IntelTrax Top Stories: September 14 to September 20
September 24, 2012
This week the IntelTrax advanced intelligence systems blog delivered some interesting stories that are especially pertinent to those looking to solve the big data problem with analytics solutions.
One field that could see a great deal of benefits from data analytics is education. “The Future of Education Lies with Data Analytics” foresees an education system that is taught through computerized software programs that collect data on the length of time it takes students to master material. Unlike teachers who have limited time and availability, this software would provide instant feedback and compare students to classmates as well as other students across the country.
When discussing the value of this new system, the article states:
“In comparing these two learning environments, it is apparent that current school evaluations suffer from several limitations. Many of the typical pedagogies provide little immediate feedback to students, require teachers to spend hours grading routine assignments, aren’t very proactive about showing students how to improve comprehension, and fail to take advantage of digital resources that can improve the learning process. This is unfortunate because data-driven approaches make it possible to study learning in real-time and offer systematic feedback to students and teachers.”
In the field of data analytics, new and innovative partnerships are always coming about. “Tivo and Scripps Sign Deal to Improve Audience Analytics” announces a deal made between Tivo Research and Analytics and Scripps Networks Interactive, allowing Scripps to access TRA’s audience insights and analytics.
Here’s how it works:
“Media TRAnalytics® TV Auto Ratings launched in January 2012 and enables networks and advertisers to identify the right TV programming based on the make and model of automobile purchases by households watching specific networks and programs. By matching households of television tuning and automotive registration data from Experian Automotive’s North American Vehicle Database (NVDB), TRA provides advertisers, advertising agencies and television networks the industry’s largest household-level single-source solution to plan, buy, sell and evaluate the automotive industry’s current investment in television advertising.”
Big data analytics tools allow for companies to be able to gain valuable insights from your credit card statements, web searches, and social media activity. “Social Media Allows for Personal Analytics as Marketing Tools” explains how businesses can harness the data being put out of social media platforms like Facebook in order to gain insights in order to predict buying behavior.
When explaining the service, the article states:
“It also provides an interesting insight into the kind of machinations that Facebook itself could easily be doing with the data in house. Line this up with the output of Facebook’s own data export tool and you get a good picture for the truth of how much data is being collated. Consider combining patterns across tens or hundreds of millions of profiles with this level of detail and you start to get a picture of the power of the platform.”
Being able to uncover marketing trends and insights about customer behavior is becoming integral to the success of companies in nearly every field and industry. For those looking for an affordable solution that promotes automated understanding of big data analytics, consider Digital Reasoning’s flagship solution Synthesys.
Jasmine Ashton, September 24, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Elevating SharePoint through Third Party Additions
September 21, 2012
Relate Technologies is a Microsoft systems integrator, with a stake in third-party application implementation. While some mistakenly view SharePoint as an out-of-the-box answer to all of their organization’s information needs, Relate Technologies builds a strong case for the addition of add-ons for increased customization and functionality. Read more in, “Taking SharePoint to the Next Level.”
The article begins:
‘SharePoint is perceived by companies as a product primarily used for intranets and document management,’ says Geoff Lander, Managing Director of Relate Technologies. ‘As ideal as it may be for these applications, the real tangible monetary return on investment is derived when you start using SharePoint as a development platform to build enterprise applications.’ Companies such as Sanlam Structured Solutions, Coronation Fund Managers, Vodafone and JO Hambro Capital Management are using applications developed in SharePoint to increase the efficiency of a range of business processes.
Apparently SharePoint is also realizing the value of such applications as they recently formed a Marketplace to make integration more accessible:
To encourage the development of such third-party applications or add-ons for SharePoint by the ISV communities, Microsoft launched the Microsoft Office 365 Marketplace in April 2011. The Marketplace incorporates a SharePoint Marketplace that already lists almost 500 SharePoint applications that can be used to extend or enhance SharePoint functionality.
The future of SharePoint definitely appears to be in third-party additions, increasing functionality and accessibility, particularly for smaller organizations that cannot afford a fleet of in-house developers. When reviewing third-party applications that might meet your organization’s needs, take a look at Fabasoft Mindbreeze and their suite of intuitive solutions.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 21, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Munich International Trade Fairs Depends on Mindbreeze InSite
September 20, 2012
In the online environment, customer service obviously means something different than simply having pleasant face-to-face interactions. Online businesses have to go the extra mile to meet their customers’ needs, but have to assess these needs without the benefit of personal interactions. One key factor in online customer service is an intuitive Web interface and an effective Web site search mechanism.
If customers cannot find what they need, the odds that they will move on to another vendor or site is quite high. Munich International Trade Fairs, which organizes trade fairs around Europe, learned the value of intuitive Web site search through Mindbreeze InSite. Read more in, “Munich International Trade Fairs counts on Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite.”
The article begins:
Munich International Trade Fairs offers a special service to online visitors of the Communication World 2011: easy, secure, and intelligent search through Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite. ‘We are pleased to be the first trade organizer in Germany to offer this service on our websites. With a structured overview, the visitor can get to the information he needs faster. I was particularly impressed by the swift implementation. The product was ready for use in less than 10 minutes,’ says Prof. Dr. Manfred Mayer of Munich International Trade Fairs.
