Business Intelligence Bubbling
December 8, 2010
“Open Source Business Intelligence: What Are Your Options?” investigates the momentum of OSBI in recent years. In the words of Joe Nicholson, marketing VP at Pentaho, “The biggest trend we see is the rapidly increasing adoption of OSBI as a means to provide critical reports, dashboards and analysis to business users at far less costs than the traditional, proprietary BI solutions”. It appears the interest in OSBI has been on the rise for quite some time, though what this will mean for consumers remains unclear.
What we are seeing is a good deal of posturing from the leaders in the field. With companies like Jaspersoft, SpagoBI and the aforementioned Pentaho, which claims it saves clients $1.5 million in fees over a three year span, clamoring for a spot at the head of the queue speculation on the future of the OSBI market is dramatic. Aside from lowering costs, the idea of tapping into innovations spawned from the OS community itself has taken root, which according to Nicholson translates to more than six million downloads, upwards of eight thousand active projects and more than twelve hundred commercial customers.
Currently the community versions are available in a free downloadable format though they lack certain administrative and security functions, in addition to diminished ability to connect to prime data outlets. One still has to pay for premium access.
Sarah Rogers, December 8, 2010
Digital Reasoning Unleashes Synthesys Version 3
December 6, 2010
Our sister publication covers the dynamic world of data fusion and next generation analytics. I wanted to call your attention of an interview with Tim Estes, the founder of Digital Reasoning. The company has announced a new version of the firm’s Synthesys product. You can read a complete, far ranging interview with Mr. Estes in the Search Wizards Speak series at this link. Our analyses of the Digital Reasoning technology are most encouraging.
Here’s a snippet of the interview’s contents from the Inteltrax story which ran earlier today:
“Synthesys V3.0 provides a horizontally scalable solution for entity identification, resolution, and analysis from unstructured and structured data behind the firewall,” Estes said when asked about Digital Reasoning’s new offering. “Our customers are primarily in the defense and intelligence market at this point so we have focused on an architecture that is pure software and can run on a variety of server architectures.” In addition, the program is ripe with features that are miles beyond previous versions. “We’ve enhanced and improved the core language processing in dramatic ways. For example, there is more robustness against noisy and dirty data. And we have provided better analytics quality. We have also integrated fully with Hadoop for horizontal scale. We probably have one of the most flexible and scalable text processing architectures on the market today.”
While the company still works heavily with the government, Synthesys technology will benefit several other fields. “We are getting good bit of interest from companies that need what I call ‘big data analytics’ for financial services, legal eDiscovery, health care, and media tasks.” For example, the program: “can identify the who and the what, map the connections, and deliver the key insights.” Estes continues, “instead of clicking on links and scanning documents for information, Synthesys Version 3.0 moves the user from reading a ranked or filtered set of documents to a direct visual set of facts and relationships that are all linked back to the key contexts in documents or databases. One click and the user has the exact fact. Days and hours become minutes and seconds.”
EasyAsk: Exclusive Interview with Craig Bassin
November 22, 2010
EasyAsk was one of the first search vendors who demonstrated access to structured and unstructured data from a single interface. The firm is now under new ownership, and I wanted to get an update about the company and its technology.
Last week, I was able to talk with Craig Bassin, a former partner in an investment firm. Mr. Bassin is now pushing EasyAsk forward and made his excitement about the company, its technology, and future palpable. The full text of my interview with Mr. Bassin is available in the Search Wizards Speak series at this link.
I want to highlight two points from the one hour interview because each provides useful insight into a company that can compete with such firms as Endeca as well as vendors of technology to organizations struggling with information retrieval.
First, Mr. Bassin calls attention to the EasyAsk natural language processing method. He said:
While EasyAsk also supports the navigational style of search we go much further in helping customers find what they want quickly. EasyAsk’s natural language approach allows buyers to enter an entire descriptive phrase of exactly what they want. The natural language and semantic processing engine understands the context of the search and returns accurate results on the first page, greatly increasing conversion rates. With EasyAsk, customers can chose how they want to find products, and they will find them faster… EasyAsk enables e-commerce websites to always return search results, reducing the number of lost visitors.
