Lexmark and Hewlett Packard: The Coming Discovery about Search
July 16, 2012
I read “Hewlett Packard Falls on Lexmark’s Warning.” Bad economic news is not going to get me too excited. The economy has been heading downhill since late 2007 or early 2008. Despite the talking heads’ optimism on CNBC, the recovery, turnaround, or upswing strikes me as disconnected from reality. Well, I suppose it is television, which has its own reality. But the financial asphalt does skin the knees of some big outfits.
Which brings us to this passage in the MarketWatch story:
Lexmark’s warning also suggests problems for H-P in its own printer business. Once considered the Silicon Valley giant’s crown jewel, H-P’s printer business has struggled with slower growth. One reason is the overall decline in demand — but there’s also the growing sense that users simply aren’t printing as much as they used to.
HP paid $10 billion for Autonomy Corporation and watched as the founder and some other Autonomy professionals walked out the door eight months after the deal closed. I have written about the messages HP has been sending about its plans to make Autonomy a big data powerhouse. When I check on Autonomy in my Overflight service, I notice that Autonomy is not generating the media and blog coverage it did prior to its acquisition by HP. My hunch is that HP does not appreciate the excellent marketing Autonomy did over the last decade. I think HP believed the marketing.
Wake up indeed. A happy quack to Warshjipsifr.com.
Lexmark paid unknown amounts for Brainware, the trigram search vendor and back office forms processing company, and for ISYS Search Software, founded more than a decade ago by Ian Davies. You can read a Search Wizards Speak interview with a Brainware executive and with an ISYS executive on the ArnoldIT.com Web site. Lexmark like HP believed that search and search related services would generate big money quickly and consistently.
I think both HP and Lexmark are in for some skinned knees and bloody noses. Here’s why:
First, search is a tough enterprise function to squish into a tidy little box. I enjoy pointing out that Solr / Lucene offers a viable alternative to for fee proprietary search systems. My hunch is that HP and Lexmark do not understand that the costs of maintaining proprietary systems, the costs of integrating proprietary search into on premises or cloud solutions, the costs of customer support, and the costs of effective marketing quite literally could break the piggy banks. Fortunately I am not the person who has to make these deals pay for the purchase price, cover costs, and generate sufficient revenue to make up for lost printer and ink revenue. I think the challenge is too much for a goose in rural Kentucky. I think it might be too much for high powered hardware executives at HP and Lexmark, but that’s just my opinion.
Second, search does require services. What’s interesting is that fixing a broken search system is not the same as repairing a printer or an ink cartridge. The costs associated with troubleshooting and remediating a problem are tough to control. With headcount for skilled engineers getting more and more expensive, open ended problem solving is going to cause some CFOs to get a bad headache. The challenge will be figuring out how to keep customers on the reservation while preventing disenchanted licensees from embracing an alternative. Open source search, maybe?
Third, the amounts of money involved almost force HP and Lexmark to find a way to stack high prices on anything using or touching their respective search technologies. Even if the competition is available at a lower price, HP and Lexmark may not be in any position to cut prices. With few pricing options, both companies may find themselves in a Microsoft aQuantitative bind. The market does not care and the money is just not recoverable.
Uncomfortable position? You bet your bippy.
Stephen E. Arnold, July 6, 2012
Sponsored by Ikanow
Android Director on Voice Search Jelly Bean and More
July 15, 2012
Suddenly Google’s Voice Search is better than Siri, and now more natural. That’s one of several things Hugo Barra, product management director for Android, told Wired in a recent interview, as reported in “Android Director: ‘We Have the Most Accurate, Conversational, Synthesized Voice in the World.'” The interview is a couple of pages, but worth the read for anyone interested in Google and/or the future of mobile computing.
The first question pertains to Google Now for mobile devices, an effort to streamline search results. Where a query has just one or a few very specific answers, the app presents those results on a simplified, easily accessible “information card.” Google Now can also be formatted to serve up certain information with one swipe, good for checking the weather before heading off to work, for example.
The interview then moves on to Voice Search. Notably, the tool does not make jokes; the team feels this makes their voice more impartial, and has no plans to program in a sense of humor. The voice is derived from that of a real woman, carefully chosen from a wealth of applicants to be the voice of Google. The results, according to interviewer Nathan Olivarez-Giles, does sound more like a natural voice than the competition.
