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Enterprise Search: Can Word Choice Rescue a Dogpaddling Business?

May 23, 2013

I read “Ontology Slays Data Integration and Ignites Semantic Search Revolution.” I found several things interesting about the write up.

First, there is the word choice: “slays,” “ignites,” and “revolution.” In case you have forgotten, an ontology is, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia:

Though the term is used in this literal meaning by Clauberg (1625-1665) (Opp., p. 281), its special application to the first department of metaphysics was made by Christian von Wolff (1679-1754) (Philos. nat., sec. 73). Prior to this time “the science of being” had retained the titles given it by its founder Aristotle: “first philosophy”, “theology”, “wisdom”. The term “metaphysics” (q.v.) was given a wider extension by Wolff, who divided “real philosophy” into general metaphysics, which he called ontology, and special, under which he included cosmology, psychology, and theodicy. This programme has been adopted with little variation by most Catholicphilosophers. The subject-matter of ontology is usually arranged thus:

  1. The objective concept of being in its widest range, as embracing the actual and potential, is first analyzed, the problems concerned with essence (nature) and existence, “act” and “potency” are discussed, and the primary principles — contradiction, identity, etc. — are shown to emerge from the concept of entity.
  2. The properties coextensive with being — unity, truth, and goodness, and their immediately associated concepts, order and beauty — are next explained.
  3. The fundamental divisions of being into the finite and the infinite, the contingent and the necessary, etc., and the subdivisions of the finite into the categories (q.v.) substance and its accidents (quantity, quality, etc.) follow in turn — the objective — reality of substance, the meaning of personality, the relation of accidents to substance being the most prominent topics.
  4. The concluding portion of ontology is usually devoted to the concept of cause and its primary divisions — efficient and final, material and formal –the objectivity and analytical character of the principle of causality receiving most attention.

My reaction? The use of the term ontology in the context of “slays,” “ignites,” and “revolution” seems a little frisky.

Second, the product referenced in the news release offers some relief. I find the explanation of the product in terms of what it is not quite interesting; to wit:

Ontology 4 is built to five key principles that separate it from traditional data integration technologies:

  1. No schema – Ontology uses a searchable, semantic model built on proven graph-based technology.
  2. No Integration – Ontology uses a semantic model to find and combine data relating to business entities fragmented across the enterprise.
  3. No Big Bang – Ontology’s semantic model embraces on-going changes while delivering value early and iteratively over the duration of a project.
  4. No Search Restriction – Ontology’s semantic search find’s information across application data, documents and emails.
  5. No Upfront Risk. – No integration to data sources, No unnecessary tying up of team resources, No feasibility surprises, and No problem changing project requirements.

“The Internet is the world’s largest source of data, yet no one integrates it. They search it,” concluded Enweani. “So, when it comes to enterprise data, we say ‘Search, don’t Integrate.”

Third, enterprise search and the vendors engaged in the discipline demonstrated at two enterprise search summits in the last two weeks a strong shift away from the use of the word “search.” Synonyms included customer relationship management, discovery, search based applications, and similar distancing terms.

Perhaps more colorful word choice and the use of old style rhetorical flourishes will breathe life into a dogpaddling business sector. As one vendor which recently experienced a CEO shuffle because the firm once again missed its numbers, “We are now a platform.”

Will word choice deliver revenue? Investors hope so.

Stephen E Arnold, May 23, 2013

Sponsored by Augmentext

Written by Stephen E. Arnold · Filed Under Marketing, News, Search 

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