My take is that NLP technology is getting more attention now that the limitations of key word searching and laundry lists of results are more well known. (In fact, my column each month for KMWorld will address the use of NLP and semantic technology in the enterprise starting in January 2011.)
Second, I probed Mr. Bassin about EasyAsk’s enterprise solution. He told me:
As you well know, the typical enterprise search product is geared towards allowing users to search unstructured or semi-structured data using keywords to find documents they need. This is good when a user is looking for a specific document, like a contract or performance review. EasyAsk Business Edition addresses a completely different problem – giving casual users faster, easier access to corporate data. At our core, EasyAsk is all about Natural Language linguistic processing, that is, understanding the ‘intent’ of any given question, or query. We’ve extended our intuitive search capability into corporate data allowing users to search, analyze, report and share results. … We designed EasyAsk for casual business users who need immediate access to data so they can make informed decisions improving their ability to increase sales, service customers and execute operational processes. And, they can’t wait a few weeks for IT or a data analyst to get them a custom report.
To learn more about EasyAsk, navigate to www.easyask.com. You can read other interviews in the Search Wizards Speak series at this link.
Stephen E Arnold, November 22, 2010
Freebie but there is always hope…
Oracle Search Still Not Working
November 11, 2010
I know you think that SES11g is the best darned search system in the world. Like the Microsoft offering, SES11g has some interesting characteristics and a fascinating history. With sufficient resources, SES11g can search and retrieve.
However, this article addresses a different Oracle search. Navigate to “Desperately Seeking The CEO: Oracle Said To Hire Detectives To Find Apotheker.” Discover that Oracle cannot locate HP’s Leo Apotheker. Oracle wants Mr. Apotheker in order to get him to the court room. Excitement, Oracle hopes, will ensue. SAP already admitted that it made a misstep. Mr. Apotheker’s appearance will be like whipped cream on a hot fudge confection. Hey, SAP said it had stumbled, but it was just business.
According to the write up:
HP has said that Oracle’s efforts to get Apotheker to testify are interfering with his CEO duties and has called Oracle’s actions "harassment." The dispute is souring relations between one-time allies Oracle and HP.
My thought is to stuff known information about Mr. Leo into an Oracle database. Use Oracle’s business intelligence tools to crunch the data. Query the data sets with SES22g. Look at the outputs and go fetch Mr. Apotheker. Oh, I guess this did not work. Private contractors are looking for Mr. Apotheker the way I have had to hunt for certain data in Oracle tables. Manual stuff. Expensive. Doesn’t always work either. Rats. Might make a good movie, “Where in the World Is Leo Apotheker?”
Stephen E Arnold,November 11, 2010
Freebie
Intel Stream 4 Now Available
November 10, 2010
The fourth podcast in the Intel Stream series is now available for download from ArnoldIT.com. This week, Dr. Tyra Oldham, LAND SDS and Stephen E Arnold discuss IBM’s surprising additions to Cognos 10, open source business intelligence, neuromarketing and sentiment analysis, and the upside and downside of blog content, and more. This week’s show features an interview with Oleg Shilovitsky, CEO and co-founder of Inforbix. His firm has pioneered a search and content processing solution for manufacturing and design engineering firms. You can read an interview with Mr. Shilovitsky in the Search Wizards Speaks section of the ArnoldIT.com Web log.
Stephen E Arnold, November 10, 2010
Sponsored by LAND SDS and ArnoldIT.com.
IntelTrax Available
November 9, 2010
The new Web log IntelTrax is now available. The free service from the editors of Beyond Search and ArnoldIT.com covers data fusion. The term “data fusion” refers to systems and methods for processing disparate data and information into actionable intelligence. The phrases “business intelligence”, “knowledge management,” “text mining,” “eDiscovery”, and “data analytics” have become imprecise. Marketers apply these terms to a wide range of companies, products and services.
