Resources for Your ALM and CI Questions
December 26, 2011
Recently, a SharePoint 2010 Developer instructor, Andrew Connell, posted some suggested sources to turn to for answering your frequently asked questions on Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) and continuous integration (CI) in “SharePoint 2010, ALM and Continuous Integration Resources.” Andrew Connell is a Microsoft developer specializing in the .NET Framework and content management, specifically Microsoft Content Management Server 2002 and SharePoint. He is also a multiple time recipient of the Most Valuable Professional for SharePoint Server Award. He explains:
When teaching SharePoint 2010 developer classes I typically get at least one question every other class as it relates to ALM. On occasion there is at least one student who is used to doing continuous integration (CI) in their non-SharePoint projects and want to know how to it in SharePoint 2010 projects. For me, the best person you can look to is Chris O’Brien.
ALM, the coordination of all aspects of software engineering, can be of benefit to your work processes. While Connell’s suggested resources are a little older, they have worthy advice on the topic and are a good place to start.
If after reading you find you still need assistance, consider a full-service firm like Fabasoft Mindbreeze. As a third party solution for your SharePoint system, their technology combines your on-premise information with Cloud information, connecting the right people to the right information. Here you can read more about how Mindbreeze adds more efficiency for SharePoint, “It enables all information that is connected to Mindbreeze to be displayed in Microsoft SharePoint. This takes place smoothly via Web Parts. In this way not only information contained within Microsoft SharePoint, but also all other information that is available within the respective company, can be consolidated within one “platform.”
Check out Fabasoft Mindbreeze’s full suite of solutions.
Philip West, December 26, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Critical Success Factors for PLM
December 26, 2011
In our browsing around for information about product lifecycle management we came across a March 2011 Whitepaper “Six Critical Success Factors for PLM Deployment: What High Tech and Electronics Companies Need to Know to Achieve Success”. While the paper is older it offers some key factors to keep in mind.
The electronics and high tech manufacturing companies face price pressures, rapid change in the market and other requirements while producing products in a timely and innovative manner.
The paper offers an easy to read chart that outlines the six critical success factors they identify: architecture, usability, scalability, security, flexibility and cost-effective extensibility.
These elements should combine to offer:
a PLM system that is able to balance both long-term and short-term business needs.
We agree that these are important factors in deploying a reliable PLM. We have found these same six elements in the PLM applications offered by Inforbix and we understand the differentiating factor is cost-effectiveness.
Constance Ard, December 26, 2011
Hewlett Packard: Misunderstood for 2012?
December 26, 2011
Now that Autonomy, one of my all-time favorite search vendors, is part of Hewlett Packard, I feel obligated to pay attention to the ink vendor. Oh, I know you may think HP is more than ink, but I learned that HP ink is worth more than diamonds or gold when you have a gallon of the stuff in those nifty cartridges.
HP generated in 2010 about $120 billion. IBM, by way of contrast, generated about $100 billion in 2010 and will nose closer to $120 billion when its 2011 fiscal year closes. HP is big, diversified, and the proud owner of Autonomy. The deal was worth about $11 billion which is nearly 10 percent of HP’s 2011 revenues. I would not ignore Autonomy, but that’s what happened in “Hewlett-Packard Isn’t Looking Forward to Next Year, Either.” The write up from the Motley Fool, which is certainly no silly goose, asserted:
Even though Whitman nixed most of her predecessor’s moves, she agrees with Leo Apotheker in that HP needs to focus more on software in the coming year, competing more directly with other enterprise-software giants such as IBM (NYSE: IBM ) and Oracle(Nasdaq: ORCL ) . She decidedly doesn’t want to transform HP into a software company, as Apotheker was clearly trying to do, but rather wants to build up the software segment as a complement for customers. Whitman has her work cut out for her but has admitted that 2012 is not the year that HP investors should be looking forward to. The mobile revolution is going to be huge. But just because HP left early, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out. We’ve just released a brand-new, 100% free report that details one stock that is in an enviable position powering the mobile Trillion-Dollar Revolution from the inside, while also having exposure to China’s red-hot growth.
