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AMI Update

I was updating my search files in the wake of the SurfRay situation. My original January 18, 2009, post is here. After the post appeared an AMI professional called me last week saying, “We are in business. I will send you information.” That was January 20, 2009. Today (January 28, 2009) the goose was greeted with an ice storm and a request to write a new post about my questioning Web log post about a  company in my files under my file name of Ami Software with links to GoAmi, Albert, and Ami Software. You must read my original post here. I tried to  call the firm one time January 16, 2009, but the phone went unanswered, an unusual event I recall the AMI UK representative suggesting to me a day after the post appeared. AMI wants me to set the record in line with the company’s current status. Here are the inputs I received this morning (January 28, 2009), almost 10 days after my request for information on January 18, 2009:

Currently your article ranks No 5 in Google under the search AMI Software, I’m not confident about your comments regarding how things get lost in WordPress, particularly as we are all in the advanced information retrieval business. So far I have taken two calls on this, one from an investor and one from a Journalist at Information World Review. Fortunately I know both these people personally and have been able to manage it but can I, as politely as possible, suggest that given the inaccuracy and very negative suggestive innuendo of your piece that it is in nobody’s interest, not yours or ours, for it to be out there at all. If you’ve made a mistake you need to put it right and quickly, I’m trying to work with you to give that opportunity. Steve, I’d really prefer to resolve this and be in a position to meet up on your next trip to the UK for lunch, you may be interested in some of the things our customers are doing with AMI, However if this matter is not dealt with promptly and properly, I will have to make moves next week to publicly counter your comments and distance ourselves from this. Please call me if you have any questions, I assure you that the spirit of things here is always one of amiable co-operation.

The other message I received on January 27, 2009, was: this. The italics show text from my Web write up.

I wanted to update you and correct elements of the profile you have published recently on your Beyond Search site about AMI Software. I am taking the opportunity to write to you privately in the first instance and hope that we can agree an accurate update and move forwards.

From your recent entry:

“I have been updating my files. I was looking for search vendors who had dealings with the UK Ministry of Defence. That organization had some email trouble, and I was curious from which vendor the MoD was licensing software. My files contained a reference to Ami Software, a company based in France when I last looked at the system in 2007.”

If I read it correctly the indication is that the UK Ministry of Defence has been having trouble with their e-mail and, somewhere, AMI may be associated with that. This is ludicrous. I will check but to my knowledge we have never claimed to work specifically with the UK Ministry of Defence. As I’m sure you’ll appreciate each European country has its own Ministry of Defence amongst which we definitely do have very long standing customers, not however the UK Ministry of Defence.

“The release includes “knowledge modelling [sic]”

If the [sic] relates to the phrase “Knowledge Modelling” then this is simply the way an increasing number of our customers refer to the subject. If it is with regards to the spelling “modelling” can I point out that this spelling is in fact perfectly ok? I believe in the US you prefer “modeling”.

“In France the company does business as Albert France SA. In the UK, it is Albert UK. In North America, the company works with Propelion Internet Solutions Inc”

The registered company is GoAlbert SA trading as AMI Software. All commercially activities are conducted under the name AMI Software. The company’s core technology is called the Automatic Meaning Interpreter™ (AMI) and AMI is how our customers refer to us.

“Functions are accessed via htpp services” (http)

“and Mike Alderton as UK sales manager.” I am the General Manager; our Sales Manager is Theresa Farrell. (I’m not someone particularly concerned about titles, but just in terms of accuracy..)

“What’s peculiar is that information about the company seems to have tapered off by October 2008, and I can’t determine if the search and content processing company is still open for business. With the problems at such companies as Lycos and SurfRay on my mind, I am curious. If anyone has information about the status of this company, please, use the comments section of the Web log to post the information”

This statement could harm the company and its investors and I’d like to update you.

Just to summarise in brief….

In 2008 AMI has achieved a record year of revenue growth and new customer signings; in effect in the last year the company has almost doubled in size and is profitable at a better than market average % rate. We have very high levels of customer satisfaction and indeed, if you’d find it useful, I’d be more than pleased to arrange for you to speak directly with our customers.

We are one of the few companies in our sector that is currently recruiting for new hires in Sales and Engineering. In the UK we have recently moved to larger offices and I would be very happy to welcome you here in Cambridge (UK) or Paris or Montpellier at anytime.

I’d like to call you to make sure you’re happy with this update and, if useful, send you some further information about us and our products.

I am a bit fuzzy on the company name. I don’t have nitty gritty detail about the current version’s most recent features. If I get some substantive data, I will post a summary.

If anyone can post an update about the urls and names, let me know. I have added this company to my active watch.

Alas, I have no plans to visit the UK any time soon. News releases and phones numbers that point to a line answered by a human are somewhat useful to me. Fast response to my queries is helpful. The addled goose waddles in a purposeful manner.

You know what I know. Sounds like the firm is doing well. Check out the company’s software offerings.

With search vendors repositioning and shifting to new business models, I will have lots of questions. Now I am curious about Attensity’s open source initiative. That’s my current topic. 

Stephen Arnold, January 28, 2009

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