Contextual Search Recommended for Sales Pros
April 14, 2015
Sales-productivity pro Doug Winter penned “Traditional Search is Dying as Sales Organizations Make Way for “Context” for Entrepreneur. He explains how companies like Google, Apple, and Yahoo have long been developing “contextual” search, which simply means using data it has gathered about the user to deliver more relevant answers to queries, instead of relying on keywords alone. Consumers have been benefiting from this approach online for years now, and Winter says it’s time for salespeople to apply contextual search to their internal content. He writes:
“The key to how contextual search delivers on its magic is the fact that the most advanced ECM systems are, like Google’s search algorithms, much more knowledgeable about the person searching than we care to admit. What you as a sales rep see is tailored to you because when you sign in, the system knows what types of products you sell and in what geographic areas.”
“Tie in customer data from your customer relationship management (CRM) system and now the ECM knows what buying stage and industry your prospect is in. Leveraging that data, you as a rep shouldn’t then see a universe of content you have to manually sort through. Instead, according to Ring DNA, you should see just a handful of useful pieces you otherwise would have spent 30 hours a month searching for on your own.”
As long as the chosen algorithm succeeds in catching what a salesperson needs in its net, this shift could be a terrific time saver. Sales departments should do their research, however, before investing in any contextual-search tools.
Cynthia Murrell, April 14, 2015
Stephen E Arnold, Publisher of CyberOSINT at www.xenky.com
Set Data Free from PDF Tables
April 13, 2015
The PDF file is a wonderful thing. It takes up less space than alternatives, and everyone with a computer should be able to open one. However, it is not so easy to pull data from a table within a PDF document. Now, Computerworld informs us about a “Free Tool to Extract Data from PDFs: Tabula.” Created by journalists with assistance from organizations like Knight-Mozilla OpenNews, the New York Times and La Nación DATA, Tabula plucks data from tables within these files. Reporter Sharon Machlis writes:
“To use, download the software from the project website . It runs locally in your browser and requires a Java Runtime Environment compatible with Java 6 or 7. Import a PDF and then select the area of a table you want to turn into usable data. You’ll have the option of downloading as a comma- or tab-separated file as well as copying it to your clipboard.
“You’ll also be able to look at the data it captures before you save it, which I’d highly recommend. It can be easy to miss a column and especially a row when making a selection.”
See the write-up for a video of Tabula at work on a Windows system. A couple caveats: the tool will not work with scanned images. Also, the creators caution that, as of yet, Tabula works best with simple table formats. Any developers who wish to get in on the project should navigate to its GitHub page here.
Cynthia Murrell, April 13, 2015
Stephen E Arnold, Publisher of CyberOSINT at www.xenky.com
Microsoft Streamlining Update Process for SharePoint 2016
April 9, 2015
One of the most frequent complaints from SharePoint users and administrators is the cumbersome update process. It seems that Microsoft is listening and finally responding. Read more in the Redmond Channel Partner article, “Microsoft To Revamp Update Process for SharePoint 2016.”
The article sums up the news:
“The process of updating SharePoint Server will become less cumbersome in the next version of the product, according to a Microsoft executive. Speaking about the upcoming SharePoint 2016 during an IT Unity-hosted talk last Friday, Bill Baer, a Microsoft senior technical product manager and a Microsoft Certified Master for SharePoint, said that IT pros will get smaller updates and that applying them will entail less downtime for organizations.”
Less downtime for organizations will be a welcome change. Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime search expert, and has followed SharePoint through its ups and downs. He often finds that though SharePoint is the most widely adopted enterprise solution, its complicated nature and poor user experience often lead to perceived failures. Keep up with the latest SharePoint news on ArnoldIT.com, specifically the dedicated SharePoint feed, to determine if the streamlining of updates leads to higher marks for SharePoint.
Emily Rae Aldridge, April 9, 2015
Stephen E Arnold, Publisher of CyberOSINT at www.xenky.com
Google Altered Search Results?!
April 8, 2015
If you know anything about search results, search engine optimization, and search algorithms, you probably wondered if Google ever changed its search results so they would be favor one search result over another. Google already alters results with Google AdWords, the Right to Forgotten, and removing results if they break rules.
The FTC revealed via The Wall Street Journal that Google has been altering its search results for profit: “Inside The US Antitrust Probe Of Google.” The FTC found that Google was using its monopoly on search to harm Internet users and its rivals. FTC recommended a lawsuit be brought against Google for three of its practices. The FTC voted to end the investigation in 2013, which is strange, but they did so because they had competing recommendations.