Ah, ha. the article is not really about HP, Autonomy, or the price challenge HP will face from outfits like Google. The Motley Fool, which is no fool, is using the HP story to market a report. I don’t have much of a problem with a free report, but I do wish, some of the smart folks would pay attention to Autonomy and the financial potential it may deliver to HP. I just wrote about Aurasma, Autonomy’s augmented reality technology in my Information Today column for February 2012. I think the idea of putting Autonomy technology in printers is interesting, but there are some aspects of Autonomy that warrant its inclusion in HP write ups. I am fascinated with mobile, Ms. Whitman, and enterprise hardware, but there are some more interesting topics to explore. That’s the difference between a fool and a goose I suppose.
Stephen E Arnold, December 25, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
PLM Meets Green Innovation with Frost & Sullivan Award for PTC
December 23, 2011
We saw this write-up PTC Named Winner of 2011 Frost & Sullivan Global Green Excellence in Product Innovation Award and it made us wonder if maybe we had missed something significant.
PTC was ranked against comparable vendors in a variety of categories and came out on top for the Windchill® Product Analytics suite. It is great that manufacturers are working hard on environmental improvements and as we read the article it became obvious that the pressure is deeper than a commitment to sustainability.
The article explains:
According to Frost & Sullivan best practices research, the drive among manufacturers to improve the environmental performance of their products is gaining momentum every day. Not only have business-to-business customers and consumers demonstrated a clear preference for more sustainable products and “greener” brands, but investors are now pressuring manufacturers as well.
These motivators as well as additional regulatory requirements are a good driver for “green” innovation. Green innovation is a marvelous accomplishment.
If you are seeking systemic innovation it may be worthwhile to get a good handle on your data through effective data management. The effectiveness of the Inforbix data management solution for product lifecycle management may be just the tool needed for system wide innovations.
Constance Ard, December 23, 2011
Ektron Brings Enterprise Search to SharePoint
December 23, 2011
SharePoint is a content management platform that markets itself as a product that anyone can use but, in reality, can be quite tricky without help from a third party solution. The Sacramento Bee reported on a new way to harness the power of existing information through enterprise search in “Ektron Announces Expanded Support for FAST Search for Microsoft SharePoint 2010.”
According to the article, Ektron, a privately held Web content management software company based in Nashua, New Hampshire, announced this week expanded support for FAST Search for Microsoft SharePoint.
We learned:
FAST Search for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is an enterprise search platform that delivers relevant, accurate and timely answers that help organizations use information for a competitive advantage. It helps people search intelligently, which reduces costs and risks with flexible, closed-loop enterprise search and security features. FAST Search for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 also helps harness the power of existing information assets and IT investments through flexible, standards-based enterprise integration.
While it is great to hear that Ektron is creating software to make SharePoint more user-friendly, we’re surprised that Ektron does not hook into more third party solutions. Our suggestion is that Ektron licensees take a close look at the Mindbreeze search and content processing solution. Our investigations suggest that users will benefit significantly.
Stephen E Arnold, December 23, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Protected: SharePoint: Easy Enough for Kids
December 23, 2011
Mindbreeze Deemed a Positive Force in Enterprise Search
December 22, 2011
Gartner’s MarketScope for Enterprise Search recently examined a group of generalist vendors that deliver simply priced platforms for solid enterprise search functionality. Mindbreeze is on the chart with a high rating of ‘positive’ based on evaluation criteria including product strategy, innovation, customer experience, overall viability, market understanding, and business model. Details of the evaluation and the enterprise search markets are discussed in, “MarketScope for Enterprise Search.”
“Gartner’s MarketScope for Enterprise Search reflects the changing needs and approach of users, who now generally ask first about technologies from Microsoft or Google, and then consider more platform-oriented or specialty-focused selections later. Specialized search-based applications are still priced to match their greater value for companies and organizations that must find information as a key element of strategic projects.”
