Community Discussion on Microsoft Suite of 2013 Preview Releases
August 9, 2012
Kurt Mackie comments on the new SharePoint 2013 in his recent Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine post, “Microsoft Releases Previews of Office 2013, SharePoint 2013, and Exchange 2013.”
Mackie explains the recent preview releases from Microsoft:
Those previews include 2013 versions of SharePoint, Exchange, Lync, Office Web Apps Server, Project, Visio and Office Professional Plus. Microsoft has a single portal for downloading those trial applications, which can be found at its new Office site page here. Those releases come a day after Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Kirk Koenigsbauer, corporate vice president of the Microsoft Office Division, officiated over the launch of the next Office 365, which includes an actual service-enabled version of the full Microsoft Office productivity suite.
The author also discusses possible points of confusion among Office 365 as a service and as a premises-installed Office version. Only recently has Office 365 become cloud enabled. Mackie finishes up his article with a few comments on SharePoint 2013 and Exchange 2013 improvements, with enhanced social networking capabilities in SharePoint being a highlight. With the community buzzing about the new releases, the read may be worth it for you to stay in the loop.
But while you consider migrating options to new versions and new features, look to enrich your system now with a comprehensive and lean solution. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise provides consistent and comprehensive information access to both corporate and Cloud sources. The seamless Cloud solution makes sure you find the right information you need at any time. Check out the full suite of solutions at Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Philip West, August 9, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
PLM Proving Invaluable to NASA Mars Mission
August 9, 2012
Just when we think we’ve seen product lifecycle management (PLM) used for every possible use a news story proves us wrong. The recent article, “New Sim, Testing Tools Used to Design Mars Lander”, on EE Times, shares the details of how a PLM solution is making it possible for NASA to land a robotic rover on the Martian surface.
According to the article NASA has chosen Siemens PLM to design a way for the space team to test various landing and take-off scenarios for the rover spacecraft. The response from Siemens was enthusiastically optimistic:
“The company claims its integrated suite of tools called NX pulled together disperate CAD, CAE and CAM tools to allow JPL engineers to ‘capture all of the DNA of [the Mars Science Laboratory] design’ and determine, for instance, whether they ‘over-designed it,’ (Tim Nichols, managing director of Siemens PLM Software ) said. NX was used to develop many of the mechanical portions of the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, particularly the thermal control systems for entry, descent and landing as well as for surface operations at Curiosity’s planned landing site at Gale Crater.”
Now that more providers, and users for that matter, are realizing that PLM is not industry specific and relegated to only manufacturing but rather is a new way of doing data management the possibilities are endless.
Catherine Lamsfuss, August 9, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Maximizing Web Site Search with Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite
August 8, 2012
Fabasoft Mindbreeze is now offering an intuitive Web site search to compliment their industry leading enterprise search technology, Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite. Now meaningful search can extend outside of your organizational walls and benefit those who you are most eager to impress, your customers.
Read the sound advice of Michael Biebl, Fabasoft Mindbreeze developer, in, “Secure Website Search in the Cloud.”
Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite is our product to empower websites with professional high-end search cababilities. We offer InSite as a Cloud service and for on premise installation. Today, I would like to show how you can adapt the search-experience by defining views. Views allow you to group search results by search queries. It’s a really great and simple concept and you can adapt your search results without any need for server configuration. The following 5 scenarios should get you started on the topic, but we are open for your views as well.
Whether you are eager to use the benefits of a cloud installation, or you prefer the stability of an on-site installation, Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite is a hassle-free way to increase the efficiency of your Web presence without increasing your workload. A commitment-free 28 day trial is currently available. In a world of bad public-facing Web site search, pleasantly surprise your customers with a helpful and intuitive search function.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 8, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Vertical Approach to PLM Driving Innovation
August 8, 2012
Over the course of the last decade product lifecycle management (PLM) has undergone a transformation turning a once out-of-the-box approach to a customized one. A recent Design News article, “Dassault Steers PLM toward Automotive Design Challenges”, explains how Dassault , one of the leaders in PLM solutions, has created a new PLM solution aimed at the automotive industry.
