Building a SharePoint Farm
May 22, 2012
Continuing our coverage of the SharePoint series by Robert Schifreen, we turn our attention to, “Building the Farm: From learning to Testing,” on ZD Net UK Edition. (See our coverage of Robert’s first installation in the series, “SharePoint Deployment: Pitfalls of a Pioneer.”) In this piece, Schifreen discusses the details and hardships of starting the actual SharePoint farm.
You’ll need servers set up, SAN storage provisioned, new domain accounts created, DNS entries adding, access to your Active Directory database, firewall holes punching, server licences purchasing, Active Directory security groups creating, installation DVDs downloading, workstations being put into domains for testing, access to VM management consoles granting, servers adding into the load balancer pools, IP addresses allocating, users’ home drives re-mapping, SSL certificates applying for, login scripts amending, and more.
All of the necessities listed above are quite overwhelming. Schifreen goes on to mention the value of expert advice, including paying for outside consulting. For many organizations, expert advice is a sound investment. However, we have another suggestion.
Among the leaders in third-party enterprise solutions is Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise. Mindbreeze can work alongside an existing SharePoint installation, or as a standalone solution. Implementing any new infrastructure will take planning, but a smart third-party solution has built-in customization options, making it a much smoother and intuitive process than trying to get SharePoint to the point of viability.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise understands you, or to be more precise, understands what the most important information is for you at any precise moment in time. It is the center of excellence for your knowledge and simultaneously your personal assistant for all questions. The information pairing technology brings enterprise and Cloud data together.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze also offers a suite of complimentary solutions to link together all aspects of an organization’s information management: mobile solutions, cloud, email management, web site search, etc. While SharePoint is capable of these auxiliary features, too much time and attention has to be devoted to customization.
So if your organization is looking for an effective but less painful way to manage information storage and retrieval needs, consider the offerings of Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 22, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Inforbix: Semantic Technology for Manufacturing Information
May 21, 2012
Inforbix, a company whose focus is product data challenges in manufacturing, will be presenting at the 2012 Semantic Technology & Business Conference in San Francisco this June 3rd through 7th. CEO Oleg Shilovitsky’s presentation will share ways his company uses semantic technology to tackle the growing data complexity plaguing the manufacturing sector. Inforbix will also take part in the Start-Up Competition on the 5th with the pitch, “Solving the Problem of Engineering Data Complexity.”
Regarding the data challenges unique to their corner of the industry, Inforbix’s press release explains:
“Manufacturing companies generate vast amounts of data. These organizations are asking how they will survive tomorrow with such data complexity. Inforbix helps companies solve the problem of data complexity in a new and different way.
1. Inforbix uses smart components (product data crawlers) that scan on-premise data and give users access to data, no matter where it’s located or how it’s sourced. There is no data extraction involved, no data import, and no data conversion. The process is automatic and requires little to no effort to deploy and maintain.
2. Inforbix uses intelligent semantic modeling that infers relationships between disparate sources of data. It combines, links, and connects these data pieces, then exposes that data using product data applications.
3. Inforbix uses the power of the cloud to allow broad and cost-effective data access.”
Founded in 2010, Inforbix is based in Boston, MA. They help their manufacturing clients access mounds of data through a single tool; ease of use, speed, and efficiency are their hallmarks.Inforbix develops intelligent apps– simple tools that address specific product data tasks like searching and accessing product data, organizing and presenting product data, and visualizing product data trends and patterns.
Inforbix’s semantic technology underpins its groundbreaking apps. It automatically finds and infers relationships between disparate sources of structured and unstructured product data. By linking and connecting related product data, Inforbix provides users with the ability to locate and access product data quickly and thoroughly.
While Product Data Management (PDM) systems offer search, their success depends on properly structured and consistent data formats, and those systems can only search within their own infrastructure. Inforbix is product data agnostic: it can access structured and unstructured data located anywhere in a manufacturing company. That’s a huge savings in time and trouble. Though smaller companies may be able to use Inforbix instead of a PDM, the solutions are intended to work with those systems.
