The Risks of Data Fragmentation
September 20, 2013
Our big-data age has grown a new challenge—”data fragmentation.” ITProPortal examines the growing problem in, “Shadow IT: The Struggle to Protect Corporate Information in the Face of Growing Data Fragmentation.” The extensive interview with Mimecast’s chief strategy officer, Matthew Ravden, examines the issue, from defining the problem to offering advice on how to deal with it. (Note that Mimecast offers services to combat fragmentation.)
The more fragmented (or widely dispersed) a company’s data is, the harder it is to control who can access it. The problem lies largely in the cloud, but also with information distributed across a company’s network. Complicating the issue are workers who skirt their IT department and its fussy rules, storing data however and wherever, they see fit. Revden explains:
“Ultimately, the employee is at the heart of this issue; using multiple applications and devices, often without the IT manager’s knowledge. You can understand why they do it; they want to be able to use the same applications and embrace the same ‘sharing’ culture at work that they do in their personal lives. They also sometimes feel forced to use consumer-grade tools because of the restrictions placed on them by IT, including the size of files that can be sent via the corporate email system. Of course, most employees are not conscious of the risk – they just want to use a fast and easy service which will help them get their job done. As well as identifying the potential third-party services used, IT managers need to educate users on the risks involved, in order to ensure corporate policies are respected.”
The interview discusses the business and security risks of fragmentation, the roles cloud services and email play, and steps businesses can take to fight the problem (including educating workers to the importance of the issue). It even touches on the responsibility of cloud vendors. The piece does conclude with a plug for Mimecast, but that should not deter one from reading the article. Check it out for more information on this uniquely modern issue.
Cynthia Murrell, September 20, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Washington Post Journalist Comments on Bezos Deal
September 20, 2013
One of the esteemed reporters at the Washington Post calls for Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who famously bought the paper this summer, to respect the talent already in place at that historic publication. TechEye.net informs us, “Top WaPo Journalist Pens Open Missive to Jeff Bezos.” The award-winning Gene Weingarten recalls another time when he faced demands from on high at another publication:
“Weingarten presents an anecdote from his days editing the Tropic where publishes exerted pressure on editorial to run positive stories about corporate masters Knight-Ridder, ‘inevitably uncritical, nakedly celebratory, and drenched in self-promotion’. He and his colleagues declined, as they were ‘trying to establish a feisty, pugnacious identity, and being a corporate suckup toady lickspittle didn’t fit in with our plans’.”
We love that quote, which so colorfully sets the stage for any changes Bezos may attempt to impose on his new property. This time, though, Weingarten seems at least a little optimistic. He writes:
“You have bought a place filled with enormously talented and dedicated journalists who are, at the moment, terrified at the prospect of change we don’t really understand. . . . You are obviously a good businessman. I hope you have a clear vision of where to take this remarkable enterprise.”
We hope so, too. Investigative journalism, as important as it is to our society, has been fading fast. Will Bezos be the one to save it?
Cynthia Murrell, September 20, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Android Open Source Cred Questioned
September 20, 2013
As Android gains market share, eWeek ponders, “Is Android Really Open Source?” At the core of the question is the core of the Android operating system—the very ability to boot. It’s like walking out the door without your car key—you won’t get far without that little piece. Writer Sean Michael Kerner explains:
“You see, there is Google Android, the project that Google builds and shares with its handset partners, then there is the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The two are not exactly the same. One of them includes proprietary technologies that are not available as open source (guess which one?)
“Jean-Baptiste Quéru, the maintainer of AOSP abruptly quit his post this week, throwing into question the viability of Android as an open-source effort.
“‘There’s no point being the maintainer of an Operating System that can’t boot to the home screen on its flagship device for lack of GPU support,’ Quéru stated in a G+ post.
“The challenge that Quéru is referring to is the ability of AOSP to boot on the Nexus 4 and 7 devices. Apparently there are some proprietary bits that silicon vendor Qualcomm is not making available as open source, without which AOSP will not boot.”
