Boost a Public Facing Web Site with a Design to Find
August 27, 2012
When it comes to providing users with a powerful search and getting the most from your content, look to experts in the field. At Fabasoft Mindbreeze, they have developed a suite of solutions that combines the power of search with information pairing, the Cloud, and smartphone and tablet mobility.
It is clear that Cloud hosting is becoming a go to data solution for organizations around the globe. Fabasoft Mindbreeze understands the need for expanded information access the save users valuable time when it comes to search. The same principle holds true for your Web site. Here you can read about the Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite solution:
An attractive website serves as an effective digital business card. Surprise your website visitors with an intuitive search.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite…
* is intuitive and user friendly.
* is instantly ready for use as a Cloud service. It turns your website into a user-friendly knowledge portal for your customers.
* recognizes correlations and links through semantic and dynamic search processes. This delivers pinpoint accurate and precise “finding experiences”.
* is the perfect website search for your company.
No installation, configuration or maintenance required.
We also like Mindbreeze’s impressive portfolio of references and customers. Dr. Manfred Weiss of Computerwelt, Austria has this to say about the InSite solution:
We want stand out from the crowds with a top internet presence. Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite is a part of this strategy. Our readers value the service of a perfect search. Regardless in which of our portals the information is available, Mindbreeze finds what you’re looking for. Since the search function is operated as a Cloud service, we save time and money.
Read more at www.Mindbreeze.com.
Philip West, August 27, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
DataStax Taps Gazzang for Encryption Needs
August 27, 2012
Protecting data in the cloud is the goal of this partnership: Sys-Con Media tells us, “Gazzang and DataStax Partner to Deliver Robust Data Security for Big Data.” Now Gazzang’s zNcrypt encryption and security software is an integrated part of DataStax’ Enterprise Edition. A mighty good idea. Writer David Tishgart reports:
“Within DataStax Enterprise, Gazzang zNcrypt works as a last line of defense for protecting data, by transparently encrypting and securing information as it gets written to disk, ensuring minimal performance lag in the encryption or decryption process. The solution also includes robust key management and process-based access controls that meet compliance regulations and allow users to store their cryptographic keys separate from the encrypted data.”
DataStax build products around three Apache open source components: Cassandra database, Hadoop analytics, and Solr enterprise search. Their enterprise level software ties the three together under one management solution. Prominent customers include Netflix, Disney, and Cisco, but the company also delves into the specialized verticals market.
Operating out of Austin, Texas, Gazzang works to make this whole cloud thing efficient and secure. Their products secure anything, big data or otherwise, that runs on Linux; they also offer monitoring, alerting, and analysis solutions for cloud environments.
Cynthia Murrell, August 27, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Measuring Emotion in the Enterprise
August 24, 2012
We thought SharePoint incorporated social functions. We also thought Fast Search offered sentiment analysis via Lexalytics‘ technology. More must be needed, since CIO now declares, “Yammer Lets Organizations Measure Emotions in Enterprise Social Networks.” The write up informs us:
“Yammer is adding functionality to its cloud-based enterprise social networking (ESN) software that lets organizations gauge the types of emotions expressed in employee posts.
“The new capability will be provided via an integration with Kanjoya, whose Crane software is designed to identify and analyze ‘sentiment’ in text, Yammer said on Thursday.
“Yammer customers who sign up for this feature will have a new Crane dashboard in their Yammer admin console that will describe the prevalent mood in reactions from employees in the ESN about specific topics.”
The example given—use the software to analyze emails and other communications to determine how employees feel about a recent benefits change.Crane tracks about 80 different emotions; it allows administrators to search by keywords, narrow reactions by office or department, and create graphical representations of their workers’ feelings.
I know such a tool can be more efficient than simply asking employees for their opinions, especially in large organizations. Still, I just can’t ignore the Orwellian aftertaste left by such innovations. Maybe it’s just me.