Google continues to stand by its own innocence, citing that the case closed two years ago and that people continue to use its services. There is one big thing that the Wall Street Journal points out:
“On one issue—whether Google used anticompetitive tactics for its search engine—the competition staff recommended against a lawsuit, although it said Google’s actions resulted in “significant harm” to rivals. In three other areas, the report found evidence the company used its monopoly behavior to help its own business and hurt its rivals.”
Can this be considered part of their “do not evil” bylaw?
Whitney Grace, April 8, 2015
Stephen E Arnold, Publisher of CyberOSINT at www.xenky.com
AI May Give Edge to Small and Medium Businesses
April 7, 2015
Over at the B2B News Network, writer Rick Delgado shares some observations about the use of data-related AI in small and medium-sized businesses in his piece, “Building Business Intelligence Through Artificial Intelligence.” He asserts that using AI-enhanced data analysis can help such companies compete with the big players. He writes:
“Most smaller companies don’t have experienced IT technicians and data scientists familiar with the language required for proper data analysis. Having an AI feature allows employees to voice questions as they would normally talk, and even allows for simple-to-understand responses, as opposed to overly technical insights. The ability to understand a program is key to its functionality, and AI shortens the learning curve allowing organizations to get to work faster.”
The article observes that AI can help with sales and marketing by, for example, narrowing down leads to the most promising prospects. It can also make supply chains more efficient. Delgado notes that, though existing supply-chain tools are not very adaptable, he believes they will soon automatically adjust for changing factors like transportation costs or commodity prices around the world. The article concludes:
“Any attempt to predict how AI will evolve over the coming years is a fool’s errand, because every new discovery leads to countless possibilities. What we do know is that AI won’t remain restricted to just improving sales and organizational supply chain. Already we see its availability to everyday users with announcements like Microsoft combining AI with Windows. Experts are also exploring other possibilities, like using AI to improve network security, law enforcement and robotics. The important takeaway is that the combination of Big Data and AI will allow for rapid decisions that don’t require constant human oversight, improving both efficiency and productivity.”
Wonderful! We would caution our dear readers to look before they leap, however. To avoid wasting time and money, a company should know just what they need from their software before they go shopping.
Cynthia Murrell, April 7, 2015
Stephen E Arnold, Publisher of CyberOSINT at www.xenky.com
Apache Sparking Big Data
April 3, 2015
Apache Spark is an open source cluster computing framework that rivals MapReduce. Venture Beat says that people did not pay that much attention to Apache Spark when it was first invented at University of California’s AMPLAB in 2011. The article, “How An Early Bet On Apache Spark Paid Off Big” reports the big data open source supporters are adopting Apache Spark, because of its superior capabilities.
People with big data plans want systems that process real-time information at a fast pace and they want a whole lot of it done at once. MapReduce can do this, but it was not designed for it. It is all right for batch processing, but it is slow and much to complex to be a viable solution.
“When we saw Spark in action at the AMPLab, it was architecturally everything we hoped it would be: distributed, in-memory data processing speed at scale. We recognized we’d have to fill in holes and make it commercially viable for mainstream analytics use cases that demand fast time-to-insight on hordes of data. By partnering with AMPLab, we dug in, prototyped the solution, and added the second pillar needed for next-generation data analytics, a simple to use front-end application.”
ClearStory Data was built using Apache Spark to access data quickly, deliver key insights, and making the UI very user friendly. People who use Apache Spark want information immediately to be utilized for profit from a variety of multiple sources. Apache Spark might ignite the fire for the next wave of data analytics for big data.
Whitney Grace, April 3, 2015
Stephen E Arnold, Publisher of CyberOSINT at www.xenky.com
Microsoft Changes Its Tune on SharePoint Server Update
March 30, 2015
In February, Microsoft announced an unpopular decision to push future SharePoint server product updates through Windows Update. The concern was that the service would automatically install “important” updates, which could pose a threat if no prior testing had been done. However, it appears that Microsoft has heard the frustration and repealed that decision. Redmond Magazine covers the latest in their article, “Microsoft Rescinds Windows Update Policy for SharePoint Server.”
The article quotes Microsoft’s Stefan Gossner:
“In response to a question in his post, Gossner clarified that ‘now the decision was made to only release security fixes through Windows Update.’ In other words, the new policy is now the same as the old one. Microsoft won’t push down product updates through its Windows Update service. The rollback decision may give IT pros some peace of mind as they regain a modicum of control over their production environments.”
