So Long Enterprise Traditional Sales
April 25, 2013
Things are changing for everything with the broach of technology and that goes the same for old selling methods. Read Write has some disappointing news for old time sales associates in, “Why The Traditional Sales Methods Can’t Sell Enterprise Software.” The old sales methods rely on the manufacturing process that has made the US a booming economic giant. The classical sales method relies on territories, quotas, and commissions, but enterprise software does not fit into this tidy little model. Why?
Buyers are informed and they want solutions more than a sales pitch and then enterprise software is specifically tailored to fit the client’s needs. No one is buying a generic product anymore, expecting a universal solution. The buying teams cross different company departments and all have to figure out a solution instead of one sole person. Another big factor is that with the Internet, buyers are spread all over the world. Sellers do not know where their next customer will come from. Good-bye, traveling salesman.
“In the new normal, enterprise software buyers increasingly seek solution white-boarding sessions – not sales pitches. Traditional sales models simply can’t cope with the changes, but effective replacements have yet to appear. Until a solution is developed, enterprise software vendors – and buyers – will find themselves under increasing pressure.”
Does this spell more trouble for enterprise search and content processing vendors? Maybe, but since enterprise software is the basis for most companies, adaptation may be hard for the sales team but it will happen.
Whitney Grace, April 25, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
The Heat in Text Radar: April 12 to April 18
April 23, 2013
This week the Text Radar advanced intelligence blog covered a myriad of articles related to the big data deluge and its impact on a variety of different sectors.
One example of the unique ways that big data is being used is seen in “Using Big Data to Geotag the History of Human Events.” The article discusses a database that aims to contain a list of every event in human history.
Why is database journalism important? The author explains:
“It matters because historians have long feared that we live in a digital dark ages - where our history will have vanished when future generations try to look back on these electronic decades.
That is the purpose of GDELT: Global Data on Events, Location and Tone. Primarily set up by Kalev Leetaru at the University of Illinois it is literally a giant list: over 250m events in over 300 categories from riots and protests to diplomatic exchanges and peace appeals.
Crucially, it contains latitude and longitude for every event – all of them are now geotagged to city level.”
There are other ways that big data is having a big impact. “Kenneth Cukier on Big Data and How it is Changing Our World” explains the impact that big data is having on journalism and patient care and treatment in healthcare.
The article characterizes big data as:
“There is no concrete definition and that is probably a good thing since to define is also to limit. But it’s not woolly either. We can understand big data by its features, and the central one is this: we can do things with a huge corpus of data that we are unable to do with smaller amounts, to extract new insights and create new sources of value. This encompasses things like machine learning, in which we have self-driving cars and decent language translation.”
While big data is certainly taking off in the United States and around the world, there remain more than a few skeptics. “Daniel Rasmus on Skepticism with Big Data Implementation” explains that healthy skepticism is important when discussing such a large topic.
The article states:
“Rasmus explains that asking data for an answer involves serious programming needs, such as selecting relevant data, normalizing it, and producing results that a human or machine can act upon. It is tricky business. The article provides an in-depth review of the topic and what seem to be valid issues worth considering.”
Lucky for those that find big data research daunting, there are plenty of experts out there to help. We highly recommend Smartlogic’s Semaphore Content Intelligence Platform to add meaning to your data and deliver actionable insights.
Jasmine Ashton, April 23, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.com
Tougher Times for Cash Hungry Content Processing Vendors?
April 18, 2013
I read the troubling write up “Q1 Venture Capital Spending And Number Of Deals Down, M&A Activity Drops 44 Percent And Pre-Money Valuations Plummet”. Try as I might, I could not see much good news in the data presented.
The main point of the write up was in my opinion:
Deals in Information Technology (IT), Healthcare, Energy and Utilities, and Industrial Goods all declined, and deals in Business and Financial Services, Consumer Goods, and Consumer Services investment increased from the previous quarter.
For companies in the search, content processing, and analytics sector with a consumer angle, the good news is that money may continue to flow and may, in some cases, spike.
For other types of outfits, money may become more difficult to get. If a funding source is available, my hunch is that investors may be taking increasingly critical looks at the companies ingesting money. How does one age a Type A 35 year old senior manager? My thought is, “Ask for actions that deliver revenue, not marketing puffery.” I am probably off base, but the Techcrunch story suggests that a downward trend may be upon us.