Kerner sees this as an issue that goes beyond Android. Mozilla, for example, must be considering the same thorny question as it sees the launch of Firefox OS phones. Though a legacy of proprietary components inevitably complicates the mobile OS landscape, the inclusion of proprietary code within the very kernel required to even boot the device does seem particularly egregious. Kerner hopes for the emergence of a vendor who will “build a ‘pure’ open-source hardware platform from silicon on up.” We shall see.
Cynthia Murrell, September 20, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Autonomy Founder Invokes a Tech Fund
September 19, 2013
Navigate to “Autonomy Founder Slams HP Concerns, Launches Fund.” The article reports that the well-connected Mike Lynch, founder of Autonomy and European tech superstar, has rounded up $1 billion. The new Invoke Capital will invest in promising technology companies. The idea, according to the write up, is:
take them through to create more giants.
I like giants, particularly healthy giants. Mr. Lynch is robust and, fingers crossed, not immersed in projects designed to create cyborgs and engineer life extension. Well, at least not yet.
In the write up, were three interesting points unrelated to Mr. Lynch’s Invoke. I noted:
- Rounding up $1 billion makes it clear that the HP allegations have had little impact on Mr. Lynch.
- HP has created a situation which Mr. Lynch sees as a “great shame.” I agree. HP has difficulty getting me printer ink which works in my Photosmart 7960. I reasoned, “Why would HP handle complex software differently?”
- Invoke wants to focus on European technology companies. My thought is that Mr. Lynch perceives the US Silicon Valley scene as one which can be tapped if necessary. But innovation is shifting its geographical constraints. Does anyone working on Sand Hill Road know where the European innovations center are? (The answer is neither Paris nor London.)
One bit of good news, however. The “real” Autonomy bashers who enjoyed lashing out at Mr. Lynch and his successful Autonomy venture can now track Invoke. For failed Webmasters and frustrated content management specialists, Invoke is likely to provide plenty of opportunities to criticize Mike Lynch. The bad news is that frustration directed as someone as successful as Mr. Lynch reflects more on the “real” character of the “experts” who find fault with Mr. Lynch, his innovations, and his management methods.
From my point of view, Mr. Lynch has several billion reasons to his backing some companies with interesting, useful products and services.
Stephen E Arnold, September 19, 2013
Struggle Continues Between Google and SEO Field
September 19, 2013
ZDNet has caught our attention with the provocative headline, “Did Google Just Kill PR Agencies?” Alas, we doubt that anyone can “kill” PR. However, Google’s new link and keyword rules do limit some of the tools in the public-relations toolkit. Specifically, anything Google views as outright PageRank manipulation will be considered part of a “link scheme,” and a violation of their Webmaster Guidelines. The PageRank police seem particularly concerned about those who seed pages with irrelevant links and optimized anchor text.
Writer Tom Foremski cries foul. He expects that, for example, press releases that repeat the use of an important word will be penalized for keyword stuffing. He also takes issue with the prohibition against links within anchor text distributed to multiple sites, since pushing press releases and other promotional content to a range of sites is a common practice. In short, the industry is being punished for methods that have become routine. Foremski summarizes:
PR agencies face three big problems:
– Their current and former clients could become very upset with them because of perfectly acceptable prior PR practices designed to promote their business — instead of the viral, organic growth based on happy customers, which is what Google now wants to see.
– PR agencies could be held liable for the damage they caused to the online reputation of client businesses through the execution of normal practices. It could lead to legal action and compensation claims on millions of dollars in lost sales.
– PR agencies have to wake up to the fact that Google is now their competitor. How do they promote a client when Google punishes any form of paid online promotion? Good luck with that one.
Sigh. I’m sorry, but from here this all feels very American MBA-ish. Will PR companies really throw in the towel in the face of this evolving challenge? Somehow, I think they will find ways to adapt. In fact, they will most likely devise methods even more intrusive than those Google is working to banish. So, no worries.
