Predictive Analysis Forms Its Own Vocal Reality Search
March 4, 2014
Did you ever think that predictive analytics would be used to determine the next singing sensation? I did not think so. “SAPVoice: How To Predict A Future Pop Star” from Forbes details how music labels are using data to find star power. The form of predictive analytics is called predictive business. Despite its immaterial aspects, music does contain many data points:
“Her record label, Universal Music Group taps thousands of data points generated daily for the artists it manages that reveal how particular customer segments are responding to them. Managers search a database of a million interview subjects, containing data on everything from where a consumer shops to the new music she prefers. With such tools at hand, YouTube won’t be the only way to find the next stars; scouts will also dig through the data.”
It is not just the music industry tapping into this new resource. Consumer goods, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing are using it to signal red flags and increase efficiency.
SAP steps in with its own predictive business model that focuses on predicting with accuracy, determining the best actions to take based on the data, and act fast on the data results. This approach has paid off for many companies.
Will the singing capitals of the world embrace SAP’s methodology? Don’t some disaffected recording moguls shoot handguns when disaffected? If the software does not deliver value, will there be gunplay at a Las Vegas intersection or maybe Wall Street if it does not pay off in the finance sector?
Whitney Grace, March 04, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Microsoft Releases Service Pack 1
March 4, 2014
As with all software, updates and patches are inevitable and necessary. Microsoft subtly rolled out its first for the 2013 suite just this week. Read more in the Redmond Magazine article, “Microsoft Quietly Releases SP1 for Office 2013, Exchange 2013 and SharePoint 2013.”
The article says:
“Later, in a blog post today, Microsoft indicated that SP1 was released for Office 2013, Exchange 2013 and SharePoint 2013. SP1 for Office 2013 can be obtained from the Microsoft Download Center or the Windows Server Update Services catalog or it will get pushed down through Windows Update in ‘the next 30 days.’ Exchange 2013 SP1 and SharePoint 2013 SP1 can be accessed through the Microsoft Download Center.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search a frequent contributor to SharePoint discussions. Through his information service, ArnoldIT.com, he gives a good perspective on all things search, including the good and bad of SharePoint. Perhaps Service Pack 1 will undo some of the “bad” that has gotten his attention.
Emily Rae Aldridge, March 4, 2014
Valuable TeraText Report Now Available
March 3, 2014
The legacy of TeraText is long, but many in the information field have never heard of the pioneering database. Our own Stephen E. Arnold shares his extensive knowledge on the subject in a free 30-page analysis, “TeraText: Decades in the Making, Still Performing Mission Critical Functions.” The report is number 11 in Mr. Arnold’s valuable Vendor Profiles series. Why should we learn about a veteran like TeraText? He explains:
“TeraText provides a robust, scalable information processing system to government entities in the U.S., Australia, and elsewhere. TeraText is the forerunner of such systems as Recorded Future (funded by In-Q-Tel and Google) and IBM i2 Analyst Notebook. Yet most vendors marketing search and content processing systems are unaware of this important system. My report fills an important gap in the literature describing advanced information retrieval systems.”
Originally funded by university research grants, TeraText became a core system for governmental entities in law-making, defense, and intelligence. Perhaps the system’s low profile stems from the company’s sales approach; they prefer to capture a few large-scale contracts on their product’s merits, rather than capture widespread attention with flashy marketing.
If you are not familiar with the Vendor Profile series, you owe it to yourself to check out this free resource. Arnold brings his formidable expertise to bear on analyses of search and content processing vendors like Convera, Entopia, Fulcrum, and Verity. These papers are no thin giveaways; they rival reports from firms that charge as much as $3,500. Arnold’s shares this work for free, because he believes knowledge about foundational search systems can help companies make better decisions about vendor claims. He also hopes that spreading basic information about important search and content processing systems will speed up innovation in this typically sluggish field.
Cynthia Murrell, March 03, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Moving Towards The Future While Relying On The Old
March 3, 2014
We like to think we’ve left old computing formats in the past, but the Financial Review points out that is a misconception in “Cloud Computing Still Has a Mainframe Lining.” Organizations and governments in Australia are spouting their cloud-based policies left and right. The Australian Information Industry Association commissioned KPMG to estimate how the cloud can benefit the nation’s GDP. It showed that the nation would gain between $2-3 billion.
There has been criticism of the estimate that KPMG did not consider the benefits of on-site computing. KPMG was not asked to include this in their estimate. Australia is not even close to getting rid of their on-site setups. The move to the cloud is coming, but it is moving very slowly.
