OpenText Nstein: Confusing Information Surfaces
June 28, 2010
Update, June 29, 2010:
Quite a flurry of comments from OpenText about this post. This citation turned up in my newsreader and I could not figure it out. In fact, I pointed out that the article was confusing and probably an error in a content management system. Nevertheless, I think that vendors of content management systems need to make certain that their date and time stamp functions are operating correctly. If a crash forces a system restore, I think it is useful to put clear date markers on restored documents. If this tagging is not applied or in some way flawed, newsreaders snap up content and happily shovel it to people like me with a current date and time stamp. My suggestion is to work with the source of the write up. I don’t do “news”; I point to sources that are available in open source. My opinions are clearly marked. In this particularly article, I point out that when glitches like this occur, competitors can point to the write up and raise questions about clarity. I reproduced the content and provided a link to the source. I did not create the 2003 gobbledegook; I just alerted my two or three readers to the issue. The problem originated with an outfit doing publishing as Asset Management Software. No date but BuddyPress, identified with the source article, might be the outfit with which OpenText wishes to speak. Or, in the language of the source article I used: “New guided navigation module: navigation NretrieverNretriever is a powerful tool for research, which brings a direct connection with the search experience for end users.” Confusing in my opinion. Also, note the date in the url, gentle reader: http://asset-management-software.bloghubpage.com/2010/06/12/asset-management-software-nstein-introduces-version-3-0-of-its-award-winning-content-management-platform-nserver-suite/. I put the date in bold.
This sure seems like a current date to me.
The point is that content management vendors deliver products that can be used to generate data that lacks useful metadata and produce pages that spiders and addled geese see as “current.” When a vendor is in the content management business, perhaps looking at the cause and not the effect are useful exercises?
Original Post: June 28, 2010 below:
Two companies that strike me as pioneers in moving beyond search are Autonomy and OpenText. I don’t want to take sides. In the last two or three years, the firms have been pursuing somewhat similar strategies. Both have pushed from search into specialized markets such as eDiscovery. Both have information retrieval technologies gathered from acquisitions. Both are no longer properly classified in my opinion and search and retrieval specialists. The companies offer a wide range of information services. Both have blown past first Microsoft Fast and then Endeca. OpenText snapped up the gasping Nstein for something like $0.65 on the dollar. Under the broad wing span of OpenText, Nstein has rolled out Version 3.0 of what it calls “its award-winning content management platform.” You can get more details in the write up “Asset Management Software: Nstein Introduces Version 3.0 of Its Award Winning Content Management Platform Nserver Suite.” Quite a title and probably good spider food. But I don’t know what Nstein is * really * delivering. Customers may not know either.
For me I found this passage quite interesting:
nStein Technologies Inc…, a global leader in unstructured content management solutions, today announced at the annual conference of the Special Library Association (SLA) version 3.0 of its award-winning content management platform, September nserver concept nStein extraction, categorization, organization provides production began, seals and restart guided navigation modules.
Must be a glitch in the content management system.
I also noted:
- The use of the phrase “guided navigation”. Endeca has been closely associated with facets and “guided navigation” may catch that company’s attention
- A reference to Nretriever as a “feeding technology.” The word “Nretriever” suggests a query and a results list to me, not a feed or stream of content. Maybe the writer wanted me to think of an alert pushed to me via email?
- A description of Ncategorizer that “includes the improvement of classification.” I am not sure if the product improves a previous Nstein system or improves the performance delivered by a competitor’s system.
The write up includes some links to information for me to read. Two links date from 2002 and 2003 and not from the post acquisition period in which I have an interest. The third link is more current but I did not see any mention of Nstein. The other links are circular; that is, pointing back to the article that caught my attention.
I am baffled. I am not sure if this is a legitimate write up about OpenText / Nstein or an error due to a flawed editorial system or process.
With promotional announcements like this one, Autonomy is almost certain to lick its chops and begin to think about taking a bite out of OpenText / Nstein’s marketing messages.
Stephen E Arnold, June 28, 2010
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Comments
One Response to “OpenText Nstein: Confusing Information Surfaces”
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Hi Stephen,
I was confused when I read your post, refering to a Nstein’s press release actually published 7 years ago, in 2003.
http://www.nstein.com/en/news-and-events/press-releases/2003/nstein-introduces-version-3-0-of-its-award-winning-content-management-platform-nserver-suitetm.php
I went to see the source you’r refering to. No author mentioned and no back reference to the original press release. The phrasing in this post is horrible — worst than mine — and I first though that it was an automated generated blog post … Still not convinced it’s not the case at some point 🙂
Btw it will be a pleasure to give you the real picture regarding the Nstein aquisition by Open Text. As a sneak peak, I invite you to look at the Semantic Navigation @ http://www.opentext.com/2/global/sol-products/products-open-text-semantic-navigation
The OpenText Content Analytics (OTCA) technology mentioned there is in fact the Nstein Text Mining Engine (aka TME and formely known as Nserver between 2000 and 2005).
best,
-martin
Technical Product Manager / content analytics & semantics