Cynthia Murrell, September 19, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
IBM Closer to Mimicking Human Brain
September 19, 2013
Isn’t this the holy grail for computing? Gigaom tells us that “IBM Researchers Get Closer to Brain-Like Computing.” I suppose it should come as no surprise that this progress has taken place within a DARPA-funded project that IBM Research is working on, called SyNAPSE (Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics). The team is headed by IBM researcher Dharmendra Modha; the article tells us:
“In recent years, Modha and his fellow researchers have simulated a brain larger than a cat cortex and built chips that function like a human brain (pictured), adapting in response to new information in real time.
“Researchers have since developed a massively parallel, multi-threaded software simulator for its brain-like architecture. The simulation covers 2 billion neurosynaptic cores all connected with one another, representing around 100 trillion synapses, which is roughly equivalent to the number inside of a human brain, Modha said. . . .
“In addition to the simulation, researchers have also built a neuron mathematical model, or a set of equations, that can be easily implemented with a few transistors in silicon, Modha said.”
Very interesting. The write-up goes on to describe the corresponding, object-oriented Corelet programming language, which produces “corelets,” defined as:
“. . . abstractions of a network of neurosynaptic cores. The corelet system and language are more appropriate than traditional computing methods for handling lots of simple tasks and processing them at the same time the way a human brain does.”
See the write-up for more details on the software, development environment, and associated curriculum. Where will it all lead? Well, consider the (funding) source; immediate applications are naturally expected to involve such things as drones and unmanned armored vehicles. However, like other military-funded inventions throughout history, there will likely be civilian applications in our future, as well.
For now, we have just one question—is there a transplant in Watson‘s future?
Cynthia Murrell, September 19, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Raritan Picks up Another Partner in AWS
September 19, 2013
In a move that brings enhanced UI customization to Amazon‘s CloudSearch, PR Newsire announces, “Raritan Releases Dynamic Search User Interface on Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace.” They call the tool, sensibly enough, the CloudSearch Plus User Interface, and the press release tells us:
“This search solution, which interacts with Amazon’s CloudSearch product, is now for sale on the AWS Marketplace. Raritan’s search UI is easily configured to access any CloudSearch collection, customizable for each company’s unique interface requirements and enables mobility for content retrieval and accessibility.”
The write-up emphasizes four features of the product: enhanced, integrated search and navigation; accessibility via mobile devices; security and usability features; and the ability to customize UI elements like logos, fonts, and color schemes. This is not Raritan’s first venture into an enterprise search partnership. The article notes that the search solution firm:
“. . .has partnered with and worked with most of the top Enterprise Search engines, including Autonomy, Endeca, Fast, Google, LucidWorks (SOLR/Lucene), Verity and X1. This partnership with AWS (CloudSearch) will broaden Raritan’s offerings, enabling small and medium sized enterprises to experience the benefits of high-end search and Big Data solutions at a lower price.”
Raritan offers a range of data-management software and services. Though they have historically concentrated on the pharmaceutical industry, they also serve clients in the publishing, finance, commerce, and science/technology sectors. The company makes its home in Flemington, New Jersey.
Cynthia Murrell, September 19, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
LucidWorks Redesign Reflects Internal and External Success
September 18, 2013
LucidWorks has long been a leader in open source value-added enterprise solutions. One reason for their continued success is the ability to remain agile, and adjust to a changing market. LucidWorks is at it again with their latest redesign. At first glance, it is very noticeable from the outside – the LucidWorks Web site.
The design uses a slide show motif and a variation of the “card” approach to information presentation. Tasty stuff. See www.lucidworks.com
The new site looks great. Scrolling subject headings like “Big Data,” “eCommerce,” and “Knowledge Management” alert the user to the major areas where LucidWorks can make a big impact in the enterprise. Major business like Zappos and Sears are highlighted as Solr powered operations, the same open-source foundation that gives LucidWorks its abilities. User experience is front and center for the new Web layout.