Without forced pushed updates, IT pros have the time to test updates before launching them. For organizations that are affected by Microsoft’s policies and decisions, stay tuned to ArnoldIT.com. Stephen E. Arnold a lifelong leader in all things search. His Web site features a devoted SharePoint feed, where the latest tips, tricks, and news is shared. It is a simple way to keep an eye out for the good, bad, and the ugly of SharePoint.
Emily Rae Aldridge, March 30, 2015
Stephen E Arnold, Publisher of CyberOSINT at www.xenky.com
Microsoft Delve and PowerBi Make Data User Friendly
March 30, 2015
Microsoft Delve is a new part of the Office 365 package and it is similar to Facebook Graph Search or your Internet browsing history. ChannelWorld posted “Microsoft Rolls Out Delve To Office 365, Previews PowerBi And Skype For Business.” Microsoft will release Delve soon and it comes as demand for relationship-building tools grow in demand. Delve tracks information from Office 365 applications such as Outlook, PowerPoint, Bing, Word, and more. Microsoft is calling the collected data the Office Graph, showing how people interact with the software.
PowerBI is another rollout from Microsoft:
“Microsoft also announced that it has now rolled out the technical preview of PowerBI for Excel around the world, following its launch a year ago. PowerBI is designed to be a tool for non-techies to access technical data, quickly composing their own sales reports through natural-language queries against robust data sources–typing in a query like “what was our most popular product in Brazil last year?” should deliver a graph or even a map of those results. Incorporating Google Analytics, Microsoft Dynamics Marketing, Acumatica, Zuora and Twilio will come soon, Microsoft said.”
Microsoft will also incorporate Skype in Office 365. Office 365’s is one of Microsoft’s most viable products and people have complained they have not done much with it in recent years. Upgrades like Skype, Delve, and OfficeBI demonstrate that Microsoft is still invested in making Office 365 a competitive, usable, and reliable product.
Whitney Grace, March 30, 2015
Stephen E Arnold, Publisher of CyberOSINT at www.xenky.com
Glimpses of SharePoint 2016 on the Way
March 26, 2015
The tech world is excited for the upcoming SharePoint 2016 release. Curious parties will be glad to hear that sneak peaks will be coming this spring. Read more in the CMS Wire article, “Microsoft Leaks Offer a Glimpse of SharePoint 2016.”
The article lays out some of the details:
“Microsoft has started leaking news about SharePoint 2016 — and they suggest the company plans to showcase an early edition at Ignite, its upcoming all-in-one conference for everyone from senior decision makers, IT pros and “big thinkers” and to enterprise developers and architects. In a just released podcast, Bill Baer, senior product manager for SharePoint, said the company will offer a look at the latest version of SharePoint at the conference, which will be held in Chicago from May 4 through 8.”
Some experts have already weighed in with predictions for SharePoint 2016 features: hybrid search and improved user experience among them. Stephen E. Arnold will also be keeping an eye on the new version, reporting his findings on his dedicated SharePoint feed. He has devoted his career to all things search, including SharePoint, and keeps readers informed on his Web site ArnoldIT.com. Stay tuned for more updates on SharePoint 2016 as it becomes available.
Emily Rae Aldridge, March 26, 2015
Stephen E Arnold, Publisher of CyberOSINT at www.xenky.com
SharePoint’s Evolution of Ease
March 24, 2015
At SharePoint’s beginning, users and managers viewed it as a framework. It is often still referred to as an installation, and many third party vendors do quite well offering add-on options to flesh out the solution. However, due to users’ expectations, SharePoint is shifting its focus to accommodate quick and full implementation without a lengthy build-out. Read more in the CMS Wire article, “From Build It and Go, to Ready to Go with SharePoint.”
The article sums up the transformation:
“We hunger for solutions that can be quickly acquired and implemented, not ones that require building out complex and robust solutions. The world around us is changing fast and it’s exciting to see how productivity tools are beginning to encompass almost every area of our lives. The evolution not only impacts new tools and products, but also the tools we have been using all long. In SharePoint, we can see this in the addition of Experiences and NextGen Portals.”
SharePoint 2016 is on its way and there will be addition information to leak throughout the coming months. Keep an eye on ArnoldIT.com for breaking news and the latest releases. Stephen E. Arnold has made a career out of all things search, including enterprise and SharePoint, and his dedicated SharePoint feed is a great resource for professionals who need to keep up without a huge investment in research time.
Emily Rae Aldridge, March 24, 2015
Stephen E Arnold, Publisher of CyberOSINT at www.xenky.com
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