Next, Olivarez-Giles turns to Jelly Bean and the Nexus 7. This device looks very different from existing Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich tablets. Barra states that much of what the team did with that OS represents their ideas of where the mobile industry should head. He details two of these features:
“One is the home screen experience. We did this with Android with the first generation of widgets — this notion of having an application space of your own where stuff appears and actions can be invoked, without having to dive into an application. People want that, people need that.
“The second thing is task switching. There are all these awesome, specialized applications that exist today. I think there’s a specialization trend, by the way, in mobile. You use a lot more applications a lot more often, often for very simple tasks, so put those in the notification shade. Something as simple as calling back should not be three clicks away. It should be one click away. Bringing the application action value to the surface, when it’s needed, where it’s needed.”
Barra likes that the Nexus 7 is powerful yet small enough to fit in a small purse or a pocket; that is certainly a selling point for me. Still, Nexus 10 may be on the way.
Those are the tidbits from the interview that stood out for me. Check it out for more Googley information.
Cynthia Murrell, July 15, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Blabbermouth Web Site Finds New Way to Use the Internet
July 15, 2012
The Internet has created a space for a variety of online companies that could never have otherwise existed. Some of these businesses are making the world a better place while others are arguably doing the exact opposite. Digital Trends recently reported on one of the more seedy online businesses out there in the article “Website Publishes Mug Shots, Then Charges Arrestees $200 to Remove Them.”
According to the article, Kansas City resident Matthew Creed has launched a site called Blabbermouth. The site brings public attention to local arrests (which are already public record) and also allows Creed to financially profit off of those arrested by showcasing personal information like the arrestee’s name, home address, date of birth, mug shot, and crime. In order to have the information removed within twelve hours arrestees are forced to pay Creed $200.
Here’s how Creed markets his business:
“In an attempt to get the attention of Kansas City residents that have been arrested, Creed’s marketing plan includes sending a letter to an arrestee with their mug shot printed on the envelope. The letter included in the attention-grabbing envelope states ‘We have already started blabbing to the world about your release from jail. And we want to make you aware of our services, as we kind of have a big mouth!’”
While Lawyers of the letter recipients are currently trying to figure out the legality of his business model, Creed’s own home address has been published on a KSLR forum for all to see. If I were Creed, I’d be worried for my safety after making enemies with a city full of criminals.
Jasmine Ashton, July 15, 2012
Sponsored by IKANOW
Google Shows Opera Fans Some Muscle
July 14, 2012
For a short time, Google was playing hard ball in its quest to dominate the world with Chrome. I mean the Internet. Planet Botch informed us, “Google Service Drops Support for Opera.” The service in question is Blogger, which Bob Leggitt uses to create Planet Botch. Leggitt is rightly miffed by the development, and suggests it portends more strategic disruption down the road.
Recently, Leggitt began to get this message while using Opera to access Blogger: “Your browser is no longer supported by Blogger. Some parts of Blogger will not work and you may experience problems. If you are having problems, try Google Chrome.” The message can be dismissed, but pops up again every time. He. Refreshes. Or. Changes. Screens. Very irritating. Oh, and so far the message itself is the only “problem.”
Now, if Opera were some obsolete browser, it would be understandable for Google to drop support. But it isn’t. Opera is very much alive and well, and Leggitt was using the most recent version. Though less well known than some other browsers, the application does boast nearly 300 million users. That’s only around 50 million fewer than Firefox.
Leggit notes:
“The reason I felt it important to pass on this news to non-Opera users is that I’m wondering if Google are going to stop at Opera? I get the sense that this could be the thin end of a wedge, and that Opera may not be the only browser which ends up getting the cold shoulder. I also wonder if Blogger will be the only Google service to experience this snub. The bad news is that I can’t see anything which would make Blogger an exception.”
Google did an about face. But will Firefox be next? Internet Explorer, even? And will we soon see this crop up in Gmail, Google+, and YouTube? I’m sure Google would like nothing better than to see the whole world plated in Chrome.
Cynthia Murrell, July 14, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Google Believes Censorship Will Fail in China
July 14, 2012
A Google Chairman believes that the “Great Firewall” of China will soon fall and leave an opening for a political change of the longstanding Chinese system of web censorship.
Eric Schmidt, head of Google’s board and chief spokesman speaks up about his beliefs on the ultimate failure of censorship in a recent article, “Eric Schmidt: The Great Firewall of China Will Fall.” Schmidt believes that China’s active and dynamic censorship will fail because open information will prevail. He believes this will lead to political and social liberalization across the country.