Cynthia Murrell, August 24, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Mindbreeze InSite Delivers Powerful Search for Computerwelt Austria
August 23, 2012
Collaboration and advanced social technology is inevitable as business gets social. To keep up in the game, boost your Web site with a search feature that connects users to the right information efficiently and effectively every time. To tap into the possibilities consider looking into a third party solution with references to back up their product to complete your search system.
We like Fabasoft Mindbreeze. The Mindbreeze solution:
smoothly integrates itself into your website so that the user doesn’t even realize that Cloud services are working in the background. Furthermore, InSite always knows what a user is interested in. Navigation behavior on the website serves as the basis for recognizing their interests. If the user finds themselves on one of your sub-pages on the topic mobility for example, even at this level Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite still displays further information such as blogs, news, Wikipedia etc. on the relevant topic.
To learn more, check out Computerwelt, Austria’s case study. Here you can read about the task at hand for Computerwelt:A professional internet presence is a quality criterion for a leading IT publication. COMPUTERWELT is published on different websites, such as the company database www.top1001.at/ and the portals www.seitenclicke.at, www.itheads.at and www.it-termine.at. Each week brings more than 300 new articles. The existing search was database-based, static and incapable of displaying semantic connections. With Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite…the user finds relevant information at split-second speed thanks to the program’s semantic capabilities. Moreover, the search is easy to use, intuitive and requires no maintenance effort on the client side.
Check out the full suite of solutions at Mindbreeze to see what works for you.
Philip West, August 23, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
The Flaw in Cloud Search: No Connectivity, No Access
August 21, 2012
Sitting in Fairbanks, Alaska, I realized that the cloud does not work. I had my trusty laptop, an iPad, and my smartphone. The only device which allowed me to work was the laptop with its local storage. The wireless connections were unusable due to insufficient network capacity and latency. The iPad was a glorified book reader. The mobile phone simply did not work. My T Mobile hot spot said it was device 330336 and refused to do anything except run down its battery.
Unusual situation? For me, no. For the poobahs, mavens, and self-appointed wizards formerly known as “real” journalists? Yes. Impossible.
Let me assure you that the world contains many places which render mobile devices mostly useless. However, when I read such articles as “Will Google Fiber Waste $28 Billion”, I perceive a disconnect. Google is investing in a high speed demonstration network in Kansas City, a metropolis with what I consider adequate connectivity. WiFi works from Boingo.com hot spots. My mobile phone allows voice and data access. My iPad displays Pulse headlines.
A happy quack to http://athenspio.posterous.com/athens-co-is-under-a-severe-thunderstorm-warn
The New York centric Forbes’ article asserts:
At a societal level, Cioffi [an expert in telco matters] argues that the benefit of Google Fiber would be way below its costs. After all, if a billion phone lines were replaced by fiber, the cost would be $3 trillion. But DSL and shared WiFi — currently in use by 400 million subscribers according to research firm Point Topic — could boost the speed by a factor of two or three — to between 200 megabits/second (Mbps) and 400 Mbps. If Cioffi is right, it does not look likely that Google Fiber will reach the critical mass needed to get the additional advertising revenues from faster Internet access it would need to come close to justifying its enormous investment.
If Google cannot deploy high speed connections in Kansas City, who will be able to foot the bill for providing basic high speed connectivity in smaller communities.
So what?
First, with the shift to the promise of the cloud, individuals may find themselves like me without access to basic communications for considerable periods of time. The fact that those in New York City or Los Angeles have the resources and connectivity does not help those in underserved areas. Perhaps this is not a big deal because the real money comes from customers in densely populated areas. For those outside those areas, tough luck.
Second, as people become less dependent on local storage both magnetic and paper, access to information decreases. The yap about information overload is a problem for those with access and the money to pay for bandwidth. For those just relying on cloud services, a certain segment of the population may be information starved.
Third, the models for pricing such as the analysis summarized in the Forbes’ article don’t work where there are too few people or geographic locations which cannot be economically served with today’s technology. Forget the next generation technology, more primitive methods are not part of the equipment for living.