So mainframes will be around for a while:
“It is worth also noting that server platforms such as the mainframe – pronounced dead several times over the years – continue to play a critical role in most of Australia’s largest enterprises and government agencies, especially with core financial systems at the heart of the economy.
Australian Government Information Office data says mainframe spending among federal government agencies, for example, has remained around 6 per cent to 7 per cent of total government ICT expenditure for the past few years.”
Are we throwing the baby out with the bath water? For many organizations it is cheaper to remain with on-site computing than switching all functions over to the cloud. Face it, the current generation is entrenched in on-site computers. Cloud computing will take over, eventually.
Whitney Grace, March 03, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Oracle Reduces Students’ Nonpayments
March 3, 2014
Usually when money and students are mentioned in headlines, it is about student debt and the rising cost of tuition. Oracle has a more positive headline about this topic: “Metropolitan State University Reduces Students’ Nonpayments From US$4 Million To US$700,000 Per Year.”
Metropolitan State University is based in Minnesota. The college was experiencing a $4 million loss in students not paying their tuition. The solution was to deploy Oracle RightNow to improve communication channels with students and establish a student-relationship system to keep track of conversations.
After deploying Oracle RightNow, the immediate problems were resolved. It provided a centralized system that sent quick and individualized responses, improved efficiency, reduced application tracking, and most importantly send out trigger messages to students reducing student nonpayments from $4 million to $700,000 a year.
Metro State selected Oracle, because:
“ ‘We chose Oracle RightNow for its extensive reporting and analytics capabilities, which are far better than any other higher education customer relationship management tool on the market. Having the ability to easily put rich data in the hands of our advisors has really propelled us to the next level,’ said Andrew Melendres, vice president, student affairs and enrollment management, Metropolitan State University.”
Universities are slashing budgets left and right. Gaining several million in revenue from unpaid student tuition boosted Metro State’s budget and made them an example for other schools. We would expect that Harvard, Yale, and Stanford will follow Metro State’s lead.
Whitney Grace, March 03, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Windows 8 Integration with SharePoint
March 3, 2014
The switchover to Windows 8 has left many organizations wondering what to do about SharePoint integration. At first glance, native SharePoint support within the new operating system seems negligible. However, a few features reveal themselves upon further inspection. Search Windows Server covers the news in their report, “What’s New for Windows 8 Integration with SharePoint?”
The article says:
“You may have heard that Microsoft made some changes to the File Explorer in Windows 8.1. Libraries are hidden by default and a link to SkyDrive appears in its place. If you choose to unhide the Libraries, you’ll notice that the Libraries folder contains two Documents folders. One of these folders corresponds to the local PC while the other points to SkyDrive. The point behind all of this is that Microsoft is trying to encourage end users to save documents on SkyDrive rather than on their local computer.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and often covers SharePoint on his information service, ArnoldIT.com. Arnold has found that whenever new SharePoint versions are released, or a new Windows OS is released, customers have to adjust to the changes, and user experience often suffers. Focusing on the improvements can often help organizations market the new changes.
Emily Rae Aldridge, March 3, 2014
IBM Watson Staff Changes: Off to a VC
March 2, 2014
I was traveling when the Wall Street Journal story “Watson Head’s Departure Raises Questions About IBM Moonshot” appeared. (This story may be behind the WSJ paywall, gentle reader.)
Nevertheless, I wanted to post my view of this interesting staff change. The main point of the story is that Manoj Saxena, once “head” of the Watson project, allegedly abandoned IBM Watson for greener pastures.
According to the write up, IBM said:
Creating an ecosystem of applications based on Watson is a linchpin of IBM’s strategy to turn it into a multi-billion business. Last fall, IBM announced it would open up the Watson technology to software developers in a bid to turn it into a platform much like Apple did with its App Store.
The article pointed out that 20 weeks ago, Manoj Saxena allegedly said:
“In my mind, this is the key to growing Watson to $10 billion,” said Saxena on the October conference call. “It is a tall order, but I think we can do it.”
Perhaps it is easier to assist IBM from outside the company? Perhaps someone in Manoj Saxena’s circle of acquaintances pointed out that it took Autonomy 15 years to generate about $850 million in revenue. IBM wants to beat this goal by a factor of 10 in five years?
Search and content processing are markets ripe with opportunities. From the user’s point of view, systems have become obsessed with graphics. But the precision and recall of the niftiest of today’s systems are not much better than technology available 20 years ago. In fact, some of the 20 year old systems are still in use and being sold today. Even Google is getting on towards 15 year old systems and methods for its Google Search Appliance.