Inforbix apps are cloud-based and fast to deploy, require no data migration or maintenance. They also provide data security by preserving the on-premises data without touching it or moving it into the cloud; that is wise.
The company introduced a mobile platform for the iPad for its apps this past January, and no training or prior experience is necessary to make the most of these apps. The software is priced affordably for any size manufacturing company to deploy companywide; a demo is available here. We highly recommend you check Inforbix out.
Cynthia Murrell, May 21, 2012
Sponsored by HighGainBlog
Inteltrax: Top Stories, May 14 to May 18
May 21, 2012
Inteltrax, the data fusion and business intelligence information service, captured three key stories germane to search this week, specifically, how unstructured data is shaping the way vendors operate.
In “A Mountain of Unstructured Data” the problem of collecting tweets, posts, pictures, videos and more and making analytic sense is laid out.
“Unstructured Data Investment on the Horizon” shows how many companies are investing in solving their own unstructured data crises.
Finally, “Another Analytics Partnership is Born” showed companies joining forces to tackle this massive problem.
We’ve talked about unstructured data before, but we keep returning to the well because it’s such a massive concern for companies. Thankfully, those problems are being solved and we’re monitoring it every step of the way.
Follow the Inteltrax news stream by visiting www.inteltrax.com
Patrick Roland, Editor, Inteltrax.
May 21, 2012
TIBCO News: Hadoop Support added to Spotfire Analytics
May 21, 2012
Organizations around the globe are experiencing challenges with managing the explosion of big data and meeting the demands of digital consumers. Tech entities are eagerly stepping up and collaborating to develop solutions for these big data challenges, including innovative alternatives to industry standards, like SharePoint.
TIBCO Software Inc. is a provider of infrastructure software for companies to use on-premise or as part of cloud computing environments. Chris Kanaracus recently discussed some TIBCO news in the ComputerWorld.com post, “Tibco adds Hadoop Support to Spotfire Analytics Tool.” The new release is explained:
Spotfire 4.5 will become generally available this month and features a data service connector to Hadoop, which is known for its ability to handle unstructured data such as weblogs, sensor information and text. The connector will allow users to combine and analyze information from Hadoop clusters along with structured data from business applications such as an SAP or Oracle ERP (enterprise resource planning) system.
But some analysts, such as Boris Evelson of Forrester Research, are less than giddy. Evelson adds, “However, other aspects of the release, such as the management tooling and iPad support, are less than earth-shattering.” According to Evelson, mobility has become a basic requirement of any BI platform.
TIBCO’s new partnerships are another indication that enterprise search is the hot new market for competition and development. While acquisition and development news is exciting, you may want to turn to an established search solution that already understands the value of federated search and mobility. 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, May 21, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Brainware Distiller Lands Icelandair Group
May 21, 2012
PR Newswire recently reported on a new partnership in the news release “Icelandair Group Selects Brainware Distiller for Invoice Processing Efficiency in Shared Services.”
According to the article, after evaluating several potential solutions for accounts payable automation, Icelandair Group, Reykjavik-based enterprise including airline, freight, hotel, tour and ground services operations, found that Brainware’s intelligent data capturing software was the most capable of supporting their long term goals for process improvement.
Carl E. Mergele, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Brainware said:
“In addition to demonstrating extremely high rates of field data extraction, Distiller’s template-free approach translates to low cost of ownership, as new document formats and increased volumes can be handled effortlessly. Intelligent data capture technology builds upon the efficiency of a shared services model to enable faster, more accurate processing, as well as greater insight into the overall process, from receipt to post. Brainware is proud to serve Icelandair Group’s data capture needs.”
By partnering with Brainware, Icelandair group is bound to improve its reporting processes which will help overall day-to-day operations. Sounds like a win to me.
Jasmine Ashton, May 21, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Prepare in Advance for SharePoint 15
May 18, 2012
Much like the discussion that flowed before the release of SharePoint 2010, the same voices are now chattering about the impending release of SharePoint 15, likely launched in the first quarter of 2013. Many experts are already weighing in on how to best prepare your enterprise for the move. David Roe of CMS Wire talks with Chris McNulty of Quest Software in, “SharePoint 15: 8 Things to Help You Prepare.”