Gartner’s MarketScope evaluated vendors that are ordinarily used for generalist projects, are well established, have the option to be bought and operated independently of other products, and were natively developed or founded on open-source technology.
In the report, Fabasoft Mindbreeze as a third party solution is noted for its broad product line, significant investments in federation as a means to broaden search, and its effective social search allowing user collaboration. Mindbreeze’s strong technological and functional offerings add value to your information in a user-friendly manner. Here you can read more about Mindbreeze solutions for facilitating findability:
“Our information pairing technology makes you unbeatable. Information pairing unites enterprise information and Cloud information. This results in a complete overview of a company’s knowledge – the basis for your competitive advantage – allowing you to act quickly, reliably, dynamically and profitably in all business matters.”
While there may not yet be an out-of-the-box solution for all your enterprise search needs, you’ll want to optimize your system with a professional vendor that has comprehensive solutions and an understanding of your business needs. To do this, check out the broad range of products available from Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Philip West, December 22, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
SMBs Should Seek the Benefits of PLM Systems
December 22, 2011
Many smaller manufacturing companies tend to shy away from Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems because of implementation and cost concerns. However, Apparel Magazine does not think they should hesitate and provides Five Reasons for Small to Mid-size Manufacturers to Adopt PLM”. Small to Mid-size manufacturing businesses (SMB) may find that PLM will improve their competitive advantage while increasing their bottom-line.
Apparel says that PLM will improve communication, assist in meeting growing compliance requirements and streamline each phase of the manufacturing. There are specially designed SMB solutions that:
“have a quicker implementation process and can have a company up and running within days or weeks with little or no disruption in operation.”
It also would reduce independent systems and separate silos of data. It is essential that a manufacturing company have an integrated system in place to locate needed information in a range of formats across file systems. Inforbix does just that. They make it possible to implement findability within PLM systems regardless the size of the business or the volume of data that is processed. It is a perfect fit for a SMB.
We think these reasons make a lot of sense for SMBs. The cost seems minimal and the benefits seem great. Small manufacturers – it is time to take that leap of faith.
Jennifer Wensink, December 21, 2011
Protected: SharePoint Is Not Made for Applications
December 22, 2011
Continued Growth Expectations for Text-Analytics Markets
December 21, 2011
It is no doubt text-analytics demand is skyrocketing. From brand management to competitive intelligence, businesses recognize the numerous and valuable applications for the software and services that turn business data into information gold. Seth Grimes breaks down the market outlook and a variety of text analytics components in, “Text-Analytics Demand Approaches $1 Billion.”
Grimes reports software and service text-analytics revenues at $835 million globally. While Grimes’ analysis comes to us from his 2010 market study, it is good to know the historical growth as we look at 2012 predictions. From the 2010 market study findings:
Growth is steepest for applications that seek business insight in social networks, online media, and surveys. Applications include brand-reputation management, market research, competitive intelligence, and customer service and support. For these applications and others, text analytics brings automated, natural-language processing techniques to bear to identify and extract names, facts, relationships, sentiment, and other information in blogs, forums, news, social updates, e-mail, and a range of enterprise sources.
Grimes predicts text-analytics markets will sustain healthy annual growth rates between 25 and 40 percent in each of the coming years with a continued shift from on-premise software to Web services. He also suggests the benefits of a third-party solution to plug into your existing system to lower initial costs, ease start-ups, and to access the service provider’s repository of social and online information.
A third party solution we like is Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Staying ahead of the curve, they have solutions for Enterprise search, information pairing, searching the cloud, and mobility. Daniel Fallmann, founder and managing director of Mindbreeze Solutions GmbH, comments on the product in “Fabasoft Mindbreeze Appliance is Trend-Setting Product 2011”:
“Our focus on agility, quality, usability and style in the monthly shipments of our latest product innovations enables us to integrate and implement client requests into our product development rapidly and sustainably. In addition to our on-premise offering, everyone can now try out our product in the Cloud, immediately. This is a possibility much appreciated by our clients and partners alike.”
Check out Fabasoft Mindbreeze’s suite of solutions to see what works for you.
Philip West, December 21, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
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