Consumer Search Space may Influence Future of Enterprise Search

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Where is enterprise search headed? Dick Weisinger takes a look at this question in his Formtek.com article, “Enterprise Search: Consumer Search Path Hints at Direction for the Enterprise.” Weisinger suggests that the consumer search space, such as how consumers interact with Google or Bing, may hold the clues for what enterprise search becomes. The author shares this about Gartner’s prediction:

Gartner says that the Enterprise Search market has grown at a rate of 11.7 percent each year since Andrews made his prediction in 2008.  The market size ended 2012 at $1.7 billion and is expected to reach $1.9 billion by the end of 2013.

The author also says that traditionally a search, on Google for example, would bring back a list of documents or Web pages that are highly related to the search criteria. The user then has to look at those results to find the ‘final answer.’ Now, search engines are attempting to directly answer questions. For example, Google will directly answer a math question, world time, or word definitions. This is taken from the article:

Andrews says that by the end of 2017 that more than half of consumer searches will not be producing lists of documents, but a ‘final answer’.

While consumers get accustomed to this ‘final answer,’ it may very well lead to that demand in the enterprise search arena. Time will tell. Part of this ability to provide a ‘final answer’ and accurate search result lies in semantics and contextual meaning.

When it comes to enterprise search, consider the Semaphore platform which includes an ontology manager and classification and text mining server. These modules classify content for organizations using the process of analyzing a document and adding metadata “tags” that describe the document which is sourced from taxonomy or other form of controlled vocabulary. The ontology manager is powered by semantic technology, meaning it covers the life-cycle of taxonomy, thesauri or ontology development and maintenance. The platform automatically manages the language that defines your space or industry and with accurate metadata, business data is given contextual meaning so searchers can efficiently find the answers to their questions and thus delivering enterprises a complete information management experience.

Alice Wilson, June 18, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search

Challenges with People Search in the Enterprise

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Enterprise search has a number of challenges for many organizations, and Martin White discusses one of the challenges – people search – in his CMSWire post, “Enterprise Search: Searching for Names & Brains.” During May, three major conferences on search were held and White says that the main focus of these events was on how to present the most relevant search result with all needed information first to the searcher. But White also says that one of the most helpful and important uses of enterprise search is to find people, either by name or expertise.

He says simple challenges, like knowing how to spell a tricky name, to more complex challenges, such as defining someone’s expertise, can make people search ineffective. When it comes to finding expertise in the enterprise, he has this to say:

The answer lies in being able to integrate search across multiple applications, each of which may contain some element of information about the expertise of employees. These might include project files, product design databases, blogs, conference papers and patents.

White also adds this suggestion:

Your search strategy should have a specific section on the approach you will be taking as expertize of employees, both long-term and newly arrived, provides your organization with a significant competitive advantage.

If you are implementing an enterprise search solution, the article poses some challenges you may want to take into consideration while planning. One way to bypass ineffective search is with a comprehensive content intelligence platform that searches the entirety of business data regardless of format or location. For example, Smartlogic specializes in information retrieval software concentrating on adding semantic capabilities to enterprise search and content management systems to give users a complete picture of corporate knowledge.

Alice Wilson, June 18, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search

Comments on the Future of Enterprise Search

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Martin White discusses the importance of enterprise search in the CMSWire article, “Is There a Future for Enterprise Search?” White explains that over the last couple of years, countless books and reports have been published on the topic of enterprise search and providing effective access to big data which goes to show the importance of this topic for organizations. The author explains the challenge of enterprise search in that there are often vast amounts of unstructured data in the enterprise, and:

There are also vast collections of project reports, service reports, business plans, patient records, etc. where being able to find relevant information by using either keywords or through a natural language enquiry in whatever are relevant languages is absolutely business critical.

The author also provides links to a variety of surveys carried out by MarkLogic, Findwise, Oracle and Smartlogic that show the scale of mismatch between business requirements and the availability of enterprise solutions. The business perspective on enterprise search is also shared:

What is now emerging is a view of enterprise search as a managed framework of search applications which enable employees to find the data, information and knowledge that they have the authority to access in order to make business decisions.

White goes on to provide a few comments on the skills gap that many organizations face when implementing content management solutions. The article is a good read for a well-rounded perspective on the benefits and challenges of enterprise search.

One way to champion these trends and turn data into smart content is with semantic technology, which powers the Semaphore Content Intelligence Platform. With powerful components, like an ontology manager and classification and text mining server, Semaphore provides features to automatically classify business documents and streamline workflows. Smartlogic also provides a full-service support team to help businesses fill in those skills gaps in their enterprise search team.

Alice Wilson, June 18, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search

Semaphore for SharePoint 2013 and Office 365 Explained

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SharePoint 2013 offers a host of features to make enterprise content management more efficient and effective. But many users of the SharePoint platform also know that there are some gaps in the system and third party applications can really round out the offerings. In the Image and Data Manager article, “Semaphore Signs on for SharePoint 2013 & Office 365,” the author explains Smartlogic’s Semaphore solution for the SharePoint 2013 search experience.