One cannot forget that the investors’ expectation is a return. For companies in the old “search” space, revenues are going to be needed to avoid one of those legendary investor actions: Top management replacement, fire sale, forced merger, intellectual property auction, shut down, or some similar step.
Going forward, search, content processing, and analytics vendors are going to have to generate more revenue. In short, the squeezable days of the last three years may be going away.
Can the search, content processing, and analytics vendors which have taken sums ranging from a few million (BA Insight, Digital Reasoning) to tens of millions (Attivio, Coveo) to hundreds of millions (Palantir) deliver significant top line growth and demonstrate a here-and-now value proposition? One or more of these companies will definitely perform. The ones which do not? Well, that’s what makes search and content processing so darned interesting.
One of my financial clients has asked me to poke around with some numbers and market appetite. No results in hand yet. The project is interesting.
Stephen E Arnold, April 18, 2013
Sponsored by HighGainBlog
The Heat in Text Radar: April 5 to April 11
April 16, 2013
This week the Text Radar big data, content intelligence, and compliance blog covered some interesting articles covering the impact that big data has on our industry.
“Putting Big Data in the Human Context” explores the lack of objectivity in some analytics initiatives. The author explains how massive data sets are closely linked to physical place and human culture:
“Data and data sets are not objective; they are creations of human design. We give numbers their voice, draw inferences from them, and define their meaning through our interpretations. Hidden biases in both the collection and analysis stages present considerable risks, and are as important to the big-data equation as the numbers themselves.”
This is a unique way of looking at big data. Another post that focuses on the human experience of big data is, “Big Data Needs Human Input and the Right Technology.” The article explains that it is problematic to completely rely on big data systems.
The article states:
“However, the author points out that a complete reliance on systems over human strategy would be a mistake for businesses. The human element adds ingenuity and analytic prowess to number-crunching. Schwartz adds that relying simply on data leads many people to mistake correlation for causation.”
The third article that I would like to highlight explains how small businesses are beginning to get on board the big data bandwagon. “Small Businesses are Tapping Into Big Data” explains how big data offers big opportunities for small business marketing.
The article explains:
“Many small companies want to improve their marketing by pinpointing the best sales prospects through social media. Peter Bordes, founder and chief executive officer of 10-employee, New York City-based Internet Media Labs, says small businesses can analyze what their customers are saying online ‘to engage in much more meaningful conversations with potential or existing customers, because that big data allows them to understand [those customers] better.’”
For those small and large businesses that are a little late to the big data game, using a third party solution to can help remove some of the subjectivity in business decision making. In order to turn your big data into smart content, consider Smartlogic’s Semaphore Content Intelligence Platform.
Jasmine Ashton, April 16, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
The Heat in Text Radar: March 29 to April 04
April 9, 2013
The Text Radar big data analytics and content intelligence blog continually provides readers with informative resources on how big data is impacting modern workplaces. This week, I will highlight several articles that were particularly informative.
We all know the impact that big data has on marketers. But what about other industries? According to, “Big Data Analytics Reveals Vision Giving Major Disaster Responders Advance Notice” provides an example of how big data is helping the development of American bridges.
The article lays out a frightening scenario:
“The American Society of Civil Engineers says that one quarter of all American bridges is ‘deficient’. 17,000 bridges didn’t meet inspection criteria, including 3% of all freeway bridges.
Want a scary statistic? The average age of America’s bridges is 43 years. The average lifespan of America’s bridges: 50 years. This means, unless something changes, we should all avoid pretty much all river crossings after the year 2020.”
Another story, “Growing Big Data and Information Access Bring New IT Challenges” explains how big data is transforming the new world of computing.
When explaining some new challenges, the article states:
“The big change now is not that everyone is an I.T. manager – there are still plenty of ways companies will control devices, access to computers, and data – but that everyone is a consumer of a lot of data. Making that easy on them will most likely be a winning strategy.
‘There has been a revolution in design theory,’ says Phil Libin, chief executive of Evernote, a storage site for consumers and businesses. ‘We’ve all had to learn how to have taste.’ He credits the change toward a design focus, in both consumer electronics and enterprise software, to Apple.”
Another innovative way that big data is being utilized is in major league baseball. According to “MLB Uses Big Data for Uncovering Player Insight”, this data allows the performance of players to be predicted.
The article explains:
“‘We’re trying to predict the future performance of human beings, oftentimes in situations that those people themselves haven’t even encountered,’ he said. ‘One of the things we really need to do is the skill from the luck.’
