Inforbix Cracks Next Generation Search for SolidWorks Users
February 13, 2012
Search means advertising to most Google users. In an enterprise—according to the LinkedIn discussions about enterprise search—the approach is anchored in the 1990s. The problem is that finding information requires a system which can handle content types that are of little interest to lawyers, accountants, and MBAs running a business today.
Without efficient access to such content as engineering drawings, specifications, quality control reports, and run-of-the-mill office information—costs go up. What’s worse is that more time is needed to locate a prior version of a component or locate the supplier who delivered on time and on budget work to the specification. So expensive professionals end up performing what I call Easter egg hunt research. The approach involves looking for colleagues, paging through lists of file names, and the “open, browse, close” approach to information retrieval.
Not surprisingly, the so called experts steer clear of pivotal information retrieval problems. Most search systems pick the ripe apples which are close to the ground. This means indexing Word documents, the versions of information in a content management system, or email.
I learned today that Inforbix, a company we have been tracking because it takes search to the next level, has rolled out two new products. These innovations are data apps which seamlessly aggregate product data from different file types, sources, and locations. The new Inforbix apps will help SolidWorks’ users get more out of their product data and become more productive while improving decision-making. Plus, Inforbix said that it would expand the data access to SolidWords EPDM, making it possible for SolidWords customers to get more from data managed by their PDM system.
The two products are Inforbix Charts and Inforbix Dashboard. Both complement Inforbix Tables which was released in October 2011.
Oleg Shilovitsky, founder of Inforbix, told me:
Manufacturing companies are drowning in the growing amount of product data generated and found within different file types, sources, and company data-silos. They are increasingly using a mix of vendor packages and solutions, all which generate, contain, manage, or store product data, creating a hodgepodge of resources to be combed through. Product data generated in a typical manufacturing company can be both unstructured (valuable BOM and assembly information spread out across different CAD drawings) and structured (CAD drawings within a PDM or PLM system). Our apps are tools that address specific product data tasks such as finding, re-using, and sharing product data. Inforbix can access product data within PDM systems such as ENOVIA SmarTeam and Autodesk Vault and make it available in meaningful ways to CAD and non-CAD users.
When I reviewed the system, I noted that Inforbix’s apps utilize product data semantic technology that automatically infer relationships between disparate sources of data. For example, Inforbix can semantically connect or link a SolidWorks CAD assembly found within EPDM with a related Excel file containing a BOM table stored on a file server in another department.
Inforbix Charts visualizes and presents data saved from Inforbix Tables. The product data is presented in charts that include information to help engineers better manage and run processes by identifying trends and patterns and improving data control. For example, Inforbix Charts visually presents the approval statuses of CAD and ECO documents by author, date approved, last modified date, etc.
Inforbix Dashboard dynamically collects and presents important statistics about engineering and manufacturing data and processes, such as how many versions of a particular CAD drawing currently exist, how many design revisions did it take to complete a CAD drawing, or the number of ECOs processed on time. Easy and intuitive to use, Inforbix Dashboard is an ideal tool for project managers.
SolidWords users can access Inforbix apps and their product data online. Current Inforbix customers can immediately begin using the Inforbix iPad app, available for free on the Apple App Store at http://www.inforbix.com/inforbix-mobile-search-for-cad-and-product-data-on-the-ipad/. Account access taps existing Inforbix credentials. New users are encouraged to register with Inforbix to enable the iPad app to access product data within their company. The apps soon will be available on Android devices.
A video preview of the iPad app is posted at http://www.inforbix.com/inforbix-ipad-app-first-preview/. For more information on Inforbix apps, visit http://www.inforbix.com.
Inforbix is a company on the move.