Little surprise, then, that there is investor panic setting in with regard to online services such as Facebook, Groupon, and even Google. When the models don’t work in densely populated areas, it does not take much thinking to realize that the shift to the cloud will deliver big bucks from the hinterlands.
I can’t search if I can’t connect. What’s this mean for cloud search? A potential hurdle?
Stephen E Arnold, August 22, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
ADV Austria Uses Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite to Enrich Web Site Visitor Experience
August 21, 2012
Rapid changes in technology have also brought along changes in Web expectations. Users more and more want informative, aesthetically pleasing sites that are consistently functioning with real-time data, which can be challenging to achieve.
To give your Web site a powerful search feature with a user-friendly experience, consider a third party solution like Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite. MindBreeze InSite understands that an attractive Web site is a company’s digital business card; it’s your shop window. InSite “turns your website into a user-friendly knowledge portal for your customers. Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite recognizes correlations and links through semantic and dynamic search processes. This delivers pinpoint accurate and precise “finding experiences.” With no installation or configuration required, InSite can save you valuable resources that would otherwise be spent on development and training.
In addition, Mindbreeze InSite boasts an impressive lineup of satisfied customers.
Here you can read the case study from ADV (Data Processing Work Group), Austria:
After testing the free 14-day test version, ADV opted for Mindbreeze InSite 500. This allows up to 500 pages/documents to be searched and 25,000 search inquiries per year. After registering for the product Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite and entering the web address, ADV received the embed code…Within a matter of minutes the search was available.
Search results are clearly structured using tabs and correlations are visible due to semantic search inquiries. The website visitor gets an overview of new events and publications without needing to click through the site.
Navigate to http://www.mindbreeze.com/ to read more about Web site architect solutions from Mindbreeze.
Philip West, August 21, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
HP Plans to Dominate the Cloud
August 21, 2012
Think Amazon has the cloud locked up? Or that, perhaps, Google or IBM is destined to lead this field? InfoWorld presents another view in “HP’s Cloud Guy: Why We’re the Enterprise Cloud.” Wait, HP has a Cloud Guy?
Yes, it does, and his name is Biri Singh. Singh, who used to be VP of cloud computing at IBM, hopes to combine HP’s IaaS (infrastructure as a service) with integrated, private HP clouds. He and his team are basing the initiative on the open source cloud OS OpenStack. Writer Eric Knorr interviewed Singh and serves up part of the conversation in this article. It is a long read, so check it out yourself for all the details.
The part that interests me—who HP expects will use their cloudy solutions. Singh states:
“We’re going after the enterprise developer, where there are a bunch of expectations about which production workloads are going to end up on the public cloud. We happen to think there will be tens of thousands use cases that are ultimately going to be driven by the need for a secure, SLA-driven, enterprise-class quality of service. Our focus is the enterprise developer, but also IT ops.
“For production workloads enterprises may consider running, they want the scale, they want the advantage of cost efficiencies. They want the security. But most importantly, they want a vendor who understands what they’re about, who they’ve done business with, who understands the need for innovative services yet can balance out SLA, security, and customer service — and who provides choices in terms of being an open architecture, partnering with other stacks and not locking in customers.”
Singh asserts that some of HP’s competitors, including Amazon Web Services, have been shortsighted. Their approach, he says, is the outdated “stand up a bunch of VMs and see what happens.” Developers and businesses are looking for more—better tools, modern languages and frameworks, and tight security. HP is ready to address their needs like no one else can, he pledges.
We’ll see.
Cynthia Murrell, August 21, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Web Content Management in SharePoint 2013
August 17, 2012
John Ross gives us an updated view of web content management (WCM) in light of SharePoint 2013 in his piece, “SharePoint 2013: WCM and Search Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly.” With SharePoint 2013 the FAST search engine has been fully integrated into the platform and will be the primary force behind WCM.
