Microsoft Sends Google a Relay Valentine
February 20, 2011
Navigate to the Microsoft Web page “Why Microsoft”. The story that caught my attention was “Dear Google.” The guts of the valentine is the full text of a letter from an outfit in Paducah, Kentucky. The point of the post is to provide a case example of a Google customer’s experience with Google enterprise applications. According to the letter, the Google cloud service had some issues. The writer of the letter said:
I tried contacting you several times but each one was unsuccessful. Oh, the unrequited love! I can’t stay in a relationship if I can’t get through to you – my business needs are important too. I’ve done everything I could. We spent 18 months trying to make it work. You said you were free but in the end, the time and frustration I experienced made me see how costly you truly are. I just can’t keep pretending anymore.
Heart felt? Nasty? I don’t know. The customer support complaint is one I have heard before. The other problems? No clue. Interesting though. Kentucky. Who would have thought?
Stephen E Arnold, February 20, 2011
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IBM Watson Plumbing and Jeopardy Ratings
February 20, 2011
For you IBM fans, Computerworld reveals the plumbing for the IBM PR coup. Navigate to “Brain behind IBM’s Watson not Unlike a Human’s.” To get a sense of the human squasher, you will get factoids like these:
Watson’s SONAS is populated with 48 450GB serial ATA (SATA) hard drives for a total of 21.61TB of capacity in a RAID 1 (mirrored) configuration; that leaves 10.8TB of raw data that is used by Watson every time it’s booted up. Three terabytes of that, however, is used for the operating system and applications. But it’s not SONAS’s disk-based storage that makes Watson so darned fast; it’s the CPUs and memory. Every time Watson boots, the 10.8TB of data is automatically loaded into Watson’s 15TB of RAM…
You definitely need one for your home and one for your office.
But the point that jumped out at me was this one:
If IBM’s Watson were just some other human Jeopardy contestant, viewers probably would have tuned out in the midst of such a landslide victory. Instead, interest in the man vs. machine battle gave the show its highest ratings in nearly six years.
That is the real point: ratings.
Stephen E Arnold, February 20, 2011
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Google, Turkeys, and Eagles
February 20, 2011
We have to revisit this turkey eagle metaphor.
“Google’s vice president of engineering Vic Gundotra has attacked both Nokia and Microsoft with a bird analogy: ‘two turkeys do not make an eagle.’”
Google attacks Nokia and Microsoft with bird analogy via Twitter just days before the official announcement on February 11, 2011, that Microsoft and Nokia will join forces, adopting Windows Phone 7 as the primary platform for Nokia’s line of high-end smartphones. Nokia has infamously lagged behind other phone manufacturers in the smartphone race.
The truth is that Apple’s iPhone sets the pace with their integrated package – phone and OS. Google’s Android platform comes on a variety of smartphones and providers, allowing it to seize a sizeable share of the market. Meanwhile, Microsoft is once again late to the party, hoping the partnership with an ailing Nokia will make them a player in the market. Unless Microsoft shakes things up, this could be the Zune all over again.
What’s the next metaphor? What’s the next revolution?
Emily Aldridge, February 20, 2011
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Teradata Crows; Risky Bets Are No Shows
February 19, 2011
Yowza. Point your browser at “Independent Analyst Firm Declares Teradata ‘the Most Scalable, Flexible, Cloud-Capable EDW Solution in Today’s Market”. I am not sure traditional databases or data warehouses are going to do the job for the type of big data we consider. If you are a Fortune 1000 company, you will want to buy a brand name. Teradata is the champ, according to an “independent analyst firm.” Okay, maybe. What is more interesting is that the nifty graphic showing the big dogs in big data has a couple of interesting categories; namely, Risky Bets and Contenders. Why does this interest me? There are no entries listed. I can name some new contenders. I can also name some risky bets. In fact, some of those contenders would, in my judgment, rank ahead of the big dogs in the mid tier consulting firm’s listing. Why are there any companies in the Risky Bets and Contenders? Let’s speculate.
- No one at the consulting firm knows anything about this sector so the notion of identifying Risky Bets and Contenders does not come up as a consideration.
- The smaller companies, the open source outfits, and the companies operating outside the US are “off the radar” because the likelihood of getting these outfits to become clients and consumers of the consulting firm’s reports is low. I too would chase those most likely to be prospects and skip the small fish.
- The whole set of categories is ill conceived. Why not lump everyone into the achievement culture ranking of “Great”, “Even Greater,” and “The Bestest Ever.”
No complaints about Teradata or even the companies that bring up the dull normal ranking of “Strong Performers.” I love this consulting stuff. It makes real news and gives anyone in the magic whatever cause to celebrate. But I still wonder why there are no Risky Bets.