Stephen E Arnold, February 13, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Personalization Equals Search
January 27, 2012
I am shopping. Who needs privacy? That seems to be the way most internet shoppers feel according to eWeek’s “IBM: Shopping Experience Outweights Privacy Concerns.” The article reports on a recent IBM survey of 28,000 consumers, most of whom were willing to surrender information on their media usage, demographics, identification information, lifestyle; and even location if it would streamline their shopping experience. Furthermore, explains writer Darryl K. Taft:
Consumers are telling IBM they want to receive more communication—not less—but they want it to be delivered through preferred media channels and in a relevant way. IBM’s ongoing research shows that retailers must provide clear compelling reasons to shop, deliver personalized offerings, and reach shoppers when and where they prefer in order to win over their wallets. And, based on the research, consumers appear to be more than willing to give retailers the data to make this experience possible.
The article goes on to note that the internet has empowered customers, who widely share reviews and influence brands. Retailers must target social media with precision, asserts the write up, the precision that only sophisticated social media data analytics tools can bring. And those tools feed on personal data.
I suppose it is just a matter of priorities.
Cynthia Murrell, January 27, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
SharePoint Q & A With Worldwide Community Experts
January 6, 2012
The FUMSI Forum picked up the SharePoint StackExchange, a Q & A site directed at SharePoint users and enthusiasts.
The discussion pointed out:
One of a network of user-driven Q&A sites, the SharePoint edition of the StackExchange help forum allows you to ask, answer and search for previous questions about customising your implementation of the software.
The StackExchange serves as an innovative message board, allowing SharePoint users to discuss common pains and solutions alike. With a broad and highly customizable enterprise infrastructure like SharePoint, attention to detail is likely to come from other users instead of from Microsoft.
This is a collaboratively edited question and answer site for SharePoint enthusiasts. It’s 100% free, no registration required.
While message board and forums like this are a lifeline for SharePoint users, we think third party solutions might offer an opportunity to avoid some of the pitfalls of SharePoint in the first place. Fabasoft Mindbreeze offers an enterprise implementation that either stands alone or supports an existing SharePoint infrastructure.
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. 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.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze is widely touted for its intuitive solution, one that keeps the user from worrying about customization. Updates are seamlessly and automatically rolled out on a regular basis. So while SharePoint is fast becoming an essential tool for organizations, we think a third party solution is just as essential for ensuring that SharePoint users get the efficiency and relevancy they are seeking.
Emily Rae Aldridge, January 6, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Perfection in the Details: Enterprise Search Solutions with SharePoint IVP
January 5, 2012
Today we want to focus on a company that offers a great enterprise search solution, one that can stand alone or work alongside the more common SharePoint infrastructure. Fabasoft Mindbreeze is operated out of Austria. Having won the KM World Trendsetting Product of the Year four years in a row, Fabasoft is now getting positive attention from Gartner and its MarketScope Report.
The Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise Winter 2012 Release is now available for download.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise is built on 3 pillars: Simplicity, speed, efficiency. The Fabasoft Mindbreeze 2012 Winter Release stands under the motto ‘quicker to the point.’ Perfection is the sum of the details.
Check out the short and helpful YouTube tutorial videos embedded in the page. Each demonstrates a new feature added to the Winter 2012 Release. One particularly useful feature, especially for those already invested in a SharePoint installation, is the additional efficiency added to the SharePoint connector feature.
A survey by German market analysts has shown that practically every second company uses SharePoint. However, in SharePoint only one facet of a company’s knowledge can be presented. The Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise 2012 Winter Release puts an end to this shortcoming.
The video tutorial for this new SharePoint feature shows how easy it is to retrieve search results from every facet of an organization’s network, not just the SharePoint infrastructure. Results are not only efficiently retrieved, but sorted and classified. Retrieve an email address? Just click on the address for immediate embedded usability, unlike many other enterprise solutions that only retrieve. No more cut and paste.
Updates such as this one are rolled out monthly for the cloud and quarterly for enterprise customers. Updates are seamless and require no additional customization. If your organization is seeking an intuitive enterprise search solution, Fabasoft Mindbreeze is worth your attention.