Semaphore is specifically designed to augment SharePoint 2013 to enhance the search experience, drive content management and workflow processes, standardize metadata, and eliminate the burden of manual classification of content. Some of the improvements include enhanced and scalable multi-farm support, simplified syncing of the terms store with enterprise metadata standards, and more ontology-related Web parts for improved contextual searching. This taken from the article summarizes the SharePoint solution:

Smartlogic’s Semaphore Content Intelligence application enables enterprises to turn unstructured content into actionable information by enhancing the capabilities of existing information management systems such as SharePoint.

Functioning in parallel to the Microsoft platform, Semaphore enables enterprises to more quickly and precisely identify, classify, extract, integrate and utilize unstructured information such as research papers, plans, proposals, presentations, meeting notes, strategy documents, reports, memos, web copy and emails.

Smartlogic’s chief technology officer, Matthieu Jonglez, also says that, “We are reacting to customer requirements and demand with these improvements.” It seems that Semaphore for SharePoint 2013 is tailored and customized for practical enterprise content intelligence challenges. With consistent metadata governance, employees can save valuable time with improved search and quickly finding needed information. It also means that top executives have access to an enterprise-level view of business knowledge that can be repurposed to make better business decisions.

Alice Wilson, June 17, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search

Lanier on Metadata and the Scope of its Power

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For those in the information world, it’s near impossible to have missed the breaking news about the NSA, the PRISM program, and all the privacy and security concerns surrounding the big data collection. In “The NSA, You and Your Metadata,” Jaron Lanier comments on the program but takes a closer look at metadata, what it is, and how it makes content searchable. Lanier explains the concept of metadata:

Metadata systems are said to gather only tags and skeletal information, but not ‘content.’ The distinction is instrumental rather than substantial. The line between the two can shift over time.

He goes on to add:

Metadata is the aspect of data that programs can most reliably “understand.” It’s the topical stuff that is regimented into a standard structure, like the blanks filled in on a form. In order to treat real-world events as metadata, certain actions of people, rather than their expressions, are used to fill in those blanks.

The author also shares his opinion on the power of metadata. He states that many look to metadata as a magic button that can solve very complex and real-world problems, like stopping crime. However, Lanier says that it is just one of many tools, but is an astoundingly effective tool for social engineering. The article provides an interesting perspective on metadata and how it can be used.

We also know that metadata is a powerful tool for adding structure to content, such as enterprise information. For example, Smartlogic really seems to understand the power of metadata. As part of the Semaphore Content Intelligence Platform, the Classification and Text Mining Server adds ‘tags’ to content sourced from a controlled vocabulary unique to the specific industry. This means that information becomes searchable and findable saving users time when searching for pertinent information.

Alice Wilson, June 17, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search

Summary of the Past Decade of Enterprise Search Surveys

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Effective enterprise search makes content from various sources in the enterprise, such as databases, emails, intranets, documents, searchable and findable for a defined audience. In “Enterprise Search Surveys,” the author has collected a summary of the most important studies of enterprise search effectiveness that have been conducted since 2001.

One of the older reports, a 2001 study by Outsell Inc., found that 10 percent of knowledge workers spent more than 20 hours per week looking for information. That same year, IDC found that searchers were successful in finding the information they sought only 50 percent of the time or less. One of the most recent studies, titled Mind the Enterprise Search Gap, is summarized:

A survey of more than 2,000 directors and managers in the USA, United Kingdom, France and Germany, conducted in 2011 by MindMeter, on behalf of categorization software vendor Smartlogic.

Key findings:

* Over half of users cannot find the information they seek within an acceptable amount of time

* US respondents have the highest expectations, and also perform better with internal search systems than the others

The full MindMetre report can be found here. The reports shed some light on the evolution of enterprise search over the past decade. The summaries also seem to show that gaps still remain for many in deploying effective and efficient enterprise search systems. For a comprehensive suite of solutions for content management, consider semantic-based technologies, like that offered with the Semaphore Content Intelligence Platform. Semaphore complements existing enterprise search investments and adds rich value to unstructured data to make it accessible for users.

Alice Wilson, June 17, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search

Upcoming Webinar on Uncovering Business Value in Unstructured Content

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Companies are eager to find ways to manage the vast and growing amounts of their unstructured data. One powerful way to turn data into smart content is with semantic technology. In an upcoming webinar series, “Hidden in Plain Sight: Uncover the Business Value of your Unstructured Content,” attendees will see these technologies demonstrated and how to use the capabilities to increase business value. The first session in the series developed by Smartlogic and Knowledgent is explained:

The series begins June 26 with ‘Slips, Trips and Falls: Proactive Care through Predictive Analytics.‘ We will explore how a health insurer’s discovery of patterns in home health care workers’ notes led to simple environmental changes that prevent elderly patients from falling. Text analytics revealed the patterns and value from the notes.

