Better Team Project Coordination in the New Year
January 6, 2014
Lots of good things happened in the enterprise in 2013, and users are looking toward an even more productive 2014. TechRepublic is sharing their best solutions for SharePoint and other collaboration platforms in 2014 in their article, “Eight Resolutions for Better Project Team Collaboration.”
After giving several helpful suggestions, the article turns to social collaboration:
“In 2013, the integration between enterprise social networks and collaboration platforms took off. For instance, Office 365 took a few steps closer to integration with Yammer, and Huddle launched integration with tibbr. When you bring your collaboration platform together with enterprise social technologies, it can also be a subtle tool to move your organization or project team away from email inboxes.”
Stephen E. Arnold, a longtime leader in search and enterprise, often covers SharePoint through his Web service, ArnoldIT. Followers of his will notice how much attention is paid to the social aspect of SharePoint, which indicates a greater industry trend. And while SharePoint is not yet a fully functioning social platform, it is improving.
Emily Rae Aldridge, January 6, 2014
Shopping For Business Intelligence
January 5, 2014
There is not an Amazon equivalent for organizations in the market for business intelligence tools. They must rely on conducting their own research to find the best tool to suit their needs. Why has not one of the world’s IT experts taken the time to aggregate all BI reviews, software specifications, and other relevant information into one source? Oh, wait, someone did! Software Advice is a Web site where people can read about business intelligence software and select the proper tool for their organization. In the article, “Compare Business Intelligence (BI) Software Tools” there is a rundown of the top ten most recommended business intelligent systems along with an explanation about how there is a growing need for BI software to analyze data and give a user friendly interface.
There are three main ways BI software is used: data management, data discovery, and reporting tools. What and how the organization wants to use the data shapes the type of the software they need to buy. Another consideration is to figure out what type of buyer you are:
“Business users and departmental buyers. This group of buyers favors small data discovery vendors and BI tools over the big traditional BI systems. Ease-of-use and fast deployment are more important than in-depth functionality and integration. They are usually business users rather than IT staff.
IT buyers. Traditional buyers are more focused on functionality and integration within their information infrastructure stacks or other enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. Integration across different entities and departments is usually more important than ease of use.”
Then there are the current marketing trends. These shift from year to year, but the ones on people’s radar are: mobile BI applications, SaaS, business users outnumbering IT staff, big data, and in-memory processing.
Software Advice offers consultation services to organizations in the market for a BI solution. As of writing this article, they have helped 159,561 companies in eight years. The initial consult is free as is the general information, but there are going to be fees somewhere. Software Advice selling technique is analogous to a personal shopper.
Whitney Grace, January 05, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
WikiSummarizer Makes Charts Fun Again
January 4, 2014
Instead of having to read an entire Wikipedia entry or Web site, there is a neat Web tool that aggregates all of the information and displays it in a neat, interactive chart. The WebSummarizer was developed by Context Discovery Inc. to create summaries from Web pages, documents, and plain text. The tool sifts through the information on a Web site and pulls out the most relevant and important information, and then displays it as a visual summary with interactive content maps. Users can download the selected information and export it to a variety of programs such as content managers, databases, and word processes.
Along with the WebSummarizer is a WikiSummarizer that uses the same software to summarize Wikipedia articles. Wikipedia is a vast resource and the entries are more in-depth than a typical encyclopedia or book can provide. It boils down to more reading time, but WikiSummarizer highlights all of the essential information and saves time.
Both summarizing tools offer the following features:
1. “Summarize web pages, documents and plain text to convert long content into essential interactive structured outlines and Visual Summaries
2. Download the summaries as structured text to speed up your research, publishing, learning and blog writing
3. Download the summaries as Visual Summaries – “A picture is worth a thousand words”- to enable absorbing large amounts of information quicker
4. Download the summaries as mind maps to wide range of your favorite mind mapping application
5. Take notes – quickly collect topics and sentences from all contextually relevant sources such as websites, documents and Wikipedia Knowledge Base
6. Speed-up reading by condensing each article to the essential keywords and contextual summaries
7. Make a long story short – the summaries headline most important sentences and the relationships between topics giving instant information capsules”
It is a lark to play around with the chart functions and displaying the information in different ways. Each option reveals new facts and is almost as fun as playing six degrees of Wikipedia. Be aware that all of the summaries are automated, so it is wise to review the information before extensive use.
Whitney Grace, January 04, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Clarabridge: An IPO in 2014?