Stephen E Arnold, February 19, 2011
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Handy Dandy XML Gizmo
February 19, 2011
Coding takes hours and is a thankless task. XML is one of the worse coding languages, especially when you have to convert to CVS. You know it will take as long when you have to create other transformations. My Content Builder offers a with Speed and Accuracy.”
“Advanced XML Converter is an converter utility that solves a typical problem many users have when they want to export XML to CSV. Quickly and automatically, XML converter export XML to HTML, XML to CSV, XML to DBF, XML to XLS and XML to SQL – all with much accuracy and in seconds.”
According to the story, the conversion is as easy as it sounds. You take a file, press the convert button, and its exported/saved to your computer. There are also custom export parameters and batch conversion. If this is an everyday tribulation for you, Advanced XML Converter is worth a closer look.
Whitney Grace, February 19, 2011
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Semantics Is So Tomorrow
February 19, 2011
So, we all know Web 2.0 is totally yesterday and Semantic technology is the wave of the future. But what’s happening right now? How are Semantics changing the landscape of content analytics?
According to “Semantics + Intelligence Helps Put Information into Action-Smart Content,” the technology is not yet very compelling for consumers but is very beneficial for businesses. That’s because a semantic search engine works best in a controlled environment (i.e. a company’s information system) with a specific set of data to query.
But can semantics really help corporate decision-makers make better decisions? “Yes” – according to vendors (a Semantic search engine developer and an Intelligence strategist) interviewed for the article:
“Semantic search engines not only help companies save time and money, they help them become more efficient, productive and more engaged with their information … Intelligence takes information and puts it into action, while providing insight so that leadership can make more informed decisions.”
Sounds like a great sales pitch, but marketers and other decision-makers need to know, specifically, what “Semantics + Intelligence” can do for them. The article would have been more convincing if it had given specific examples or “before and after” comparisons.
We have no problem with Semantics and Intelligence technologies, but, in our view, the hassle and expense of implementation (conversion, employee training, etc.) should be weighed against the benefits. These technologies, like plumbing, should work behind the scenes while the interface taps Semantic methods.
If an implementation is too difficult and costly and does not pay off by truly improving the quality of actionable information, Semantics simply are not working for the user.
Robin Broyles, February 19, 2011
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Watson Reddited
February 18, 2011
Short honk: If you are “into” the brave new world of IBM as the leader in search, you will want to navigate to this Reddit thread. Enjoy.
Stephen E Arnold, February 18, 2011
IBM and Big Data
February 18, 2011
Infoworld’s “A conversation with IBM’s Mr. Big Data” reveals the inner thoughts of Rod Smith, IBM’s Vice President of Emerging Internet Technologies. He declares that IBM is hip to Big Data, one of this year’s hot topics. Oh, really?
Actually, IBM has known about big data, and has been developing ways to manage it, all along.
It appears that quickly extracting data the customer can use is as much an art as a science:
“So there’s combining data, there’s sifting through the data, working with a very broad array, depending on where the customer wants to go. So it will build up the analytics more interpreted — rather than fixed, which costs a lot to change. . . . So it’s much more of a collaboration with a line of business to determine what they’re after, because they don’t know until they see something.
Smith also observes that the benefits of being able to mine big data apply to a variety of businesses, and predicts continuing growth in the field. Yep, us too. We saw Big Data as an issue a number of years ago, but when IBM “sees” a trend, it is really real, not just real.
Cynthia Murrell February 18, 2011
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Protected: Sharepoint FAQ
February 18, 2011
Concept Searching Finds Map Gold
February 18, 2011
The Microsoft Partner Program consists of three levels, the highest represented by the Gold label. Given the diverse array of companies that partner with Microsoft, it has added Competencies to their plan. These must be earned and showcase a level of ability and specialization within the structure of the course. Attaining this grade of certification has long been an arduous process, and it appears the requirements have been elevated. These revisions include employing Microsoft certified individuals, exams for the staff and customer references.
Of course, the benefits have been sweetened too, one of which is the integrity and distinction the logo seems to carry, something numerous businesses find attractive. Additional perks: software packages, bundled technical support and training resources. The list continues.
Concept Searching, a U.K. based metadata generation and classification software company founded in 2002, recently announced their attainment of the gold level. The firm’s freshly gilded conceptClassifier for SharePoint is “the only statistical based classification and taxonomy solution to use concept extraction and conceptual metadata generation to achieve the optimal approach to manage unstructured content”. The company was asked to join the Microsoft Managed ISV Program in 2009, an offer reserved for reportedly 1% of the partners worldwide. The press release goes on to state their technology is being implemented in the search and management fields to solve a broad set of problems.
Sarah Rogers, February 18, 2011
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