DePodesta cited ‘The Success Equation: Untangling Skill and Luck in Business, Sports, and Investing,’ a book by Michael Mauboussin of Credit Suisse in the idea that ‘skill is more repeatable than the luck.”
This is just a small sampling of the creative ways that big data can be utilized to make the biggest industry impact. Smartlogic offers a suite of solutions that will help any organization transition into analytics.
Jasmine Ashton, April 09, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
The Heat in Text Radar March 22 to March 28
April 2, 2013
This week, the Text Radar big data and advanced intelligence blog covered a variety of stories that were pertinent to the realm of big data and advanced intelligence systems.
One of the advantages of big data analytics technology is that it allows marketers to take a more targeted advertising approach to their customers. “Advertising Gets More Personalized and Customized with Big Data” explains how technology and analytics are providing more personalized and customized ads.
The article states:
“Checking out one’s Facebook page provides lots of information about a person in such ways as their likes and where they travel, etc. And, by customers registering with a company site, codes can be placed in a customer’s computer to follow other sites that person visits, and when. In addition, companies are targeting prospective customers with ads that are meaningful and more targeted and will pay-off in the end. The internet and metrics on search engines have changed the way ad agencies are doing business. Companies can now learn from ‘clicks’ how to advertise and valuable details that lead to more targeted successful ads.”
Microtargeting can have a similar impact, according to “Microtargeting the Way of the Future of Business.” The article explains the impact of the technical and political masterminds behind the 2012 Obama/Biden presidential campaign.
Text Radar writer Alice Wilson comments:
“Team Obama changed the way political campaigns will compete in the future. And, you can be sure microtargeting tools with accompanying skills will be in the mix. This same method will be incorporated in all levels of business plans as well.”
The final article that I would like to highlight explains the impact that big data is having on health care. “Crunching Medical Big Data Helps to Find Correct Therapy” provides a story about a baby that was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes but did not respond well to the typical regimen of treatment.
The takeaway is this:
“We’ll discover a lot about ourselves and our diseases from big data — assessing the outcomes of different therapies and finding out in retrospect what works best for who. We will then match that against our gene sequences, which may be stored confidentially at birth. If Cameron Lundfelt had been born a few years later, his parents and doctors would perhaps have known before his symptoms had even appeared that he had monogenic diabetes type KCNJ11. And they would have known immediately what to do.”
It does not matter what industry your company falls into. Big data analytics solutions are going to benefit you not matter what. Smartlogic’s Semaphore Content Intelligence Platform has been recognized as an industry leader and it is useful when helping companies make smarter business decisions.
Jasmine Ashton, April 2, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
The Heat in Text Radar: March 15 to March 21
March 26, 2013
This week, the Text Radar news service covered a variety of topics that are pertinent to big data’s takeover of our advanced intelligence systems.
One article, “Company Challenges with Maximizing Big Data Usage,” explores some common reasons why companies are not making the most of their big data analytics tools.
The article states:
“When asked to report the percentage of projects in which their companies use marketing analytics that are available and/or requested, CMOs report a dismal 30% usage rate. This number has decreased from 37% a year ago. So while companies are spending more on Big Data, less of it is being used.”
Another interesting story, “True Potential Reached With Data Analytics and Help from Industry Experts,” explains how a large number of companies are gaining a competitive edge through data analytics. A survey of 2500 business executive found that data is believed to be a fundamental asset to their marketing efforts.
The article states:
“This is a significant finding, in that power shifts can be disruptive. They often call into question experience and intuition that managers and employees have built up over years. Now, those who know how to marshal the data and put analytics behind their decision making are in a position of advantage.”
The third story that I would like to highlight is “Big Bucks Involved with Big Data Lobbying Efforts in Washington,” It discusses the amount of money that goes into social media lobbying. The article states:
“According to Ad Age’s analysis of U.S. lobbying disclosure reports, Facebook, whose efforts are heavily focused on data privacy and security, multiplied its spending 2.5 times in 2012 on outside lobbying firms and on in-house efforts. The company dropped nearly $4.6 million on lobbying last year — $4 million of which went toward its in-house staff’s lobbying — up from $1.8 million in 2011, the reports show. In 2012, the company tacked on an additional three outside firms to its data-related lobbying roster, using a total of seven in 2012 that dealt with data issues.”
