Platform: Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and 2000, Unix:
Solaris v7 & 8, Linux kernel 2.2 and higher Price: starts at $150,000
Company grew from merger of Answerfriend and Electric
Knowledge.
Features
Integrates with company's self-service and call center software
Combines content from multiple sources
Recognizes HTML, XML, PDF, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Lotus Notes
and newsgroups
Supports databases via ODBC, including Oracle, Sybase, IBM and Microsoft
Designed to scale for enterprise use
Designed for minimal maintenance
Handles natural-language questions
Tries to find answers, not just documents
Shows match word in context in search results
Includes business rules for control of results
Advanced analytics, mining user interaction
Articles & Reviews
You
Are Here - Still lost? A cadre of new companies want to show you the way.
New Architect January 2003, by David Howard
Discusses new approaches to site search, surveys search technologies with
sample vendors. Describes the SinglePoint approach,
which uses classification, term frequency, inverse database frequency, length,
timeliness, keyword prominence and positioning, and ways for users to disambiguate
queries. iPhrase and InQuira offer
natural-language processing of search queries, although it's difficult to
get users to enter full sentences. Mentions many other search engines, VIMA's
image-recognition software, search engine optimization techniques and email
search.
Self-Service: The New MantraIntelligent Enterprise:
October 30, 2002, by David Stodder Using the Automat analogy for customer self service, describes how
it applies to CNM ("Customer Needs Management") for online interactions
and e-commerce. Quotes Inquira customer at Bank of America recommending the
system over natural-language products.
Startup: Software can answer regular questionsUSA Today:
June 10 2002, (Reuters) Reports release of software, quotes customer BEA comparing it to
Ask Jeeves in terms of maintenance and answering questions. Gartner Group
analyst does not see a single leader in the natural-language search market.