Emily Rae Aldridge, January 5, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Common Pain in SharePoint
January 3, 2012
SharePoint brings just as much pain as it does joy in many circumstances. But one does not have to look too hard to realize how common certain SharePoint pain points are in the enterprise realm. The solutions to these SharePoint issues can be just as painful as the issues themselves. Consultants and third-party firms do not always live up to their promises. A SharePoint blogger gives us his take in, “SharePoint – To the Pain!”
As he points out:
One of the pains many of us have experienced is the sting of inexperienced SharePoint ‘experts.’ These people are giving bad advice in their blogs. These people are in ‘expert’ SharePoint firms charging us an arm and a leg and doing bad work. It’s rampant, and I’ve experienced it as a full time employee working for a large corporation paying a HUGE amount for SharePoint ‘experts’ who were breaking things and had NO CLUE what they were doing.
We want to emphasize that not all SharePoint experts and consulting firms are bad. The opinion above is merely that of the blogger. However, a bit of caution is a good rule of thumb when choosing an outside party to assist in SharePoint solutions. SharePoint is not an out-of-the-box enterprise solution. In order to be effective and efficient, third party solutions should be added onto an existing SharePoint framework.
This is where we think an option like Fabasoft Mindbreeze is smart. Offering an entire suite of solutions, Mindbreeze is neither excessive in cost nor disappointing in performance. Their Connectors offerings allow Mindbreeze to work alongside SharePoint, Exchange, and a variety of other applications. The Mindbreeze enterprise solution can stand alone or improve an already existing enterprise infrastructure.
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.
While a bit of caution is necessary, there are good third party SharePoint solutions out there. Find one that works for you and enjoy the ease and efficiency that it can offer.
Emily Rae Aldridge, January 3, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
The Impact of Social Signals in Search
January 1, 2012
Last year both Google and Bing announced that they would be using social signals to help rank search results. Econsultancy reported on the impact of social signals on digital marketing in the article “Social Signals in Search: What is the Impact?”
According to the article, a recent survey found that only 25 percent of company marketers currently regard social signals as ‘very important’ for determining search rankings. However, when asked how important they would be in three years’ time, the percentage increased to 57 percent.
Andrew Girdwood, Media Innovations Director at bigmouthmedia, said:
Social signals are used, at the very least, to validate traditional link signals. For example, a page that appears to have many inbound links and is relatively young but which has earned no social signals is a statistical outlier. Google is upfront about being suspicious about statistical outliers. Avoiding Google’s suspicion is important in SEO. What’s not in doubt is the ability social media successes have at showing content worthy of links to a large community of people able to create those links. All SEO campaigns should have social elements.
With the invention of Google+, the first serious combination of search and social, businesses will be forced to confront the importance of social signals. Our view: social is no silver bullet.
Jasmine Ashton, January 1, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Search Behavior Spurs Orbitz
December 26, 2011
This is how search is changed on a mobile device. Forget in-depth and iterative queries. I want a hotel room tonight! That’s our take-away from Media Post News’s piece, “Orbitz: 65% of Mobile Hotels Bookings Are Same-Day.” By contrast, only 14% of bookings from the desktop site are for the same day. Tablet users are in between, at just over 30%.
Armed with the new mobile statistic, Orbitz seeks to build its revamped mobile site around customers’ ever more immediate needs. Writer Steve Smith relates:
‘This new medium of mobile allows them to comparison shop and find great deals at the very last minute,’ says [Orbitz VP, Chris] Brown. The new Orbitz.com for mobile Web browsers includes ‘Mobile Steals’ — discounts of up to 50% on hotels that are available only to mobile customers, including iPad users. ‘We’re uniquely positioned to pair that demand with suppliers with unfilled rooms and provide great rates,’ he says.
Yes, they are. With over 2 million unique users per month, Orbitz is eager to serve. Immediately. As mobile search behavior becomes the norm, what happens to research centric research? High school term papers may be two or three paragraphs long with research conducted entirely by poking and accepting what a system outputs.