All of these articles examine the impact that big data, and the technology used to harness it, has on our society. While there are many solutions to choose from, businesses should engage with tools that are built by industry experts like Smartlogic.
Jasmine Ashton, March 26, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Taming Unstructured Information
March 25, 2013
Right now, as you read this, your company’s data are piling up. Scarier yet, most don’t have a way to structure all that precious information, so it goes to waste. Thankfully, clarity is on the way as we found in a recent Paradigma Labs story, “Unstructured Information Extraction: A Sample Case with a Unitex-Manager.”
The article lays out the problem:
There is a lot of information in today’s companies flowing from one computer to another like e-mails, documents, many kinds of files and, of course, the webs the employees surf through. These electronic documents probably contain part of the core knowledge of the company or, at least, very useful information which besides of being easily readable by humans is unstructured and impossible to be processes automatically using computers. The amount of unstructured information in enterprises is around 80% [1] to 85% [2] nowadays, and such a situation is a disadvantage…
This has been an elephant in the room for many preparing to start squeezing help from their data. Unstructured data can derail good intentions by making it impossible to sort out. Thankfully, there are companies with experience in structuring the unstructured and then forming useful analytic insights from this info. One of our favorites is the international firm, Sinequa who boast an incredible two-plus decades in the business.
Patrick Roland, March 25, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search.
The Heat in Text Radar: March 8 to March 14
March 19, 2013
This week, the Text Radar advanced intelligence blog covered some interesting articles on the subject of big data and content intelligence related problems and solutions.
According to “Cyber Attacks on the Rise Related to Big Data Activities Prompting Intelligent Security Strategy” explains the threat that cyber attacks can have on industries that use big data.
The article states:
“‘We need to begin preparing for the likelihood that with the move to IPv6 that will enable billions of devices to be connected, we will see more automated attacks that are destructive.’ Coviello said.
For this reason, he said, businesses need to move to intelligence-based security systems that will detect and respond to emerging attacks more quickly.
‘There is no shame in being breached. The shame is in not evolving security infrastructures to detect and respond to new types of attack.’”
Another article, “Manufacturers Must Use Data Analysis for Smart Predictions” explains new opportunities that are emerging in this industry to create a more nuanced approach to low cost labor challenges.
The post says:
“It is all about Big Data and manufacturers must use data analysis to determine crucial factors so that smart predictions can be made to offset the unknown as with struggling and/or growing economies and how it affects price fluctuations, availability of materials, etc. Having this insight will enable decisive actionable responses to variables so that concise on-the-money decisions can be made.”
The final article that I would like to highlight is, “New York City Uses Big Data to Improve Building Inspections”. It explains how cities and governments are using big data more and more to streamline their processes.
The author explained how the inspection team used dealt with the challenge before them:
“Flowers and his team embraced the messiness and developed a system that identified buildings by using a small area in the front of the property based on Cartesian coordinates and then drew in geo-loco data from the other agencies’ databases. While the system was inherently inexact, the vast amounts of data available compensated for slight imperfections. The team continued to improve upon the system to revolutionize the city’s building inspections and added much efficiency to the process.”
Data analytics and content management software like the Semaphore Content Intelligence Platform from Smartlogic can take the headache out of trying to organize data that has been fragmented throughout different company departments.
Jasmine Ashton, March 19, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Frost and Sullivan Set the Standard In Enterprise Market
March 18, 2013
Frost and Sullivan have been shining a light on the most brilliant tech companies around for as long as we can remember. So when the company decided to shine that light on its favorite company of 2013, we paid close attention. We got the exciting news from a recent Reuters release, “Frost & Sullivan Lauds OpenText for Consistently Staying Ahead of Product Development Curve in the Enterprise Digital Media Market.”
The story went into great detail, beginning with:
“OpenText’s recent rebranding of its enterprise content management (ECM) solution, including all of its peripheral and best-of-breed complementary business lines, into a single Enterprise Information Management (EIM) platform represents a significant realignment of its solutions. OpenText is the first to market with a broad platform geared toward the specific needs and performance demands of users from across the organization.”
This is a big deal for a growing company like OpenText. The wave of the magic wand from Frost has been a harbinger of good things to come. Chief among these harbingers has been their partnership program. Regardless of how a rising company is associated with Frost, it is a good sign. It means one of the biggest names in search has a lot of faith in that company and, by extension, so do we.
Patrick Roland, March 18, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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