Ross states:
Search will be a far more efficient way to surface content in almost all circumstances. The way we’ll plan and think about WCM in SharePoint will fundamentally change. For example in the past, content needed to be in SharePoint for us to roll it up. With the new model, as long as content is in the search index we can surface it where ever [sic] we need. So the biggest limiting factor we’d have would be whether we’d be able to get SharePoint to crawl a datasource. This has massively huge implications!
While the web content functionality of SharePoint has been improved, there are good third party solutions that integrate search more successfully into the platform without needing additional customization. Fabasoft Mindbreeze is an Austrian vendor worth keeping an eye on. In addition to increasing the intuitiveness of in-house enterprise search with Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise, Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite can also enhance search on public facing Web sites.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 17, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
New Acquisition Pressures Newsgator
August 14, 2012
A recent Microsoft move may be bad news for NewsGator, ComputerWorld reveals in “Microsoft’s Yammer Buy Raises Questions About NewsGator’s Future.” Yammer and NewsGator are competitors in the SharePoint enterprise social add-on market. Does Microsoft’s acquisition of one spell trouble for the other?
Social Sites is the name of NewsGator’s SharePoint add-on. Since it launched in 2007, it has accumulated an impressive roster of clients. If Microsoft integrates the similarly successful Yammer into SharePoint, that could change. NewsGator CEO J.B. Holston remains optimistic, though, insisting that the two products attract different types of customers. Writer Juan Carlos Perez explains:
“While Yammer is a multi-tenant, cloud-based software, Social Sites is designed for on-premise and dedicated hosted environments, offering IT more controls, [Holston] said.
“‘The fact that Microsoft now owns Yammer doesn’t change the reasons why our clients came to us originally,’ he said, adding that most NewsGator customers aren’t comfortable using this type of software in a multi-tenant cloud. ‘Our customers are hyper-focused on security, governance, scalability and privacy.'”
Not only that, but NewsGator stands out as a developer of applications for specific industries. Will these unique qualities be enough to protect the company? We won’t know for a while, Perez says, since it would take a couple of years for Microsoft to mimic Social Sites with Yammer functionality. If it even chooses to do so at all; Holston thinks Microsoft only loves Yammer for its successful “freemium” business model. Hey, he can hope.
Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, NewsGator proclaims a passion for customer satisfaction. The company asserts that they are (so far, I’d add) the social software vendor most deeply integrated into the Microsoft stack.
Yammer launched in 2008, and seems to be very proud to be joining the Microsoft universe. They assert that, with former Facebook innovators on their team, their social products have the advantage of “Facebook DNA.” Interesting.
Cynthia Murrell, August 14, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Autonomy Big Data Solutions Highlighted
August 14, 2012
HP has put forth a new write up about HP Autonomy and Big Data, “Autonomy IDOL Big Data Solutions.” In our opinion, the pre-buy-out Autonomy had more marketing flair. Oh, well.
The article lists a couple of solutions based on HP’s Converged Cloud and Autonomy IDOL 10. The description elaborates:
“*IDOL Powered Hadoop: New capabilities for leveraging IDOL technology within Hadoop deployments.
*Autonomy Optimost Clickstream Analytics: Groundbreaking solution that provides marketers with a single, consistent view of visits, conversions, and customer engagement across all channels.
“Together, these solutions enable businesses to discover new trends, opportunities, and risks, and accelerate revenue growth by understanding and acting on web clickstream, sentiment, and transactional data.”
Next, the write up lists the primary customer benefits of each solution. For IDOL-powered Hadoop, for example, it notes that the IDOL engine can be embedded in each Hadoop node, and that IDOL’s 400 connectors enable the combination of Hadoop data with other enterprise and external data.
Autonomy Optimost lets marketers perform complex queries on complete datasets and in real time. Users can also blend clickstream data with human information and application data. The application is integrated with the Autonomy Promote suite.
Autonomy, originally founded in 1996, was snatched up by HP in 2011. They take pride in building tools that efficiently extract meaning from unwieldy tangles of unstructured data. The technology grew from research originally performed at Cambridge University.
Cynthia Murrell, August 14, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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