The Cloud is the Focus of Microsoft Office and Server Products
November 8, 2012
Cloud service capabilities are a major emphasis in the suite of coming Microsoft products, including Office 2013, Exchange, Lync server products, and SharePoint. In “Microsoft’s Wave of Office, Server Product Releases Brings Flood of Questions,” Jonathan Hassell discusses the newest Microsoft release of products and poses some questions about what to expect.
Hassell has this to say on Cloud incorporation:
Dependency on the cloud should not shock you: Hopefully you have been paying attention to Microsoft’s conversations with you about being “all in” with the cloud. Just look at Office for a prime example: For the first time, Office licenses will be sold by subscription directly to consumers; they will download, install and manage it all from office.com.
He adds this about SharePoint changes:
By default, SharePoint 2013 runs newly created workflow services on Windows Azure, and you have to install the old Windows Workflow engine on SharePoint 2013 instances in order to run previously used workflows.
The author also warns that if your company has not embraced the cloud yet, you may want to get in the game because it is no doubt the dominating feature in the next wave. Hassell’s article is worth a look for some valid questions to pose your IT team as you ready for the changes.
If you’re weighing enterprise search applications for your existing SharePoint investments, you may also want to look up Mindbreeze. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise gains each employee two weeks per year through focused finding of data, a competitive business advantage and added bonus to employee satisfaction. With SharePoint connectors, the Mindbreeze solution seamlessly integrates into your system and gives users the ability to be well informed, quickly and efficiently.
Philip West, November 8, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite for an Intuitive Web Site Search
November 7, 2012
Ensuring that Web site users find the right content on a site the first time is an imperative way to gain and retain site visitors and customers. Mindbreeze InSite makes it easy to know customers are finding what they need. In “Mindbreeze InSite: The First Steps,” Iris Fallmann explains the simple process of setting up InSite on your site.
With no install required, it only takes a few minutes to tailor the search solution to fit your needs. The first step is to register, which simply requires a name, email address, and the URL of the site to be indexed. You’ll receive a demo page to try the search and find feature. Fallman explains how to then create views:
You can create search tabs quickly and easily on your demo page. In the first tab the results from all data are displayed. To refine the search, just enter the searched word into the search field. All the results are displayed. If these results should now be displayed in a separate tab, you just have to click on the ‘plus’ symbol next to the existing search tab, enter a name for the new tab and click on ‘add search tab.’
When a tab is added, all the results for the topic are then displayed under the search tab and a new search only searches in restricted data. The friendly user interface makes it simple to get up and running. Setting up, facets, information pairing, and embedding InSite are also explained in the brief how-to. It may be worth it to check out the 28 day free trial offer.
Philip West, November 7, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Business Users SharePoint Conference
November 6, 2012
In the world of enterprise search, particularly SharePoint, training and professional development opportunities are a lifeline. Solutions can be complex and often change rapidly. Conferences are a good way to stay abreast of emerging trends and updates. CMS Wire advertises an upcoming opportunity in, “SharePoint Conference for Business Users Amsterdam 2013.”
The conference program is summed up:
Join us at the SharePoint Conference for Business Users in Amsterdam next March to learn how to evaluate, deploy, use, and customize SharePoint to run a more efficient and integrated business. The 3 day event is a jargon-free environment designed for business professionals to hear from like-minded users on how they have moulded SharePoint to suit requirements, how to realise business benefits and make the most of their SharePoint environment. The program features case studies and best practice workshops from leading organizations which would help users and decision makers pick up new techniques and more importantly, avoid costly mistakes.
Some users will find that trainings such as this conference are enough to keep up to speed. However, others will find that a more intuitive solution is needed to avoid costly customization or lengthy in-house training. Fabasoft Mindbreeze offers solutions that bridge the learning gap and improve end user experience. They also offer their own training. The addition of third party solutions cuts down on overall cost and staffing investments to manage the enterprise.
Emily Rae Aldridge, November 6, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
AvePoint Continues Support for SharePoint
November 5, 2012
Many excellent options exist for third party SharePoint support. AvePoint, with its focus on governance and management solutions, has been supporting SharePoint deployments for eleven years. In the full report, “AvePoint Showcases Tradition of Excellence and Support for Microsoft SharePoint 2013 at SharePoint Conference 2012,” the author discusses how AvePoint will participate in the upcoming SharePoint 2012 conference.
AvePoint, leader in governance and management solutions for Microsoft SharePoint, today announced that it is a Platinum and Keynote Sponsor of Microsoft SharePoint Conference (SPC) 2012, taking place from November 12-15 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV. AvePoint’s Platinum and Keynote sponsorship for the third consecutive SPC highlights the company’s continued commitment to the global SharePoint community, and provides an opportunity to showcase the DocAve Software Platform, its award-winning product line for managing, governing, and scaling enterprise technology platforms with support for Microsoft SharePoint 2013.
