Microsoft and Its Research about Search
May 13, 2011
We loved Microsoft’s use of the “beyond search” phrase to describe some of its earlier efforts to wrest the King of Search crown from the rampaging Googzilla.
Non-techies tend to take the complexities and subtle nuances of search for granted. I’ll admit that at one point I was also in the dark. Since the switch has been flipped, I find sites like the one summarizing Microsoft’s Information Retrieval and Mining research incredibly interesting.
The overview explains:
We aim at developing fundamental technologies for general web search and enterprise search. Our main technology areas include machine learning, information retrieval, data mining, and natural language processing. We partner with Microsoft Live Search and SharePoint Search. Currently, we are working on five projects: Learning to Rank, Search Result Ranking, Data Selection in Search, Search Log Data Mining, and Next Generation Enterprise Search.
I recommend scanning the page if the subject piques your interest, but here are some of the highlights. For ranking web pages, they have advanced the common practice of web graph data to large-scale graph data collected from users’ own browsing habits. Complimenting this achievement is the work on a search log mining platform, culling search session and click-thru data, enabling the graph modeling mentioned above. They are even delving into what is on the tips of many tongues: enterprise social computing.
There are a lot of critics of Bing, even more of SharePoint. Regardless, Microsoft refuses to stand down when it comes to search development. Will these advancements launch Microsoft to the top of the field? Perhaps, with a little streamlining of their products or more negative PR for Google. If Apple could rise from the grave with the iPod, I guess anything is possible.
Sarah Rogers, May 13, 2011
Freebie unlike the technical and engineering support some of SharePoint search users experience
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