January 3, 2014
Clarabridge is a company involved in CEM or customer experience management. I am not exactly sure what the concept means. My experiences with customer support at T-Mobile or Holland America leaves me in a quandary. For companies that want to help me, the companies are doing everythi9ng in their power to drive me elsewhere. I assume that Clarabridge has a solution to this problem. No, not customers, but the costs a company incurs when customers contact them.
I noted that Clarabridge, according to In the Capital, raised $80 million in September 2013. In the Capital asserted that the company may be moving toward an initial public offering. The write up continued:
CEO Sid Banerjee said he hopes his company will soon follow in the footsteps of Cvent, another Northern Virginia company that recently went public.
Interesting stuff. The money and the the alleged 2014 IPO, not CEM. With rumors of some push back for come sentiment centric analytics, Clarabridge may have cracked the code. It does have an additional $80 million.
Stephen E Arnold, January 3, 2014
Huddle Offers iOS Alternative to SharePoint
January 3, 2014
With the changes in mobile computing and cloud computing, the weaknesses in SharePoint are being exposed. Add to that the fact that SharePoint does not function on a Mac platform and many organizations are looking for alternative solutions. CMS Wire looks at one option, Huddle, in their article, “Will Huddle Note App Hammer Another Nail in SharePoint’s Coffin?”
The article begins:
“Huddle has just announced the general release of Huddle Note, a new iOS application that enables users to create content in the cloud, share it inside or outside the firewall and collaborate with other workers on documents — all from a mobile device. Taking all Huddle’s functionality into account, the company’s management claims it provides a viable alternative to SharePoint.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and the brains behind ArnoldIT.com. He gives a lot of attention to SharePoint and SharePoint alternatives. Most organizations will need some piece of enterprise software, and SharePoint is the most common. Stay tuned for the latest SharePoint news and ways to improve your enterprise infrastructure.
Emily Rae Aldridge, January 3, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Getting a Handle on Current and Future Data Compliance
January 3, 2014
Data is changing faster than the technology developed to manage it. Staying on top of new information management techniques is an even greater challenge. Besides doing countless hours of research, Information Management reported on a Web seminar that recently took place called: “Protect, Serve, And Comply: How To Stay Ahead Of Data And Compliance Challenges.” The seminar description takes note of how data is getting bigger and bigger literally every second from social media to documents in fields such as healthcare, finance, and law.
Information management is even more critical as new laws are passed to regulate security, privacy, and the type of information stored. The webinar’s speakers include, Allan D. Grody of Financial InterGroup and Travis Broughton, an enterprise architect. Grody will explain the importance of why identity resolution is priority for organizations and how it will affect different industries.
Broughton then takes the stage for his share:
“Grody will be briefed by Intel Enterprise Architect Travis Broughton, who will show how a service gateway approach can offer identity mapping and enhanced data privacy with little to no impact on existing applications. These cloud gateways connect to on-premise enterprise architectures and address integration challenges for cloud, big data, and mobile applications. He’ll also discuss how data de-identification can remove key systems from audit scope, saving time, money and personnel resources.”
The article does not mention if the webinar will include how-to methods and tips for the attendees. Explanations build a strong beginning for understanding Broughton’s and Grody’s talk, but actual implementation is where it will be put to the test.
Whitney Grace, January 03, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Free White Paper on Free Visual Tools
January 3, 2014
We recently found a free white paper on free visual tools that can present your information in a free-flowing form. These visual tools offer a way to spice up information presentation. The article, “Guide comparatif des outils gratuits de cartographie de l’information” located at Les Infostrateges summarizes a white paper about five inventive ways to display information. For our non-French speaking readers, the title roughly translates to “Comparative Guide On Free Mapping Information Tools.” The white paper is located here and like the press release it is in French, but thanks to Google translate (forgive the awkward wording) we can tell you it provides insights into mapping information:
“Mind mapping is an intuitive tool, easy to use: one can find information akin to an exploratory journey in a given field of knowledge. Indeed, the fields of application of the mapping are many and varied. Ease of design heuristics patterns as their plasticity are also an asset in an educational process of knowledge transfer: the graph as illustration facilitate the appropriation of messages.”
Five information mapping tools are described:
FreeMind-a free mapping software with a 1960s peace and love approach to information mapping.
XMind-a more professional tool supposed to help guide your brainstorming.
Mindomo-comes off as more of a start-up and it costs money, so not exactly free.