The article explains,
“It looks as if Dassault Systèmes is taking the vertical approach a bit more seriously. As part of its evolving focus on 3D experience, not just 3D data, Dassault has just released the first of many new industry solutions, this one specifically to address key challenges in the automotive segment. 3D Experience, as Dassault officials explain it, is the idea of leveraging the company’s 3D capabilities like simulation and high-end visualization functionality to communicate product data, not just as information, but in a more interactive and engaging way.”
Kudos to Dassault for their latest PLM solution but for those not in the automotive industry a similar product is much needed. We recommend Inforbix because vertical approaches to PLM is at the very core of all their PLM solutions. Oleg Shilovitsky, co-founder and CEO, wrote in a recent blog post, “Inforbix deploys technology that helps link islands of data together in manufacturing companies. Our approach is to offer a simple and affordable means of data access regardless of source or location.” This approach combined with a dedication to customer support makes Inforbix a clear winner for manufactures needing new data management solutions.
Catherine Lamsfuss, August 8, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Track the Output of SharePoint Fast Search Crawl Logs
August 7, 2012
Do you need to pull SharePoint Fast Search crawl logs? We do. We read with interest an item on Microsoft’s TechNet Web site. “Get SharePoint Search Crawl Logs” provides an almost ready-to-run script which will accept a search service name and display the associated crawl logs. If there is a crawl log with an error, the script flags that instance. To script can be edited so that it returns different information from the crawly logs. In order to make this tweak, the $crawlLogFilters can be edited.
SharePoint Fast usually does an excellent job of processing content. However, some documents can be malformed or an unexpected network issue can arise. As a result, certain content can be skipped or ignored. A visual inspection of crawl logs is not practical when SharePoint is processing large volumes of content.
If you want to view the crawl logs, TechNet provides a wealth of information. A good place to begin your investigation is in the TechNet Library. If you want to expOrt the SharePoint 2010 search crawl logs, you will find a useful Powershell script in Dave Mc’s Blog in the article “Export the SharePoint 2010 Search Crawl Log.” MSDN also provides information about exporting SharePoint 2010 search crawl logs. To access this information, navigate to the SharePoint Escalation Team’s blog.
Search Technologies’ team of experienced engineers can provide automation tools which eliminate the need to search for solutions to common problems. To learn more about our SharePoint and FFast Search implementation services, navigate to http://www.searchtechnologies.com/microsoft-search.html or contact us at info@searchtechnologies.com.
Iain Fletcher, August 7, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
Discussion on Plans for SharePoint 2013 Migrations
August 7, 2012
In “Migrating to SharePoint 2013,” Chris Wright speculates on the new SharePoint release, potential adoption rates, Cloud versus on-premises deployments, and third party options. The author points out that those users of SharePoint Online have a relatively clear upgrade path without much to worry about. However, he adds this about on-premises users:
On-premises users of SharePoint have a much bigger decision to make, and more traditional upgrade options. Early commentators suggest that the full locally installed version of SharePoint has seen slightly less focus than the cloud version. The biggest areas of improvement are web content management, enterprise content management and search.
Wright also suggests that if all else fails, look into a third party migration tool for an easier solution. Third party tools should not be overlooked when adding value to your SharePoint system. We like the feedback we’ve seen about Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Here you can read about the mobility solutions from Mindbreeze:
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Mobile makes company knowledge available on all mobile devices. You can act freely, independently and yet always securely. Irrespective of what format the data is in. Full functionality: Search results are displayed homogenously to the web client with regards to clear design and intuitive navigation.
And with information pairing of your cloud and on-premise data, users can easily access important business information on the go from their smartphones and tablets. The well-established and cost-effective solution is worth a second look at http://www.mindbreeze.com/.
