate release after U.S. prosecutors in New York agreed in a hearing today that he may be released on his own recognizance while they seek to reverse the Oct. 24 appeals court decision that overturned convictions for violating the Iran trade embargo and running an unlicensed money-transfer business.
English majors don’t have a chance against McKinsey professionals. Back to billing in a nonce.
Stephen E Arnold, November 4, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
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