“No one has a definition for these buzzwords. Yet there are important and exciting developments available,” said Stephen E Arnold, publisher of IntelTrax. “This Web log—edited by Patrick Roland, a professional writer—will describe companies, products, and services that are essential where business and technology intersect. Our research reveals that organizations want information about ‘what’s next’ in information access and management. IntelTrax will help readers cut a path through this dense thicket of activity.”
Like Beyond Search, the Web log will present opinions and commentary. Available immediately are more than 150 articles. These range from a discussion of the i2 Ltd.-Palantir legal matter to commentary about the need for an intelligence framework that works. The About section of the Web log explains the blog’s editorial policies. The publication accepts advertising and if a company wants a sponsored write up, those will be included in the Web log and identified as a placed article.
Arnold continued, “In the last 12 to 18 months, a number of specialized software firms have begun to market services to the general business community. Some of these firms’ technologies were funded by or developed for the US intelligence community or a similar country’s governmental entities. Now these companies are offering commercial versions of their products. These software systems move beyond traditional data mining and map mashups. The companies are shifting information retrieval from guessing words that unlock a results list to a proactive, answer-oriented approach to data and information.”
IntelTrax is updated Monday to Friday with a mix of commentary, original features, and summaries of important reports. In addition, IntelTrax will profile specific companies and products. The information in IntelTrax does not duplicate the information in Beyond Search. The content will be distributed via RSS, and you can sign up for an email each day with that day’s headlines. The service is now indexed by Silobreaker, a content processing company serving both the commercial and intelligence sector.
Comments about IntelTrax may be sent to the editor at inteltrax@ymail.com.
Stuart Schram IV, November 9, 2010
Post sponsored by ArnoldIT.com
Endeca Extends Latitude
October 29, 2010
Imagine scaling Mt. Everest without having the training to do so. In workplaces, we can really achieve such a feat by acquiring greater agility in operations and decision-making, using the Endeca latitude BI tools with zero training. This positive news comes from the BusinessWire.com article “Endeca latitude Delivers First Hybrid Search-Analytical Database for Business Intelligence,” which informs how Endeca’s “hybrid search-analytical database enables IT organizations to deliver solutions with consumer ease-of-use on the diverse and changing information.”
Using innovative technology Endeca Latitude brings together all structured and unstructured information, and easily explores the data making on-the-fly information discovery. This helps the untrained user get answers to unanticipated questions, which ultimately lead to better outcomes. “A single discovery application built with Endeca Latitude can take the place of hundreds of traditional reports,” states the article. We remember such application had been on-the-cards years ago, and high time it gets the push now to help employees take better decisions, give their company the agility edge, and save money.
The question in Harrod’s Creek is, “Can a company with roots in ecommerce and search compete with established business intelligence products and services from old timers like Cognos and SAS and newcomers like Megaputer and Digital Reasoning?” We don’t have an answer, but the marketplace will.
Harleena Singh, October 29, 2010
The New IntelStream Podcast Series
October 20, 2010
ArnoldIT.com and Land SDS have teamed up for a new podcast series. IntelStream will discuss important news in business intelligence where professionals and technology intersect. The podcast, which is now available for download, features Dr. Tyra Oldham, an expert in operations and information management.
Dr. Tyra Oldham, featured expert on the Intel Stream podcast. Her Web site is at this link.
Stephen E Arnold, publisher of Beyond Search. His Web site is at this link.
Also appearing on the program is Stephen E Arnold, publisher of the Beyond Search Web log. The program is available from the ArnoldIT.com podcast page at http://arnoldit.com/podcasts/. Dr. Oldham and Mr. Arnold agree on the importance of information, but the two colleagues disagree on specific issues related to policy and implementation. The purpose of the program is to address topics that are important to business professionals in commercial, not for profit, and governmental entities. The specific subjects discussed are those which are often overlooked by traditional media.