Some companies need more than governance, management, and backup support. Some enterprises struggle to implement a SharePoint infrastructure because of staffing, funding, or other shortages. That is where a third party add-on can help bridge the gap. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise is quick, cost-efficient, and service oriented. Its intuitive interface flattens out a potentially steep learning curve. Furthermore, Mindbreeze works as a standalone solution, or as an addition to an existing infrastructure.
Emily Rae Aldridge, November 5, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
IntelTrax Summary: October 26 to November 1
November 5, 2012
The IntelTrax information intelligence blog posted some excellent articles this week discussing the importance of investing in data analysis technology to help improve the efficiency of workplaces.
“Big Data a Big Part of IT Spending” looks at some projections regarding the rate of IT spending growth, most of which went towards social media campaign spending. However, the spending is continuing to branch out as more and more industries are beginning to utilize the technology.
The article states:
“Big data this year will account for US$28 billion of IT spending worldwide, which will increase to US$34 billion in 2013, according to Gartner.
In a report released Wednesday, the market research firm said much of 2012 expenditure will be in adapting traditional tools to address issues related to the big data phenomenon such as machine data, social data, and the large variety and velocity of data. In contrast, only US$4.3 billion will be focused on new big data functionalities.”
As big data analytics becomes more mainstream, we are seeing more interesting ways that it is being utilized. “Big Data Justice League” examines the use of big data analytics to predict the criminal behavior of maritime pirates.
The article states:
“There are almost too many sources of unstructured data to grapple with: interviews with pirates in custody, news stories about piracy incidents, data from mobile phones found during investigations, e-mail traffic, and social media posts from the pirates themselves. And here’s where the story gets really interesting, in my opinion. Most of this data comes from disparate sources that can vex the best investigations. It’s not simply a matter of easily formatted spreadsheets with clean rows and columns. At warp speed, data comes in from the Web, mobile devices, PDF files and other documents — a potential treasure trove of hidden insights.”
Some companies that a new to the big data game take a little bit of time to see the return on their investment. “Data Scientists More Important Than Most Think” gives four major detractors to analytics success:
“1. 35% of the time, it is the missing analytics skills – For analysts – how well are they able to bridge the gap to business, to understand the real question behind the ask before they jump into the data pull? For PM’s and marketing managers – how well do they understand the recipe behind making decisions based on data (BADIR framework), how well familiar they are with the fundamental analytics technique?
2. 10% of the time, it is the missing decision making process – How does budget get allocated? What is the process of laying out product roadmap?
3. 25% of the time, it is the organization’s data maturity – how easy is to get to data, how many version of the truth exist, does data exist in its rawest form for everybody to aggregate as they please?
4. 30% of the time, it the management and leadership – how is the management making decision, how are they establishing roles and responsibility, how are they holding people accountable?”
Regardless of your industry or expertise in the data analysis field, Digital Reasoning can be of great help. It offers one of the best analytics platforms on the market and can get your house in order by using automated understanding for big data.
Jasmine Ashton, November 5, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Optimizing a Web Site and Google Places to Improve User Experience
November 2, 2012
Terry Van Horne has over 17 years of experience in Web development and search engine optimization (SEO) and is founder of SEO Pros and the OSEOP Organization, the first organization for search engine optimization professionals. He shares some tips and tricks for optimizing your site and Google Places landing page in his article, “Google Local Search: Optimization of Your Google Places or +Local Website Landing Page.” Horne has this to share about proving good content on a site:
I strongly recommend using structured data on your contact page and I always include full contact details in the footer of every page. I now recommend this information be marked up in structured data as well. Reviews, events, testimonials and more can be included in the SERP and these ‘Rich Snippets’ always drive more clicks on your listing. The number of testimonials and ratings on your website affects the ranking.
He adds that microdata information and syntax is available at Schema.org and strongly encourages linking your home page to your testimonials page to maximize the link equity to the page and structured data it contains. The power of semantic search in addition to relevant content is a big part of gaining and retaining an audience. One way to boost your site’s experience is to add a powerful search system, like InSite. Mindbreeze’s InSite solution gives a custom searching experience unique to the user with the added benefit of mobile capabilities. Latest content can easily be displayed to Web site visitors to keep your site fresh, and robust reports provide you with the feedback on what and why your visitors are searching.
Philip West, November 2, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Boosting Web Site Impact with Optimized Search
November 1, 2012
Web site search optimization is a way to give your visitors intent to stay on your site and revisit. In addition, a powerful search feature can introduce users to good content on your site they may not have found otherwise. In “Changed Way of Site Optimization,” the author discusses the importance of SEO for Web site design and SEO Brisbane Company as one option. This is given about using SEO to boost traffic using SEO Brisbane:
Regardless to what type of website you are building, implementing SEO Brisbane into your website will result in better search results and high traffic numbers. And whether you plan on hiring a company or doing it yourself, it’s imperative that you know how to properly implement SEO techniques into your website. Some techniques are smaller than others, while other techniques take time. But there are a few SEO Brisbane techniques that you can use to help your website grow undeniably.