Philip West, August 7, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Connecting Engineering to Other Departments through Data Management
August 7, 2012
One of the greatest problems, historically, impacting manufacturing enterprises is the lack of connectivity between engineering and other departments. Product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions have helped diminish that problem but haven’t eliminated it entirely. A recent Concurrent Engineering article, “PLM and Product Development Connects Engineering and Service”, discusses how PLM solutions need to bridge the gap between engineering and other departments.
As the article explains it,
“Developments in PLM now look to decrease the gap between engineering and service parts of an organisation. This makes collaboration and data sharing more convenient and more sustainable. It will reduce reliance on meetings and manual feedback procedures because the PLM system will automatically feed data across departments. Extending the scope of PLM across an organisation increases serviceability and creates a more unified approach to product development.”
Inforbix is a PLM provider that approaches data management differently. As their Website explains,
“Inforbix captures engineering information (eg. CAD data, bill of materials, information from PDM, and other enterprise systems) and makes it available for people outside of engineering. Inforbix product data apps are intuitive and easy to use. It’s a “Google-like” approach that makes finding and sharing engineering and manufacturing data fast and easy.”
As more enterprises demand their PLM solutions do just what Inforbix described above we will see an increase in PLM providers following suit.
Catherine Lamsfuss, August 7, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Perfecting Web Site Semantics
August 6, 2012
Web site search is most often frustrating, and at its worst, a detriment to customers and commerce. Fabasoft Mindbreeze, a company heralded for its advances in enterprise search, is bringing its semantic specialization to the world of Web site search with Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite. Daniel Fallmann, Fabasoft Mindbreeze CEO, highlights the features of the new product in his blog entry, “4 Points for Perfect Website Semantics.”
Fallmann lays out the problem:
The problem: Standard search machines, in particular the one provided by CMS, are unproductive and don’t consider the website’s sophisticated structure. The best example: enter the search term ‘product’ and the search delivers no results, even though product is its own category on the site. Even if the search produces a result for another term, there’s nothing more than a ‘relatively un-motivating list of links,’ not really much help to a website visitor.
Using semantics in the search means that the Web site is being understood, not just keyword searched. Automatic indexing preserves the existing site structure, while providing hassle-free search for the customer. In addition, InSite benefits the Web site developer, in that he/she can see how users are navigating the site and which elements are most often searched.
The attractive “behind-the-scenes” functioning of Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite means that customers benefit from the intuitive, semantic search without the distraction of a clunky search layer. Satisfy your customers and your developers by exploring InSite today.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 6, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
The Debate between PLM and PDM Continues
August 6, 2012
Differentiating between Product Data Management (PDM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is difficult at times and usually starts a very heated debate. One such debate is documented on Engineering Matters in the article, “PLM is Just Data Management… Whatever Dude?”. The author, Chad Jackson, writes in response to a blog post by Adam O’Hearn in which O’Hearn claims PLM and PDM are one in the same.
Jackson summarizes his thoughts on the matter:
“…it’s probably obvious that I disagree Adam’s statement that PLM is nothing more than PDM, ‘whatever dude’ objection withstanding. But I understand where he is coming from. I think his perspective represents the more recent view of PLM that has its foundation in PDM, design release and change management. Additionally, I’d advise Adam not to hold his breath for a PLM Software Provider to step forward to address the shortcomings of PDM.”
One PLM provider has addressed this exact issue – Inforbix. The young company tackles the issue head-on in a blog post on their website:
“Instantly having access to the data you need is the ultimate goal of any data management system. Inforbix takes an approach that involves the application of web, semantic, and cloud technologies to provide users an alternative yet easy means of aggregating and exposing data where ever it’s located. Inforbix embraces the notion that when it comes to data management, less is more.”
Both O’Hearn and Jackson are correct in identifying the problem of the fuzziness surrounding PLM and PDM and their distinguishing characteristics. Hopefully, more PLM providers will address this problem leading to a clearer understanding of the problem and a solution.
