SharePoint Cannot Meet All Enterprise Needs
September 19, 2012
For all of the talk about what SharePoint can do, sometimes it is good to know what SharePoint cannot do. Avoid an unnecessary expense as well as wasted time and frustration by exploring the BetaNews article, “3 Things Not to do With SharePoint.”
The author begins with an analysis of what SharePoint can do well:
I’m a big fan of SharePoint. I’ve worked with it for years, right back to SharePoint 2001. It does a lot of things very, very well (Since you ask — document management, collaborative working, and increasingly social networking functionality). However, SharePoint also does lots of things, its feature set is simply huge. Not all of these features are as mature as others, and as a result it is easy for SharePoint systems to end up feeling a bit mixed and matched. Some things work well, some less so, and some should have been avoided altogether.
The author then goes on to list the three things you should avoid doing with SharePoint: 1) creating a public facing Web site, 2) customizing graphic design, and 3) treating it like a database. For each of these functions, a smarter choice is to find a third party solution that can work with SharePoint or an existing infrastructure to seamlessly accomplish that goal. For public facing Web sites, we recommend Mindbreeze InSite, a solution that will automatically set up intuitive search on your Web space.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 19, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Google OneBox Provides Shortcuts to Ease Search Pain
September 19, 2012
Harnessing the power of any search engine can be difficult, especially when one is attempting to find specific information that is quick and direct. To compete with such products as Siri, which provide instant, significant results, Google has released a set of shortcuts leading to what the company calls “OneBox” results. Lifehacker’s recent post, “20 Google Search Shortcuts to Hone Your Google-Fu,” informs us of the numerous shortcuts available, including unit conversion and instant artist discographies and filmographies.
The article tells us about the product:
“Google’s OneBox is the result you get when Google magically knows the answer to a search you perform. Above the normal search results, Google gives your the definitive answer to your search—or a miniature, interactive tool to continue your search. These are different from search operators that help you narrow your search. With the OneBox results you can quickly find the weather, learn what a medication is, peek at a musicians discography, and even find release dates for movies.”
Bravo to the Goog for this small innovation. We found some good tips for some hidden queries we were not aware of before. However, we do not like the coinage “Google Fu.” It makes it seem as if we need to become zen masters of searching skills to be equipped to handle the monster search engine.
Andrea Hayden, September 19, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Controversy Surrounds Post Over Google Results
September 19, 2012
A controversial blog post has been debated heavily online this month concerning the organic search results provided by Google in comparison to its emphasis on advertising. Alex Yumashev of Jitbit posted that truly relevant results only take up about 18.5% of a Google search results page. In “Debate: Google’s Search Pages Prioritize Ads and Services Over Results” on TechSpot, we hear from Matt Cutts, Google’s Webspam team head. Cutts states that Yumashev’s analysis has numerous flaws, such as the search box being included as non-search as well as the left-hand column which allows users to refine results.
Cutts expands on his counterargument in the article:
“We actually think our ads can be as helpful as the search results in some cases. And no, that’s not a new attitude. Of course there are tons of searches where we don’t show ads. A lot of people like to take a query that shows ads and say ‘Aha!’ but they’re forgetting all the queries that don’t show ads. Not to mention that our ads aren’t just a straight auction.”
We are not sure we buy into that argument. We wonder: would Google emphasize revenue and its own interests over objective search results such as the type of hits returned from Lexis Nexis?
Andrea Hayden, September 19, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Search by Tapping Technology from Amazon Released
September 19, 2012
A fascinating and strange innovation has been introduced from Amazon early this month. The company has introduced a new spin on search, which offers instant information to users about the media they are working with. According to “Amazon Introduced X-Ray Technology for Kindle Lineup” on SlashGear, the X-Ray technology allows users to simply tap on the media they are interacting with and get information about that media. For example, a user watching a movie from Amazon can tap the film and get data instantly from IMDB.
The article tells us more:
“The same brand technology appears in X-Ray for Textbooks, with your ability to tap anywhere – or in a whole lot of places, at least, for more information at your whim. When you’re tapping a video, you get information not just about the video, but about everyone in the scene that’s identifiable. In a textbook, more educational information appears. This X-Ray technology is set to be shown on the Amazon Kindle Fire HD lineup first, and will certainly be expanded in the future.”
The technology also already exists on the Kindle Paperwhite ereader and enables users to tap anywhere on a page to get information about characters and other story details. We are impressed with this seemingly magical search without search feature and are curious to see more action from this tappable technology.