The author also points out that navigation tabs should be coded so that search engines can crawl them and to ensure no loss of pages as URLs change. However, techniques are still only vaguely explained and a glance at the SEO Brisbane Web site shows they heavily promise results without being as clear about the technology behind the solution, which makes us worry about the lack of substance in the tool. When you’re weighing options for Web site search solutions, consider Mindbreeze InSite to add a powerful and customized search experience for your Web site visitors. InSite is powered by semantic search and a visit to their site quickly illustrates the benefits of the cloud deployment options, customizable tabs, multiple data sources options, and faceted search features.
Philip West, November 1, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Using SharePoint to Streamline Common Business Processes
October 31, 2012
SharePoint is a complex system and it helps to do some outside reading to stay abreast on helpful features and tips to share with your team. Ellen van Aken looks at some ways SharePoint can help save time and effort in an organization in her article, “4 Common Processes that SharePoint Can Streamline.” Aken explains that creating a tailor-made subsite and making a template out of it can allow for creating a ready-to-use team site for every project in no time. This could help make recurring projects more efficient.
She also explains streamlining requests with incomplete data coming from multiple channels:
How often do people send you a request, by plain email, telephone, or Word/Excel document? And how often do you have to contact them again to ask for missing information?
Depending on the complexity, you can use a simple SharePoint list, an Office template in a Document Library, or an InfoPath form in a Forms Library, with mandatory fields. As additional advantage SharePoint stores all your requests in one central place, so you do not have to spend time on filing them…The finished requests can be used to gain insights in your process.
She adds that a filter can be put in place to show which requests still need processing. Another way to streamline information requests with missing data is to provide a search feature that can tap into all company knowledge, whether text or person related. For example, Fabasoft Mindbreeze with the SharePoint connector provides an all-inclusive search without redundancy or loss of data. Additionally, Mindbreeze has the ability to process data and turn it into relevant knowledge for users.
Philip West, October 31, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Finding a Cost Effective Solution for Search Marketing
October 30, 2012
In the Marketing Week post, “The Digital Path to Purchase,” Michael Barnett discusses budgetary considerations companies should keep in mind as mobile and social media trends continue to dominate search strategies and search technology developments. Barnett explains that marketers are continuing to see the importance of understanding the wide variety of journeys that consumers take toward making a purchase. The integration of search and social is discussed:
One marketing manager from a professional services company says in answer to the survey: ‘The continued integration of search and social has to have an effect. Which social networks have the greatest influence remains to be seen. I think it will depend on their willingness to co-operate with each other, or more specifically with Google and Microsoft – but mainly Google.’ At present, content shared on social networks probably does not rank as highly as it naturally would in search results, since some search engines are restricted from crawling certain social sites.
In the same survey, three quarters of respondents claimed their search budgets they work with have increased in the past year. However, only 21 percent say search marketing is very effective. One industry leader in search is Fabasoft Mindbreeze. If you are looking for an integrated social and search solution to boost marketing efforts, consider taking advantage of the no obligation free trial InSite demo to test the enhanced finding experience for your Web site. InSite illuminates all of your information, from documents and emails to social networking channels.
Philip West, October 30, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
The Fragmentation of Content Analytics
October 29, 2012
I am in the midst of finalizing a series of Search Wizards Speak interviews with founders or chief technology officers of some interesting analytics vendors. Add to this work the briefings I have attended in the last two weeks. Toss in a conference which presented a fruit bowl of advanced technologies which read, understand, parse, count, track, analyze, and predict who will do what next.
Wow.
From a distance, the analytics vendors look the same. Up close, each is individual and often not identical. Pick up the wrong shard and a cut finger or worse may result.
A happy quack to www.thegreenlivingexpert.com
Who would have thought that virtually every company engaged in indexing would morph into next-generation, Euler crazed, and Gauss loving number crunchers. If the names Euler and Gauss do not resonate with you, you are in for tough sledding in 2013. Math speak is the name of the game.
The are three very good reasons for repackaging Vivisimo as a big data and analytics player. I choose Vivisimo because I have used it as an example of IBM’s public relations mastery. The company developed a deduplication feature which was and is, I assume, pretty darned good. Then Vivisimo became a federated search system, nosing into territory staked out by Deep Web Technologies. Finally, when IBM bought Vivisimo for about $20 million, the reason was big data and similarly bright, sparkling marketing lingo. I wanted to mention Hewlett Packard’s recent touting of Autonomy as an analytics vendor or Oracle’s push to make Endeca a business analytics giant. But IBM gets the nod. Heck, it is a $100 billion a year outfit. It can define an acquisition any way it wishes. I am okay with that.
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