The article asserts Schmidt’s opinion:
“‘I personally believe that you cannot build a modern knowledge society with that kind of behavior, that is my opinion,’ he said. ‘I think most people at Google would agree with that. The natural next question is when [will China change], and no one knows the answer to that question. [But] in a long enough time period, do I think that this kind of regime approach will end? I think absolutely.’”
We are sure China is taking this insight to heart and will be watching for immediate changes in the next week or so. And what about those Google filters for certain words and firearms? That is obviously not censorious in any way, shape, or form.
Andrea Hayden, July 14, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Google Said to Add Insult to Injury in Security Loophole Case
July 14, 2012
If this description is accurate, it is far from reassuring. Saket Jojodia’s wrote in his Tecko Blog, “Google Apps Loophole Let You Access Other’s Domain Login Details.” The loophole itself is disturbing enough. Jojodia’s experience when trying to report it is infuriating. Of course, we only have his side of the story, but past reports suggest there may be more than a grain of truth here.
I won’t pretend to understand the technical details behind the way Jojodia discovered the issue, and it’s kind of a moot point since he says it has now been fixed. Something in the process of changing his Google Apps (GA) name server allowed him to see someone else’s login details. He diligently contacted that individual, then called in to report this significant problem to Google. Here is what he says happened:
“When got in contact with one of their support team they were not believing me that there can be any kind of such security flaws in their system and to explain them about this it took me more than an hour and still I wasn’t able to see Good sign that they are taking me seriously and I also heard one of them was laughing when I was trying to explain them about it. I thought why I should waste my precious time by helping them, as they started laughing on me. It made me really angry but for the sake of millions of domains which were bought through GA so to help those people who bought I again tried to explain them and still I wasn’t able to see any positive sign. “
Eventually, Jojodia convinced the Googlers with a screenshot, and the problem was finally fixed. But no one should be so harassed when trying to perform a good deed. Judging by his writing style, American English is probably not his first language; it might have been his accent they were allegedly laughing at. How unprofessional can you get?
Cynthia Murrell, July 14, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
LinkedIn and Desperation Marketing: The State Farm Case
July 13, 2012
I am all for making sales. What I found interesting this week (July 8 to July 12, 2012) was a flurry of four spam emails from what I believe to be LinkedIn’s marketing operation. I poked around a little and realized that I had signed up for a Louisville (Kentucky) sales discussion group. When I say “I”, one of the goslings who manages my social presence on LinkedIn joined the group. We are researching the local market for a project, and I assume joining a LinkedIn group of local businesses was a good idea. Wrong.
Is this State Farm’s favorite marketing department lunch meat? Yummy, spam.
The sender was a person who believed that I would be interested in an “Entrepreneurial Career Opportunity” with State Farm Insurance. Now anyone who runs a query for me on Bing, Google, or Yandex will be able to conclude that I probably am a long shot for this type of work:
After reviewing your LinkedIn profile, I was impressed with the experiences you’ve had in your career and would love the chance to chat with you regarding our career opportunities!I am expecting several openings in 2012/2013 in Louisville and surrounding areas. I am looking for qualified candidates to become our next State Farm Agents. We offer a 7 month paid training program at your current salary (subject to a cap of $144K). Following your training you would earn renewable income from an existing book of business, $30,000 in signing bonuses, retirement benefits, worldwide travel incentives, office set-up assistance and more. We are not a franchise, so there is NO franchise fee to start a business with State Farm. We have an 85% success rate on all new agents and the support system that we offer to our agents is the best in the industry. This is a great business opportunity!I’m not necessarily looking for someone who is looking for a job; I’m looking for highly successful individuals…
The job is to earn six figures selling insurance in Louisville. Okay. Now Louisville is in my view wallowing in the economic hog slop. There are quite a few people out of work. I know because we are adding staff to Augmentext, so I have a pretty good sense of the level of desperation in the job market. I don’t understand why State Farm is having such a tough time finding door to door, hammer dialing, bright white teeth and big smile workers. Unemployment is about 15 percent, maybe as high as 20 percent around Harrod’s Creek. What’s up?