Mind42-takes the social media approach and is like Reddit for mind mapping.
SpicyNodes-Unlike the others the maps move on this one.
It is surprising that mind mapping has not caught on with the social media world. It could easily be developed into an app for people to connect their related interests and ideas in a large social network. Pictures and short comments could be uploaded. It would be like a combination of Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr.
Whitney Grace, January 03, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
If You Seek Variety Do Not Turn to Big Data
January 3, 2014
I am sure that you have heard that Big Data is capable of working with all data types. According to Information Week’s article, “Variety’s The Spice Of Life-And Bane Of Big Data” the newest trend has problem and the biggest is handling the variety of data. The article argues that it is impractical to funnel ad hoc data source into a central schema. The better alternative is to use optional schema also known as RDF standards or semantic web technologies. How can trading one schema for another make a difference?
The article states:
“When data is accessible using the simple RDF triples model, you can mix data from different sources and use the SPARQL query language to find connections and patterns with no need to predefine schema. Leveraging RDF doesn’t require data migration, but can take advantage of middleware tools that dynamically make relational databases, spreadsheets, and other data sources available as triples. Schema metadata can be dynamically pulled from data. It is stored and queried the same way as data.”
RDF acts like a sieve. It allows the unnecessary data information to run through the small holes, leaving the relevant stuff behind for quicker access. It sounds like a perfect alternative, except it comes with its own set of challenges. The good news is that these problems can easily be resolved with a little training and practice.
Whitney Grace, January 03, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
An Elsevier Quote to Note: Confidential Pricing
January 2, 2014
I have no idea if the video is a spoof or not. With the twerking and the other oddities video sites, I am skeptical. Maybe this is an Onion-style spoof?
Navigate to “Elsevier’s David Tempest Explains Subscription-Contract Confidentiality Clause.” You can watch the video or read the article. Either way, here’s the quote to note:
Well, indeed there are confidentiality clauses inherent in the system, in our Freedom Collections. The Freedom Collections do give a lot of choice and there is a lot of discount in there to the librarians. And the use, and the cost per use has been dropping dramatically, year on year. And so we have to ensure that, in order to have fair competition between different countries, that we have this level of confidentiality to make that work. Otherwise everybody would drive down, drive down, drive drive drive, and that would mean that [laughter’].
This is a pretty serious issue. Professional publishers are in a tough spot. The stakeholders want financial performance. The professional publishing companies have to generate revenue. The various electronic ploys have not worked as well as the old fashioned, 19th century business models. The result is charging as much as possible for information products.
As some professional publishing outfits know, the world is awash with unemployed lawyers, abstemious accountants, and beleaguered academic researchers. The solution? Raise prices and prevent folks from disclosing the staggering cost of a subscription to a medical journal.
One outfit is recycling “abstracts” as a business product advertised in airplane seat back magazines. Others are just investing like mad in apps and hoping that the golden goose shows up sooner rather than later.
Amusing, serious, and lamentably a signal that professional publishing and possibly scientific, technical, and medical publishing is in what might be phrased as “sunset years.”
Will “value” be one of the buzzwords of the year in 2014?
Stephen E Arnold, January 2, 2014
Metalogix Provides Solution for SharePoint and Exchange Data
January 2, 2014
SharePoint and Exchange both contain huge amounts of data, and getting them to work together at maximum efficiency can be a great challenge. ZDNet offers a solution to this scenario in their latest article, “Metalogix Liberates SharePoint and Exchange Data.”
The article begins:
“SharePoint and Exchange are both complex products. While the multiplicity of setting and options makes it possible to adjust their operations to address an organization’s requirements, it also makes it difficult for organizations to pick up and move their data to take advantage of cloud service offerings or to migrate some or all of their data to different on-premise solutions.”
Metalogix says they have this problem covered:
“Metalogix pointed out that their products address the requirements IT decision-makers have to maintain tight management control of their content, security for that content and support a mirrored environment for higher levels of reliability.”
And while Metalogix may or may not be the right product for your enterprise, it is worth following a news source that gives you the latest on SharePoint, as well as tips and tricks. Stephen E. Arnold of ArnoldIT.com, as a longtime leader in search, follows the latest in enterprise search, including SharePoint. Research proves that organizations that get the most of their SharePoint installation are those that customize and continue to tweak. Stay tuned for ways to optimize your installation.
Emily Rae Aldridge, January 2, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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