Catherine Lamsfuss, August 6, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Research and Development Innovation: A New Study from a Search Vendor
August 3, 2012
I received message from LinkedIn about a news item called “What Are the Keys to Innovation in R&D?” I followed the links and learned that the “study” was sponsored by Coveo, a search vendor based in Canada. You can access similar information about the study by navigating to the blog post “New Study: The Keys to Innovation for R&D Organizations – Their Own, Unused Knowledge.” (You will also want to reference the news release about the study as well. It is on the Coveo News and Events page.
Engineers need access to the drawings and those data behind the component or subsystem manufactured by their employer. Text based search systems cannot handle this type of specialized data without some additional work or the use of third party systems. A happy quack to PRLog: http://www.prlog.org/10416296-mechanical-design-drawing-services.jpg
The main of the study, as I interpret it, is marketing Coveo as a tool to facilitate knowledge management. Even though I write a monthly column for the print and online publication KMWorld, I do not have a definition of knowledge management with which I am comfortable. The years I spent at Booz, Allen & Hamilton taught me that management is darned tough to define. Management as a practice is even more difficult to do well. Managing research and development is one of the more difficult tasks a CEO must handle. Not even Google has an answer. Google is now buying companies to have a future, not inventing its future with existing staff.
The unhappy state of many search and content processing companies is evidence that those with technological expertise may not be able to generate consistent and growing revenues. Innovation in search has become a matter of jazzing up interfaces and turning up the marketing volume. The $10 billion paid for Autonomy, the top dog in the search and content processing space, triggered grousing by Hewlett Packard’s top executives. Disappointing revenues may have contributed to the departure of some high profile Autonomy Corporation executives. Not even the HP way can make traditional search technology pay off as expected, hoped, and needed. Search vendors are having a tough time growing fast enough to stay ahead of spiking technical and support costs.
When I studied for a year at the Jesuit-run Duquesne University, I encountered Dr. Frances J. Chivers. The venerable PhD was an expert in epistemology with a deep appreciation for the lively St. Augustine and the comedian Johann Gottlieb Fichte. I was indexing medieval Latin sermons. I had to take “required” courses in “knowledge.” In the mid 1960s, there were not too many computer science departments in the text indexing game, so I assume that Duquesne’s administrators believed that sticking me in the epistemology track would improve the performance of my mainframe indexing software. Well, let me tell you: Knowledge is a tough nut to crack.
Now you can appreciate my consternation when the two words are juxtaposed and used by search vendors to sell indexing. Dr. Chivers did not have a clue about what I was doing and why. I tried to avoid getting involved in discussions that referenced existentialism, hermeneutics, and related subjects. Hey, I liked the indexing thing and the grant money. To this day, I avoid talking about knowledge.
Selected Findings
Back to the study. Coveo reports:
We recently polled R&D teams about how they use and share innovation across offices and departments, and the challenges they face in doing so. Because R&D is a primary creator and consumer of knowledge, these organizations should be a model for how to utilize and share it. However, as we’ve seen in the demand for our intelligent indexing technology, and as revealed in the study, we found that R&D teams are more apt to duplicate work, lose knowledge and operate in soloed, “tribal” environments where information isn’t shared and experts can’t be found. This creates a huge opportunity for those who get it right—to out-innovate and out-perform their competition.
The question I raised to myself was, “How were the responses from Twitter verified as coming from qualified respondents?” And, “How many engineers with professional licenses versus individuals who like Yahoo’s former president just arbitrarily awarded themselves a particular certification were in the study?” Also, “What statistical tests were applied to the results to validate the the data met textbook-recommended margins of error?”
I may have the answers to these questions in the source documents. I have written about “number shaping” at some of the firms with which I have worked, and I have addressed the issue more directly in my opt in, personal news service Honk. (Honk, a free weekly newsletter, is a no-holds-barred look at one hot topic in search and content processing. Those with a propensity to high blood pressure should not subscribe.)
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