So if you are looking for a way to improve your overall customer satisfaction, the painless and hassle-free addition of Mindbreeze InSite will pay dividends in happy customers.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 20, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
SharePoint Cannot Meet All Enterprise Needs
September 19, 2012
For all of the talk about what SharePoint can do, sometimes it is good to know what SharePoint cannot do. Avoid an unnecessary expense as well as wasted time and frustration by exploring the BetaNews article, “3 Things Not to do With SharePoint.”
The author begins with an analysis of what SharePoint can do well:
I’m a big fan of SharePoint. I’ve worked with it for years, right back to SharePoint 2001. It does a lot of things very, very well (Since you ask — document management, collaborative working, and increasingly social networking functionality). However, SharePoint also does lots of things, its feature set is simply huge. Not all of these features are as mature as others, and as a result it is easy for SharePoint systems to end up feeling a bit mixed and matched. Some things work well, some less so, and some should have been avoided altogether.
The author then goes on to list the three things you should avoid doing with SharePoint: 1) creating a public facing Web site, 2) customizing graphic design, and 3) treating it like a database. For each of these functions, a smarter choice is to find a third party solution that can work with SharePoint or an existing infrastructure to seamlessly accomplish that goal. For public facing Web sites, we recommend Mindbreeze InSite, a solution that will automatically set up intuitive search on your Web space.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 19, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Interview with Joe Pullizzi, Content Marketing Expert
September 18, 2012
We came across a fascinating interview with Joe Pullizzi, a content marketing expert and one of the kingpins of the Content Marketing Institute. Content marketing is an important method for building a brand and enhancing a company’s public relations program. He said about the rapid changes now taking place in marketing:
It comes down to a fundamental change, in my opinion. Consumers are in complete control. They manage the entire buying process themselves. They have all the information they need at their disposal. Interruption strategies still work to get their attention, but it takes a lot of money. Content marketing is the ultimate David versus Goliath opportunity. Today, any company with a great story can be found, and their content will be shared. Some of the fastest growing companies in the world are leveraging content marketing strategies. And it’s only just begun.
He added:
In my opinion, there will be a need for long-form content. However, shorter form content is the searcher’s delight. Just as the Web has not replaced TV or radio, Apps will not replace any other channel out there. It’s just another channel where we can communicate with customers, which involves a whole different set of processes.
You read the full interview in HighGainBlog at http://wp.me/p2dChp-rL. For more information about the Content Marketing Institute, visit CMI’s Web site.
Stephen E Arnold, September 18, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT
Mindbreeze InSite is a Hit
September 18, 2012
Even at its inception, Mindbreeze InSite was garnering rave reviews for its creativity and effectiveness. The From the Cloud blog features good news regarding Mindbreeze InSite acceptance in the industry in its entry, “futurezone.at: Mindbreeze InSite is a Direct Hit!”
The author begins:
A few weeks ago Mindbreeze InSite became the latest sprog to join the family of Fabasoft Cloud services online. The young Cloud service had barely entered the world when it landed its first major success: Replacing Google Appliance as the integrated search on futurezone.at, the Austrian national newspaper Kurier’s technology news portal. According to Alexa ranking this website belongs to the top 5 websites in Austria (top 871 worldwide)!
Mindbreeze InSite is quick and easy to install. Tens of thousands of pages of Web content can be indexed simply by embedding a few lines of script code. Additionally, tens of thousands of searches can be performed by hour by users to the Web site, without any burden on the system. In addition to the other successful enterprise services that Mindbreeze offers, InSite offers a wonderful compliment, equipping users to find quick satisfaction in their search of your public facing Web sites.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 18, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
SharePoint 2013 of Little Consequence for the End User
September 17, 2012
For all of the buzz surrounding the release of SharePoint 2013, there may be little to no immediate impact for the actual end user. Developers and enterprise search bloggers are highly anticipating the full release as well as the SharePoint conference in November. However, Mark Miller at CMS Wire argues, “Why SharePoint 2013 Isn’t for You,” in his most recent article.
Miller states:
There is the marketing coming out of Microsoft, but the Man-on-the-Street conversation is mainly from developers and IT Pros who are talking to each other about how to set it up, how to optimize it, how it is different from 2010. This has absolutely nothing of relevance for people using SharePoint on a day-to-day basis. The day-to-day talk is a distraction to SharePoint end users. In general, the users are not interested in the technology, they are interested in the solutions the technology can provide . . . We had the same type of situation after the release of SharePoint 2010. At that time, I took the same position: It’s going to take two to three years for SharePoint 2013 to become relevant to the daily user.