One of the basic premises of the IntelStream podcast is to explore different sides of an issue. One thing is certain when Dr. Oldham and Mr. Arnold engage in a discussion, no holds are barred. Each of these professionals articulates a viewpoint so you can get a sense of how complex issues can affect business and policy decisions when business intelligence systems and methods are in use.
Intel Stream is business intelligence without marketing lipstick.
Stuart Schram IV, October 20, 2010
Freebie
Endeca Pegs Business Intelligence
October 14, 2010
Endeca, once closely associated with eCommerce and enterprise search is working to unleash their business intelligence tools. Business intelligence software is gaining ground in the business world because of its proven advanced data handling but it can be difficult to sometimes find the most effective and efficient way to use the tools. In the Internetnews.com article “Endeca Aims to Simplify Access to BI Value” the company describes Endeca Latitude which combines business intelligence and search tools in one convenient package. Endeca “says its latest release makes typically complex business intelligence (BI) applications more accessible.” The new latitude program allows business IT departments to use business intelligence software to handle a variety of data needs. As other companies unlock the wealth of business intelligence tools and experience success, Endeca must shift its main focus from Enterprise Search and also adopt new technologies to remain competitive. Endeca Latitude provides users with better and quicker access to data and seems to be the wave of the future.
April Holmes, October 14, 2010
Freebie
Ease of Use: A Barrier to Business Intelligence Adoption
October 13, 2010
This story is a preview of a new ArnoldIT.com blog now in a limited test.
Training wheels are a good thing when learning to ride a bicycle. Once the training wheels are off, the rider is on his or her own. Most people survive bicycle riding without much more than a few bumps and scrapes. A small percentage suffer serious injuries.
For years, business intelligence came equipped with training wheels and a person with a degree in statistics with programming expertise. For a manager to hop on a business intelligence system, one of these experts plus training wheels were required. Not surprisingly, in this era of rapid fire decision making and flows of big data, who has time for the stats wonk and the speed inhibiting training wheels.
The argument in many organizations boils down to a demand from users to get direct access to business intelligence systems. Just as every Web surfer perceives himself / herself as an expert in online research, that confidence now reaches to most professionals.
“Ease of Use Is a Big Driver of SaaS Business Intelligence” reinforces this shift in the business intelligence market. According to the article on ITBusinessEdge.com:
When business users are actively involved in purchasing BI, ease of use is one of their primary criteria. And as White [a TDWI researcher] writes, “SaaS BI tools are generally intuitive, easy to use, and easy to understand.” Aberdeen found organizations using SaaS BI have 50 percent more self-service BI users than companies that do not use SaaS. That’s significant, since some folks think that getting more people using BI is the key to ROI. It’s also no surprise, then, that Dresner Advisory Services found earlier this year that vendors selling SaaS BI products are gaining ground on companies offering traditional, on-premise BI software. In addition to less-intimidating user interfaces, another reason SaaS BI is easier to use is because deployments typically are based on smaller, simpler data models. As White notes, SMBs using SaaS have smaller and less complex data sets than their larger counterparts. And at big companies, individual departments often use SaaS BI to supplement on-premise deployments by filling niches that traditional software doesn’t adequately address. “This smaller scale can make data inherently easier to navigate and easier to slice and dice,” White writes.
My opinion is that the “user experience” or UX will become more important that the user’s understanding of the underlying data’s strengths and weaknesses. Point and click works well in many situations. I am not convinced that buying a mission critical business intelligence system whether implemented via the cloud or on premises because of the snappy graphics and interface is appropriate.
Game link interfaces that obfuscate the underlying data may lead to very poorly informed decisions. A business intelligence system that isolates the user from the moving parts that put the information in a context may create more problems than its solves. Eye candy may not have the caloric value needed. I prefer a system that combines both rigor and ease of use. More importantly, I want the vendor to be standing by in case my ride begins to wobble. I saw a demonstration of a system from Digital Reasoning that struck me as having a good balance of features and functions without sacrificing ease of use.
Stephen E Arnold, October 13, 2010
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