Andrea Hayden, September 19, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Google+ Gaining Ground in Business
September 19, 2012
Is Google+ getting hotter? It would seem so, according to CNet News’ “You Say Google+ is a Ghost Land? Time to Revisit That One.” The site is still no threat to Facebook, but writer Peter Yared makes a strong case that a focus on small businesses makes Google+ more relevant than many people realize.
Google’s link-every-product approach succeeds in giving the company an advantage, in this case specifically with searches for small businesses. Such a search prominently displays an image of the business’ Google+ Local profile next to the search results; many users click on that page rather than going to the business’ own site or another information provider. Voila, more clicks for Google!
That is just one example, though. Yared notes other ways in which Google+ seems to be positioning itself as a crucial resource for businesses. Google is leveraging last year’s purchase of Zagat by incorporating its local business reviews. It is also soon likely, he says, to integrate content from its more recent acquisition, the travel guide site Frommer’s. He concludes:
“Google+ has rapidly become the business social network, differentiating itself from LinkedIn as a promotional and communication network rather than a public directory of employees. (Google just announced Google+ features for medium to large businesses.) Google+ is already a great place for small businesses to create an online presence that gets a lot of traffic and provides users with context such as reviews and location. It will likely soon let users opt-in to a business’ ‘circles,’ then allow businesses to shoot promotional material straight to a user’s Google+ inbox, also known as Gmail. Now that’s a winning small business strategy.”
Yared may be on to something here. Does Google’s future lie, at least in part, in becoming a primary resource for small businesses? Stranger things have happened.
Cynthia Murrell, September 19, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Learning about SharePoint Search 2013
September 18, 2012
“Search Is Everywhere! What You Need to Know about Search in SharePoint 2013 Preview” provides a handy summary of new features and major changes in Microsoft enterprise search.
The summary begins with a look at the tweaked document library. The author points out, “Search is everywhere in SharePoint now so it is important to understand how it has changed.”
One important assertion the article makes is, “Search was essentially rewritten from the ground up… The concept of FAST Search for SharePoint servers is gone. The components from FS4SP have made their way directly into SharePoint and we don’t need separate dedicated servers for it (necessarily).
Corey Roth adds:
Aside from cool stuff like drag and drop, document libraries directly leverage the search engine to allow users to filter documents easily. Gone are the days of relying on CAML for simple document library searches. You’ll find out why later in this post on why you can rely on search for those uses as well.
The other topics covered in the summary include the components of the search system; specifically, crawl component, content processing component, index component, analytics component, query processing component, and the search administration component.
The summary provides additional detail about crawling. The summary points out:
Whereas SharePoint 2010, only had protocols for Local Search and OpenSearch 1.1, SharePoint 2013 Preview (as well as SharePoint Online Preview), support for Remote SharePoint servers and Exchange has been added. Since SharePoint and People Search results are served by the same search index now, you can choose which type of results you want here too.
This summary includes information about querying, the user interface, and the API, and some of the new administrative controls. Illustrated with screenshots, we think the article is a useful reference.
For more detail, you will want to take a look at “What’s New within SharePoint 2013 Search.” So far, SharePoint Talk has issue three useful write ups which include screenshots and links to supplementary documents.
The first part is “What’s New within SharePoint 2013 Search? Part 1. This is an overview. The second part has the same name but focuses more on some of the configurable elements; for example, managed properties.
The new features of SharePoint Search 2012 deliver significant benefits to those seeking information. However, implementing and customizing specific search features will require close attention by programmer who are deeply knowledgeable about Microsoft’s technologies. The “cool stuff” is indeed very exciting. Comperio can provide the engineering support to make these functions deliver to the SharePoint’s licensees’ specific requirements.
Comperio’s search engineers continue to work closely with clients, Microsoft partners, and Microsoft itself. As a result, we have compiled deep experience with the most recent version of SharePoint Search. We can implement the specific features of SharePoint Search 2013 that a client requires. More importantly, we can extend the system to deliver particular functions such as seamless interaction with third party enterprise applications. For more information about Comperio, visit the firm’s Web site at www.comperiosearch.com.
Stephen E Arnold, September 18, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
Interview with Joe Pullizzi, Content Marketing Expert
September 18, 2012
We came across a fascinating interview with Joe Pullizzi, a content marketing expert and one of the kingpins of the Content Marketing Institute. Content marketing is an important method for building a brand and enhancing a company’s public relations program. He said about the rapid changes now taking place in marketing:
It comes down to a fundamental change, in my opinion. Consumers are in complete control. They manage the entire buying process themselves. They have all the information they need at their disposal. Interruption strategies still work to get their attention, but it takes a lot of money. Content marketing is the ultimate David versus Goliath opportunity. Today, any company with a great story can be found, and their content will be shared. Some of the fastest growing companies in the world are leveraging content marketing strategies. And it’s only just begun.