Cynthia Murrell, December 26, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Google Intern Explains Android Lag
December 16, 2011
Leave it to a student intern. Not even the X Factor interns reveal the inside scoop about technology.
Here’s a useful insight into the Google method of “good enough.” Apple Insider reports that a “Former Google Intern Explains Why UI Lag Occurs More Often in Android than iOS.” The intern in question is one Andrew Munn, who ironically took to Google+ with his explanation.
Munn, who interned on the Android team, listed several reasons for the slowness of Android as compared to Apple’s iOS. See the write up for specifics, but it all boils down to one thing. The article asserts:
The original Android prototype didn’t have a touchscreen, as it was meant to be a BlackBerry competitor. As such, Android’s architecture is meant to support a keyboard and trackball. Munn further claimed that after the original iPhone arrived in 2007, Google rushed to complete Android, but ‘it was too late to rewrite the UI framework.’. . . ‘Android is the only mobile OS left that existed pre-iPhone,’ the report noted.
The current state of affairs may be acceptable to Google now, but more may be needed to capture half the market for smart TV sometime in 2013. Munn, for one, is confident that his former team will make the rewrite. “Eventually,” he said.
We’re waiting for an intern to explain open that is closed and fragmentation that is not fragmented. Is UX pronounced “Yuk”?
Cynthia Murrell, December 16, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
A New Angle on Personalization
November 21, 2011
Web site personalization is a broad category with a variety of facets. Should you personalize? How? CMS Wire tackles this issue in “CXM Practices: Beneficial Personalization.”
Pete Iuvara weighs in:
I have seen this firsthand, the tremendous amount of benefits to personalizing content for your website’s audience. I am a firm believer in embracing a customer-centric implementation. It adds time-saving and relevant-first value for your website’s visitors . . . The key here is being transparent. Your visitors should know that personalization has been implemented in the hopes to benefit their experience first and foremost.
We have found that a user’s web site experience is greatly improved by the implementation of effective search. No matter how attractive a web site, if the search function does not allow the user to quickly remedy a query, the web site is essentially worthless. But personalization options, especially for search, can be costly and clunky. One option that we like is Fabasoft Mindbreeze and their InSite solution.
An attractive website is a company’s digital business card; its shop window. Surprise your website visitors with an intuitive search. Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite is instantly ready for use as a Cloud service. It turns your website into a user-friendly knowledge portal for your customers. Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite recognizes correlations and links through semantic and dynamic search processes. This delivers pinpoint accurate and precise ‘finding experiences.’
It’s hard to imagine an organization’s web site being any more essential to their overall image. It is often the first “stop” a potential customer makes when learning more about a company. Personalize your web space in a smart way, and take advantage of smart solutions like Fabasoft Mindbreeze to improve the overall user experience for your patrons.
Emily Rae Aldridge, November 21, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
PolySpot Wins over OSEO with Enterprise Search
October 28, 2011
Paris-based PolySpot’s reliability in conjunction with their innovative technologies paid off. In the news release, “OSEO Opts for a new Search Engine with PolySpot” we got to hear about many of the specifics that made PolySpot stand out amongst the competition.
First, lets look at the issues that prompted OSEO to make the switch. OSEO had a Java-based directory in addition to a search engine supplied with its open source content management system.
OSEO’s former service was characterized by the following:
Indexing of data was restricted to the intranet and the search engine picked up too much ‘noise’. The users, unable to locate required information quickly, were no longer satisfied with the existing search engine which offered basic functionality.
Frédéric Vincent, Information System and Quality Assurance Manager champions their decision to use PolySpot Enterprise Search.
The functionalities that comprise an intuitive user interface make PolySpot’s Search stand out: users can now customize their internal search tool, see added-value tags related to their queries in tag cloud, and access search without quitting any other applications.
We think it may be a prudent step to check out PolySpot’s solutions at www.polyspot.com.
Megan Feil, October 28, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
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