Semantic Technology: Coming for Everyone?

September 23, 2011

Some strong assertions have been made regarding the importance of semantic search and many companies are delving into the process of understanding and utilizing the data.

An important trend of semantic search and extraction of data is supported by Hewlett-Packard’s confirmation that it would acquire Autonomy, a semantic-based tool used to extract information from non-structured data.

MediaPosts’ blog post, “Semantic Search and Raw Data on Rise” tells us more about the purchase:

Autonomy makes software that searches and keeps track of unstructured data in databases and on Web sites such as Google-like searches through hospital databases and records. Unstructured raw data could increasingly become the next diamond in the rough, allowing brands to target ads based on information extracted from text and images. Some companies already do this.

Google, Bing, and Yahoo are just three of the companies that are expanding their technology to understand semantic search on the web. Vertical Search Works is even launching mobile voice search for the iPhone. There is much promise in this venture, yet many challenges ahead because semantic technology may be one of the technologies best left an an enabler, not something the user must think about doing.

Andrea Hayden, September 23, 2011

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Stephen E. Arnold monitors search, content processing, text mining and related topics from his high-tech nerve center in rural Kentucky. He tries to winnow the goose feathers from the giblets. He works with colleagues worldwide to make this Web log useful to those who want to go "beyond search". Contact him at sa [at] arnoldit.com. His Web site with additional information about search is arnoldit.com.