I did some poking around and the sender is a State Farm insurance person is based in Nashville and has a colleague named Jerry D. I wrote Ms. Swing, suggesting she do a better job of screening her spam. I also requested that she not spam me with four identical emails in a span of minutes. One works just fine, thank you. She apparently told her boss, “Jerry”, whom I had a tough time understanding on his panting and nerve-tinged voice mail. Jerry wanted me to call him so he could explain the process used by State Farm. He gave me a phone number to call too: 615 692 6149. I did not call. You feel free to call.
UN Deems Online Freedoms as Important as Offline Freedoms
July 13, 2012
The New York Times Bits blog recently reported on the ongoing debate regarding government’s right to restrict web access in the article “U.N Affirms Internet Freedom as a Basic Right.”
According to the article, United Nations Human Rights Council passed a non-binding resolution saying that citizens of all countries have the same rights to freedom of expression online as they do offline. This puts pressure on the technology companies that currently create the products used by governments to monitor their citizens to protect Internet freedoms.
The article states:
“One of the most common challenges for Internet companies with global operations is dealing with local laws that prohibit certain kinds of content, like certain kinds of references to the royal family in Thailand or atheism in Turkey. Google and Twitter publish how many requests they receive to remove content and how often they comply with the requests. Facebook, the world’s largest social network, does not, but it says that it removes posts and pages that are illegal in certain jurisdictions and violate the company’s terms of service.”
Even though this resolution is non-binding, it will do a lot to show the hypocritical countries that currently censor content. The real question is, will the Internet companies stop selling their products to these countries based on a commitment to personal liberties.
Jasmine Ashton, July 13, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
How to Replace All Occurrences of SharePoint Web Part
July 13, 2012
SharePoint 2010 Web Parts are a modular unit of information that consists of a title bar, a frame, and content. They are the basic building blocks of a Web Part page. In “Replace SharePoint 2010 Web Parts by Type,” the author provides a cmdlet that allows you to replace all occurrences of one web part type with another type.
The author explains his PowerShell solution:
The Replace-SPWebPartType cmdlet accepts an URL to a web part page (or an instance of an SPFile object) and a string or Type object representing the type of web part to replace and what to replace it with; you can further restrict what web parts are updated by providing a web part title to filter on and you can pass in additional properties to set via a Hashtable object (closed web parts are ignored).
This tool may come in handy in a number of different situations, such as discovering a buggy web part. Let’s say you deploy a custom web part and remove the out of the box web part from the gallery, but then you need to replace the existing instances that are deployed on pages throughout your farm. The cmdlet and full help are provided in the article. You may want to bookmark the solution for an easy fix in those occasional Web part replacement occurrences. One way to avoid some Web part replacement needs is by employing a reliable third party solution. To maximize your SharePoint investments beyond implementation, consider Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Part of the full suite of solutions is the Fabasoft Folio Connector, which provides uniform, reliable management of your digital content.
With on-premise and Cloud information pairing capabilities, Mindbreeze provides a comprehensive and enterprise-grade solution that adds rich value to your business knowledge. Read more at Mindbreeze, where they seem to have the benefits of a proper installation down pat.
Philip West, July 13, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Dassault Unveils New Solution for Auto Industry
July 13, 2012
Traditionally, the manufacturing industry have been the primary implementers of product lifecycle management (PLM) because of the enormous losses that can occur when production lines and teams duplicate processes and fail to revise concepts in a timely manner. The automobile industry is one of the manufacturers with the highest stakes – especially in today’s economy. That has led one of the leaders in PLM solutions, Dassault, to offer a new solution aimed specifically at the auto industry. The ‘Smart, Safe & Connected Car’ is highlighted in the CFO World article, “Dassault Systèmes Launches “Smart, Safe & Connected Car” Industry Solution Experience”.
As the article explains,
“Dassault Systèmes’ “Smart, Safe & Connected Car” industry solution experience is comprised of multiple applications implemented in a modular approach and focused on early virtual vehicle validation. With this solution, automakers can successfully manage vehicle complexity by uniting various disconnected domain specific tools on a single platform, thus enabling dynamic testing of multiple systems engineering disciplines. Users can achieve knowledge re-use, safety targets and reduction of embedded electronics development time and cost.”
Even if one’s company isn’t in the automobile industry or manufacturing at that PLM solutions can have quite a positive effect on the bottom line. Innovative PLM providers understand the demands of all industries and strive to create solutions that get to the heart of the problem – data management. By creating efficient, new data management solutions PLM can streamline any enterprises processes and eliminate waste and duplication.
Catherine Lamsfuss, July 13, 2012
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