So for users who need a better interface now, what is to be done? One option gaining acceptance and popularity is the addition of a third-party solution. Vendors such as Fabasoft Mindbreeze offer a suite of solutions to maximize enterprise search and overall functionality. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise can be added to an existing SharePoint infrastructure to add the values of quality, usability, and style. It takes a long time to turn a big ship, and SharePoint is definitely the biggest ship on the market. Therefore, many organizations will benefit more from the intuitive infrastructure and agility of a smart third-party solution like Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 17, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
IntelTrax Top Stories: September 7 to September 13
September 17, 2012
This week the IntelTrax advanced intelligence blog published articles on current trends related to big data, fraud detection, and analytics solutions that will help both of the previously stated problems.
“Real Time Analytics Makes an Impact” discusses how companies have spent the last couple of years making it so that their analytics solutions have zero lag time.
The article states:
“Operational Intelligence, basically, is real-time analytics over operational and social data. Operational intelligence, or OI as we like to call it, provides three important capabilities. First is real-time visibility over a wide variety of data. Second is real-time insight using real-time continuous analytics, and third is what we call right-time action, which means being able to take action in time to make a measurable difference in the business. We decided to focus on Operational Intelligence because it addresses some very important business problems that we felt were not well served by traditional software products today. These problems include service assurance in telco, social analytics for dynamic selling and brand management, real-time supply chain management, smart grid management in electrical utilities, and dynamic pricing in retail. These are just some of the examples.”
One way that analytics solutions have positively impacted a variety of industries is through the detection of fraud. “Fraud Analytics Deliver on Fine Art Forgeries” explains a new niche in fraud analytics that helps prevent substantial losses from individuals and museums.
The article informs:
“Just as with credit card fraud detection, the data sets created by digital authentication are quite large. Similarly, the modeling tools are extremely sophisticated, looking for patterns that would be unlikely from the painter just as a given purchase would be unlikely for a credit card holder. Zeroing in on the fraud can save an enterprise millions of dollars. Digital authentication is not real-time — it took two days to identify the fake Van Gogh. But in the world of art, that’s more than fast enough.”
When discussing advancements made in the industry, the information is often more well received when it comes from experts in the field. “Analytic News is Best From the Experts” showcases on experts opinion on the topic:
“Werner Vogels, a data guru as chief technology officer for Amazon Web Services, has been touting his interpretation of big data for almost two years. For him, managing a behemoth like Amazon, it’s not exactly what big data is, but what can be done with it.
“Big data is the collection and analysis of large amounts of data to create a competitive advantage,” he told a conference earlier this year.
“I am an infrastructure guy and for me big data is when your data sets become so large that you have to start innovating how to collect, store, organise, analyse and share it.”
Since technology is continuing to progress at rapid rates it is important the companies seek out a data analytics provider that evolves with the times. Digital Reasoning’s solutions, not only will protect your business from fraud, but its automated understanding for Big Data allows companies to find the necessary information they need to stay ahead of the competition.
Jasmine Ashton, September 17, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
SharePoint 2013 Misses Opportunities
September 14, 2012
Chris Wright at Beta News adds to the buzz of the SharePoint 2013 Preview with is piece, “SharePoint 2013 is a Missed Opportunity.” After saying that a few of the surface updates are useful and intuitive, Wright gets to the heart of why SharePoint 2013 is ultimately a disappointment:
I work with lots of end users of SharePoint. What I would have liked to see, and what they needed, is much more focus on the user interface and the feel of SharePoint in this new version. There are some very powerful features in SharePoint, like Views on lists and libraries, but end users find them difficult to use and configure — if they find them at all. Even a simple thing like adding rich content to a page is a lot harder than it should be. The text editor tends to have a mind of its own, and this issue so far remains in the new version.
Followers of the SharePoint world and blogosphere will recognize this complaint against the feel of SharePoint as the number one recurring issue. Many organizations, particularly small to mid-size ones, are turning to smart third-party solutions to increase the feel of their SharePoint infrastructure without the painstaking SharePoint customization process. We like Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise for just this reason. Although it can stand alone, adding Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise to an existing SharePoint infrastructure immediately adds style, ease of use, and efficiency without a huge investment in other resources.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 14, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite Boasts Information Pairing
September 13, 2012
Web site search can be a struggle from the user’s viewpoint. Navigating a Web site, particularly a commercial one, can be arduous at best. And yet organizations have had a hard time better designing a site to users’ needs. However, Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite offers a solution. Fabasoft Mindbreeze offers a wide variety of smart solutions for the enterprise, but InSite is particularly geared toward smart public-facing Web site search.
Read an explanation of the information pairing technology behind the product’s success, written by Daniel Fallmann, in the entry, “Information Pairing Makes Websites More Intelligent!”
Fallmann describes the InSite product’s success:
Behind this ‘magic,’ however is a great deal of digital know-how. The key term here is information pairing, under the motto ‘bringing together what belongs together.’ To put it in concrete terms, the current Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite release enables a maintenance-free, always up-to-date conflation of information from different areas. Always relevant. Always interesting. Always to the point. For both you and your website’s users.
Information pairing technology is secure and award winning. Best of all, it improves your company’s Web presence without a huge investment in time or development hours. For organizations that know the importance of grooming their online appearance, Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite is an easy investment.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 13, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
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