Everything, McNulty said, is about planning; you can’t just jump into SharePoint 15. But you couldn’t just jump into SharePoint 2010, or 2007 or 2003, for that matter. So just like the last time, Quest is advising companies to plan any future deployments, even if many companies appear to have had their head in the sand when that lesson was being given out the first time.
Chris McNulty goes on to suggest eight major categories of preparation: optimized environment, consolidate content, data externalization, governance plan, enterprise content management, be social, custom coding, and cloud strategy. While each of those categories comprises a good bit of advice, we think that they could extend to any number of enterprise offerings, and many organizations are looking beyond SharePoint.
Consider Fabasoft Mindbreeze. This smart third-party enterprise solution can stand alone or work alongside an existing SharePoint infrastructure. Furthermore, Fabasoft Mindbreeze offers Connectors that work to seamlessly integrate all electronic data.
As the optimum search and information access solution, Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise facilitates the comprehensive incorporation of all electronic data repositories. Data sources and storage systems are connected to Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise via Fabasoft Mindbreeze Connectors. The standard product scope includes Connectors for the most common data sources. Additional Connectors are available to purchase as required.
While many will still consider SharePoint as the flagship of the enterprise market, many organizations are eager for more agile, intuitive solutions that update more frequently than the typical three-year Microsoft cycle. These organizations would do well to consider Fabasoft Mindbreeze and their suite of solutions.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 18, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
IBM Big Data Initiative Coming in Focus with Cloudera, Hadoop Partnerships
May 17, 2012
Big data management and analytics is becoming a key basis of competition as organizations look to turn their complex and large data sets into business assets. In “Analyst Commentary: IBM Adds Search and Broadens Hadoop Strategy with Big Data,” Stuart Lauchlan comments on IBM’s Vivisimo acquisition. Lauchlan says that the acquisition puts to rest the ambiguity of IBM’s Hadoop partnership strategy. He also has this to add about handling big data:
By definition, one of the major problems in discovering the information “nuggets” in Big Data environments is that the volume of data is large and consequently difficult to traverse or search using traditional enterprise search and retrieval (ESR) tools that require the creation and maintenance of indexes before a query can be made. Vivisimo’s offering indexes and clusters results in real time, and its scalability enables dynamic navigation across results delivered, as well as the automation of discovery, reducing the burden/time of analysis.
Even though the actual value of the acquisition has not been declared, we do know that IBM has spent $14 billion in the last seven years on analytics-related products and companies. And while IBM has already acquired a service like Vivisimo, it seems that IBM saw value in the search software’s new capabilities, such as federated discovery and navigation. IBM is no doubt trying to take SharePoint, the major player in enterprise.
Lauchlan’s article is a comprehensive overview of the IBM strategy. It may be a worthy read to keep in the loop on enterprise search news. But while IBM seeks to develop a comprehensive search solution with big acquisitions, organizations can turn to expert third party solutions to also get the power of efficient and federated search now.
The search experts at Fabasoft Mindbreeze offer a cost-effective suite of solutions to tame big data sprawl and connect your users to the right information at the right time. And with Folio connectors, organizations can access on-premise and cloud data with one easy search. Here you can read about the enterprise search solution:
The data often lies distributed across numerous sources. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise gains each employee two weeks per through focused finding of data (IDC Studies). An invaluable competitive advantage in business as well as providing employee satisfaction…But an all-inclusive search is not everything. Creating relevant knowledge means processing data in a comprehensible form and utilizing relations between information objects. Data is sorted according to type and relevance. The enterprise search for professionals.
Navigate to http://www.mindbreeze.com/ to learn more.
Philip West, May 17, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Perspectives on SharePoint from a Pioneer
May 16, 2012
As an early adopter of SharePoint 2010, Robert Schifreen was tasked with deploying SharePoint for the University of Brighton community. At the time, very little was formally written about the product, and Microsoft itself did not know how widely adopted the product would become. Schifreen relays his personal experiences in, “SharePoint Deployment: Pitfalls of a Pioneer.” He begins with the difficult task of defining SharePoint.