My view is that if Palantir, IBM Watson, and Hewlett Packard are able to hit their revenue goals for their next generation technology—the market with money in hand is going to have to change significantly. Add in the pressure from outfits like Elasticsearch and once promising technologies like those from Coveo, Digital Reasoning, and Lexmark (ISYS Search). There are quite a few companies chasing after available deals. Even Kentucky teens are nosing into the chase. See, for example, http://bit.ly/1gM0j86. Even IBM’s non Watson units like i2 Group are likely to be competing for projects as well.
In a big company, one can get paid to research. When it comes time to sell, suddenly the job shifts from the “ideal” to the “really hard.” This Watson drama is one worth watching. In the case of Manoj Saxena, the better perspective is one from outside IBM.
Stephen E Arnold, March 3, 2014
Faceted Search Is Now A Common Feature
March 2, 2014
SearchBlox is “Moving From Simple Search To Faceted Search,” says a new press release. The article says that as the amount of data increased, it completed search and users needed a more complex and robust feature. Ecommerce Web sites are touted as popularizing faceted search that returned results based on information attributes or facets on content. Faceted search makes searching smarter and gives users better control of displayed search results.
There are many products that offer faceted search. SearchBlox’s offers some familiar and different features:
“Customers often pose the question around what types of facets are available for display within SearchBlox and what UI is best suited to offer the best facet selection for the end users. SearchBlox, out-of-the-box provides keywords, date, content type and content size facets for display but provides the framework to create a facet without any coding. You can edit our html plug-in within SearchBlox to add or remove facets or even set a different display name for a facet field. You can create term, date or number range faceting on the fly without touching a schema file or any backend. The facets can be specified on the query string and created on the fly to return the right number of values.”
Faceted search is already a common feature on most search engines and has been for over twenty years. Why has it taken so long for a company like SearchBlox to finally make it standard? As a side note, it is also available on Google’s uber expensive Google Search Appliance.
Whitney Grace, March 02, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Splunk: The Run Up May Have Hit a Glass Ceiling
March 1, 2014
I read “Splunk’s Q4 Expenses Run Hot as It Adds Salespeople.” I think of a Splunk as a search and data access system that helps make sense of log files. I know that Splunk does more, but once I get an idea in my head, it is sometimes overly persistent.
The write up presented some interesting information.
- Splunk is running up its expenses
- Some of the expenses are related to hiring sales people to make sales (obviously)
- Other costs were related to marketing a “hot” company’s wares.
Splunk is confident that the losses are anomalous.
I am not sure I agree. The simple reason is that Splunk’s success has given developers the idea that open source software can do what Splunk does better, faster, and cheaper. Usually, one has to pick two of these attributes.
But—and this is a big “but”—the thorn in Splunk’s side is Elasticsearch. The open source search system works wonders on some of the data that Splunk embraced. The Elasticsearch outfit is flush with cash from its recent round of funding. Even the azure chip “real journalist” operation at InfoWorld called Elasticsearch “hip.”
Other, probably less “hip” competitors like Lucid Works (formerly Lucid Imagination) want in on the Splunk game. Lucid wants to partner; Elasticseaerch wants to let its legions of developer fanatics take the company wherever the Elasticsearch technology makes sense.
In my opinion, Splunk has a developer perception problem. I am not sure hiring sales people and pumping money into marketing is going to blunt the short and mid term impact of the Elasticsearch juggernaut.
Stephen E Arnold, March 1, 2014
OpenText Innovates In File Sync And Share
March 1, 2014
OpenText announces its new product: OpenText Tempo. The new file sharing collaboration platform is highlighted in the press release, “Social Collaboration Combined With Secure Files Sync and Share: Introducing OpenText Tempo.” OpenText describes Tempo as a project that required teamwork from all over the world.
OpenText Tempo will be able to:
“…provides an engaging user experience that combines the convenience of secure file sync and share with social collaboration and seamless integration to Content Server. It connects people with each other and with their content in a secure, compliant environment that enables open dialogues to take place, extending the value of content through the process of collaboration.”
It is the company’s first EIM application with integration for other products, including Tempo Note, Tempo Social, and Tempo Box. OpenText also says it improves Web site management, web experience management, and portal applications.
It is a commercially secure file sharing and social platform. Will Dropbox and other free services be able to something similar on at an appealing price point?
Whitney Grace, March 01, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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