Session one speakers include Richard Pinder, Senior Vice President of Smartlogic, Christine Connors, Senior Consultant at Knowledgent, and Frank Norman, Senior IT Executive at Knowledgent. The expertise of the speakers is sure to make the session practical and valuable. You may want to also mark down the date for the second session:

The second session, ‘Automated Discovery: Uncover Meaningful Similarities in Research Data through Content‘ is on July 17 and will focus on optimizing knowledge worker productivity by relating research content in the pharmaceutical industry.

Smartlogic offers a suite of solutions for content intelligence and unstructured data management so that companies can maximize information assets and minimize security risks. Knowledgent is a purpose-built Industry Information Consultancy that provides advanced Information Management and Analytical (IM&A) solutions with industry-specific specialization in Financial Services, Life Sciences, Healthcare and Commercial markets.

Alice Wilson, June 14, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search

Defining Business Problems to Tackle Using Unstructured Content

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Jeff Bertolucci shares some tips for developing a big data strategy in the InformationWeek article, “Big Decisions Drive Big Data Success.” First, the author suggests defining the problems you are trying to solve before embarking on a project. Steve Jones, director of strategy for big data and analytics for Capgemini, has this to say:

In a phone interview with InformationWeek, Jones said that enterprises often run into trouble with big data projects when they focus on data rather than decisions, and when chief marketing officers (CMOs) run things without significant input from the folks in IT.

The author also shares this about common challenges:

One common challenge of big data projects is understanding the difference between correlation and causation. To paraphrase Wikipedia, a correlation between two variables doesn’t necessarily mean that one causes the other.

To overcome this challenge, the author suggests marketers run closed-loop tests to find out if there is causation. Creating value with big data requires a skilled team and comprehensive set of tools, and the article may be worth the read for tips if you are planning a strategy. To harness the power of big data and put it to use, look to industry experts. Smartlogic has helped a number of organizations in a wide variety of industry sectors across the globe maximize their information assets and develop smart content from their data. They also offer helpful webinars and a knowledge zone to guide you along the way.

Alice Wilson, June 14, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search

More Universities are Developing Big Data Graduate Courses

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Big data analysts and content intelligence experts are in high demand in the job market. In response, graduate courses are popping up to meet the demand. In “A Degree in Big Data,” Prachi Patel discusses these trends. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, the United States is projected to face a shortfall of as many as 190,000 experts who can make sense of big data by 2018. When it comes to content management, it is not the collection of data that’s the challenge:

Obtaining data is easy; it can come from a huge variety of automated sources, including RFID tags, mouse clicks, or sales receipts.

This bit from the article explains what skills are being developed:

Universities are now trying to fill the gap with advanced degree programs that aim to produce graduates who can provide useful information and communicate it to business leaders and clients. ‘Our fundamental goal is to create storytellers,” says Hasler, whose [University of Texas at Austin] program will begin its first class at the end of August.

These university programs are exciting to see and are opening up new career paths. The article is an interesting highlight of the educational side of big data and analytics. To fill in skills-gaps, it helps to give your team a comprehensive set of tools for content management, like Semaphore from Smartlogic. The Semaphore platform integrates seamlessly with existing systems, such as SharePoint 2013, Apache Solr, and Google Search Appliance. Through the power of semantic technology and efficient and accurate metadata processes, Semaphore augments systems to give organization information the findability advantage.

Alice Wilson, June 14, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search

Keeping Up with the Changing Nature of Enterprise Content Management

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In the CMSWire post, “AIIM: Enterprise Content Management at a Crossroads as Content Chaos Reigns,” David Roe discusses the shifting nature of Enterprise Content Management (ECM). AIIM research shows that enterprises are looking for a one-size-fits-all content management system even though traditional ECM deployments are finding it challenging to handle the variety of ways consumers are accessing data. The author shares how ECM has changed over the years:

It’s not new for ECM vendors to find themselves in this kind of quandary, after all it has changed radically in the past 10 years since it first really rooted itself in the enterprise. In that ten year period, the report says, ECM has moved from being a tool, or set of tools, used locally to capture and manage documents to something that is now being used to push content out to mobile devices, to collaborative platforms, to all corners of the enterprises, and even beyond the firewall.

The article also poses some questions that ECM administrators must ask, such as what systems to use for collaboration, how to manage long term records management, and what to use for document process workflows and emails. These are important questions and the article really seems to relay the ever-changing nature of ECM.

Many organizations are turning to content management platforms and third party applications to create a comprehensive system unique to their needs. For example, Smartlogic provides the Semaphore Content Intelligence Platform that works with existing search, content, data and intelligence systems to identify, classify, analyze, integrate, and surface unstructured data at speed. Powered by semantic intelligence, enterprise information is managed with accuracy.  The solution also integrates out-of-the-box with existing systems, such as SharePoint 2013.

Alice Wilson, June 13, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search