He added:
In my opinion, there will be a need for long-form content. However, shorter form content is the searcher’s delight. Just as the Web has not replaced TV or radio, Apps will not replace any other channel out there. It’s just another channel where we can communicate with customers, which involves a whole different set of processes.
You read the full interview in HighGainBlog at http://wp.me/p2dChp-rL. For more information about the Content Marketing Institute, visit CMI’s Web site.
Stephen E Arnold, September 18, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT
Mindbreeze InSite is a Hit
September 18, 2012
Even at its inception, Mindbreeze InSite was garnering rave reviews for its creativity and effectiveness. The From the Cloud blog features good news regarding Mindbreeze InSite acceptance in the industry in its entry, “futurezone.at: Mindbreeze InSite is a Direct Hit!”
The author begins:
A few weeks ago Mindbreeze InSite became the latest sprog to join the family of Fabasoft Cloud services online. The young Cloud service had barely entered the world when it landed its first major success: Replacing Google Appliance as the integrated search on futurezone.at, the Austrian national newspaper Kurier’s technology news portal. According to Alexa ranking this website belongs to the top 5 websites in Austria (top 871 worldwide)!
Mindbreeze InSite is quick and easy to install. Tens of thousands of pages of Web content can be indexed simply by embedding a few lines of script code. Additionally, tens of thousands of searches can be performed by hour by users to the Web site, without any burden on the system. In addition to the other successful enterprise services that Mindbreeze offers, InSite offers a wonderful compliment, equipping users to find quick satisfaction in their search of your public facing Web sites.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 18, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
VPI Taps Autonomy IDOL for Analytics
September 18, 2012
Autonomy vaunts its latest victory in “VPI Selects Autonomy, an HP Company, to Deliver Advanced Speech and Multichannel Analytics.” A global provider of workforce optimization solutions, VPI will soon embed Autonomy’s IDOL Server into its analytics tools VPI Empower and VPI Empower 911. The press release explains:
“Combining Autonomy IDOL with VPI’s context-directed interaction analytics gives enterprises and public safety organizations a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of all their communications activity. All calls to a help desk or emergency center can be automatically classified using VPI’s desktop analytics, which tags valuable data and events from CRM, ERP, CAD, helpdesk and other applications to recorded communications, to provide precise context of the conversations. This allows organizations to provide better and faster customer service and patient care. Managers can also apply speech analytics to any category of interest-such as repeat calls, high value sales, account cancellations or security breaches-increasing speed and accuracy of their search and analysis without having to listen to all calls.”
Headquartered in Camarillo, CA, VPI was founded in 1994. They supply customer experience and workforce optimization solutions for enterprises, trading floors, government agencies, and, perhaps most importantly, first responders. Let’s hear it for anything that makes their jobs faster and easier!
Autonomy, founded in 1996 and now owned by HP, offers solutions that use IDOL to tame mind-boggling amounts of unstructured data. The technology grew from research originally performed at Cambridge University, and now serves prominent public and private organizations around the world.
Cynthia Murrell, September 18, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Centrifuge Video Worth a Look
September 18, 2012
Centrifuge Systems has a metaphorical-type video explaining its system and method, lengthily titled: “Uncover the Mysteries in Big Data and Fraud Data Analysis with Centrifuge Systems.” The overview runs 1.24 minutes and is worth a look. If you like that one, check out more instructive videos at the company’s resource page. These folks are good at explaining things.
Centrifuge recently released version 2.7 of its analysis software. About their technology, the site explains:
“Centrifuge Visual Network Analytics gives you the power and flexibility to connect, visualize and collaborate without complex data integration, costly services or a data science degree. Using advanced link analysis, you can ‘bring your own data’ from any source, filter and combine as desired, and quickly make connections between people, behavior and events.
“Centrifuge Interactive Visualizations move beyond simple visual dashboards to give you the ability to interpret data within the context of your business. With patent-pending Collaborative Discovery, you can share findings and collaborate with others for deeper insights and faster problem-solving.”
Centrifuge is proud to have garnered a place in the 2012 FinTech Innovation Lab Program, and to have been placed on the 2012 Always On Global 250 Private Company Top Ones to Watch list. The company is Headquartered in McLean, VA.
Cynthia Murrell, September 18, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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