To some it’s a corporate collaboration tool that does everything you need straight out of the box. To others it’s a development platform upon which, with the addition of tools such as SharePoint Designer and Visual Studio, you can build a ‘portal’ (whatever that might mean). Microsoft really needs to come up with an accurate, punchy description in order to persuade more people to give it a try.
Tasked with forming his own definition of what SharePoint is and does, Schifreen soon learned that SharePoint was not always willing to work with files and software outside of its own comfort zone.
While Microsoft likes to shout loudly about the fact that SharePoint 2010 embraces not just Windows and IE but also other browsers and other hardware, the relationship does indeed stop at a mere embrace. Some of the rich editing controls don’t like non-Microsoft browsers.
While no enterprise solution is without its quirks, we have found some to be more intuitive and agile. Consider checking out Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise. This award-winning enterprise solution is prized for its ability to play nice with a wide variety of data types.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise finds every scrap of information within a very short time, whether document, contract, note, e-mail or calendar entry, in intranet or internet, person- or text-related. The software solution finds all required information, regardless of source, for its users. Get a comprehensive overview of corporate knowledge in seconds without redundancy or loss of data.
Launching an enterprise infrastructure is not yet easy, nor may it ever be. However, finding a smart and intuitive solution can go a long way in easing the task of the enterprise developer. Check out the Fabasoft Mindbreeze suite of solutions for more information.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 16, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Inteltrax: Top Stories, May 7 to May 11
May 14, 2012
Inteltrax, the data fusion and business intelligence information service, captured three key stories germane to search this week, specifically, hot trends among the industry.
The hottest trend in most businesses is change and “How an Analytic Firm Handles Challenges” highlights the rapidly evolving Petri dish of data analytics.
The law has been a major topic of talk and “Google Indiscretions Prove Need for Secure Data Mining” looks at how the search giant’s analytics arm might be violating laws and trust.
Partnerships have been the biggest trend in big data this year and “Clients Win When Big Data Partners” examines Cloudera’s recent teamwork.
These are just a sampling of the big time changes moving this industry forward at a frantic pace. It’s exciting and you can catch the thrill every day as we cull analytic news from around the globe.
Follow the Inteltrax news stream by visiting www.inteltrax.com
Patrick Roland, Editor, Inteltrax.
May 14, 2012
SharePoint 2015 Highly Anticipated
May 14, 2012
If you are a follower of Microsoft and its products, you are used to the inherent mystery and anticipation that accompanies its often belabored and long-suffering releases of major software. Kurt Mackie updates on the latest information on upcoming releases in, “Office and SharePoint ’15’ Expected in Early 2013.”
Veteran Microsoft reporter Mary Jo Foley unearthed a few clues about Microsoft’s product roadmap for this year and the next. Last week, Foley pointed to two Microsoft charts, reportedly given to partners, that show approximately when we might see certain Microsoft on-premises products and cloud-based services emerge. The documents are a bit dated, originating from Dec. 22, 2011, and lack details about the arrival of Windows 8 and Windows Server 8. However, Microsoft did confirm to Foley that charts were given to partners and show ‘forward-looking information.’
The article goes on to predict that Exchange, Microsoft Office, and SharePoint, all in their “15” versions, are expected for general availability early 2013. We cannot help but wonder why there is so much pageantry surrounding Microsoft major releases. For a company with so much pull in the general technology world, it seems smaller more frequent updates would keep them more relevant as the competition grows stiffer.
One third-party solution keeping the competition tight for Microsoft in enterprise search is Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Mindbreeze is particularly efficient at updating their offerings without major releases that disrupt workflow. Visit the Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise page to note the changes made available in the quarterly releases over the last couple of years. Updates to the Cloud enterprise offering are even more frequent and more subtle.
It seems to us that at a certain point a ship does get too big to turn. This may be where Microsoft is heading, with software offerings so overwhelming that implementers at the local level have to plan months in advance just for an update. For a software solution that is current, intuitive, and less disruptive, consider a smart third-party solution like Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 14, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
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