However, the redesign is not just skin deep. LucidWorks Search 2.6 is the latest upgrade on the industry-standard product. The solution is built on Lucene/Solr 4.4 with REST APIs for schema definition and LucidWorks Flare to bring analytics to search results. And while LucidWorks Search and LucidWorks Big Data have been the bread and butter of the company for years, the LucidWorks Marketplace expands download ability into an app marketplace. Not only are partner products that run on Solr also available, but key components of the LucidWorks Search architecture are broken down into individualized downloads, allowing customers to obtain the specific components necessary for their customized architecture.
LucidWorks stays successful the company has been able to adapt to a changing market and giving customers what they need in a changing marketplace and information environment. The latest update by LucidWorks is just a reflection of management competence.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 19, 2013
A Lament for the State of Analysis Tech in Economics
September 18, 2013
It seems like state-of-the-art analysis tools would be a priority in the data-rich field of finance. That’s why it is startling to learn that the technology being used by economic analysts and consultants seems to be stuck in the era of Windows 95. About Data shares a data-loving former economist’s lament in, “Bridging Economics and Data Science.”
Blogger Sam Bhagwat majored in economics because he was intrigued by innovative uses of data in that field; for example, a professor of his had gleaned conclusions about European patent law from a set of 19th century industrial-fair records. As he progressed, though, Bhagwat came to the disappointing realization that his field still relies on technology for which “outdated” is putting it mildly. He writes:
“When I graduated, the questions had changed, but the fundamental tools of analysis remained constant. Half of my classmates, including me, were headed to consulting or investment banking. These are ‘spreadsheet monkey’ positions analyzing client financial and operational data.
“In terms of relationship-building, this is great. Joining high strategy or high finance, you walk through the halls of power and learn to feel comfortable there. But in terms of technical skill-set, not so great. You begin to specialize in spreadsheets, a tool which hasn’t significantly improved since 1995.
“For someone like me, who wants to solve the most interesting problems out there, dealing with gigabytes and terabytes of data, realizing this was bitter medicine. Computational data analysis has changed a lot in the last twenty years, but my career track — economics, consulting, finance — hadn’t.”
So that is how one inquiring mind decided to make the leap from economics to data science. Bhagwat says he taught himself programming so he could pursue work he actually found challenging. I wonder, though—will he use his dual expertise to help bridge the gap between the two disciplines, or has he moved on, never to look back?
Cynthia Murrell, September 18, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Speeding Up Big Data With Platfora
September 18, 2013
Processing big data is slow and requires companies to depend heavily on their IT departments to compile reports. What if there was a way to make big data faster with a self-access system? Is someone programming castles in the sky? According to Info World, the answer is no and the article, “Platfora CEO: How We Deliver Sharper Analytics Faster” has some information that possibly verifies it. After a brief rundown of big data’s history, it gets to the interesting part that references how developers were not supposed to build data warehouses until they knew what question to ask their data. The problem is that questions change and analysts then cannot get the exact data they need.
Analysts and developers big challenges at the edge of big data: amount and type of data is growing at an exponential rate, nobody can know all the exact questions they need to ask in advance, maintain competiveness, and answer unanticipated questions. The biggest item the article claims analysts need is self-service.
Platfora then steps up to the bat with its new business intelligence platform:
“The integrated platform we developed to support a new era of self-service analytics helps to remove the obstacles to business intelligence described earlier by enabling an “interest-driven pipeline” of data controlled by the end-user. The end-user — typically a business analyst — can access raw data directly from Hadoop, which is then transformed into interactive, in-memory business intelligence. There is no need for a data warehouse or for separate ETL (extract, transfer, load) software and the headaches described above.”
Self-empowerment and the ability to find new data patterns all on your own. Are we seeing the next big data phase? Platfora is making analytics “sharp.” Cue the ZZ Top music.
Whitney Grace, September 18, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
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