Thunderstone Blog: Customized Search Engine & Search Software

March 2010 - Archive

CONTENTS

• Public Sector Search Appliance Savings Program
• Customer Quote of the Month
• Tech Tip: New vs Refresh Walks
• Subscription/Unsubscription and Contacts

PUBLIC SECTOR SEARCH APPLIANCE SAVINGS PROGRAM

As various states are providing appliance rebate programs to encourage consumers to switch to new energy efficient appliances we thought it only appropriate to offer our federal government GSA pricing (a savings of up to 32% over list prices) to all state and local governments to help with their budget constraints this spring.

Call our sales office today at 216-820-2200 to find out how switching to a Thunderstone Search Appliance can save you money today.

CUSTOMER QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"I'm impressed with vortex. You have so much functionality already put in to your language that I had to do by hand in perl." -- Gwen Zanin, Sr. Database Designer, The Chronicle of Higher Education

TECH TIP: NEW VS REFRESH

Once you've completed your first walk, you have a choice of how further walks should be performed. It's a choice between thoroughness and speed.

"New" crawls are started from scratch, just like the initial crawl. It takes your initial URLs, forgets everything else, and finds all the content again. The advantage is that you can be sure that every URL is checked on every walk, but the downside is it takes just as long as your initial walk. If your initial walk wasn't excessively long, this could be a feasible walking strategy.

If your initial walk took a week to finish, you might not want to do a New walk every time, though. Our "Refresh" walk schedules pages based on how often they change. The idea is that if a page hasn't changed in 6 months, we don't need to check it EVERY night. Only a subset of pages are checked on a refresh walk, with the more frequently changing pages checked more often than rarely changing ones.

The advantage of refresh walks is they can complete much faster than New walks, allowing your changing content to be updated much more frequently. The disadvantage is if a rarely-changing page DOES change, it might be a while before the refresh crawl checks it to notice the change.

Which type of walk is appropriate depends on your situation, the size of your content, and how quickly things need updated.

Feedback, suggestions and questions are welcome. Send your email to .

CLEVELAND, OH — State and local governments are being offered a chance to reduce their IT budget by buying search solutions at the same price the Federal government negotiated, while at the same time gaining a level of customer service and flexibility that consistently surpasses the levels that have become the industry norm. In addition to these savings they will also save by only needing to license once compared to other solutions that require never-ending periodic relicensing.

The Thunderstone family of search solutions provides the following benefits:

• Knowledgeable and accessible technical support. If you have a question or need any assistance call one of our qualified engineers.
• A perpetual license, which means once you have the solution you never have to repurchase it.
• Full trade-in credit if you need to expand your license.
• A flexible range of solutions designed to work the way you want, including appliances, virtual appliances, software and hosted SaaS models.

For almost 30 years Thunderstone Software has been dedicated to providing the best search solutions possible to government, corporate, and non-profit customers, with exceptional service and devotion to finding the right solution for the customer.

For further information call 216-820-2200, visit www.thunderstone.com or email

Honored for Empowering Thunderstone Channel Partners to Systematically Establish Enterprise Search Profit Centers

CLEVELAND, OH — Thunderstone Software LLC, the R & D leader that pioneered simultaneous searching of both structured and unstructured data with Thunderstone's TEXIS relational database optimized for full-text search, today announced its Channel Director & CSO Frederick A. Harmon has been named a 2010 Channel Chief by the Everything Channel's CRN. Channel Chiefs are leaders in creating effective channel programs for solution providers. They consistently defend, promote and execute effective channel partner programs and strategies.

Mr. Harmon, in collaboration with other members of Thunderstone Software's executive leadership team, has recently and successfully implemented several noteworthy enhancements to the growing Thunderstone Reseller/Channel Partner Program.

1. Thunderstone developed a Thunderstone Reseller/Channel Partner Portal where you can automatically register targeted sales opportunities and gain immediate access to relevant account information, current SPIF details, Thunderstone-generated marketing tools, product spec sheets personalized with your own company logo/phone number, and more.

2. Thunderstone began offering practical, fast-track training of qualified Thunderstone-Certified Professionals (both sales and technical staff) for Channel Partners who want to build Enterprise Search Practices and Enterprise Search Profit Centers.

Thunderstone has always delivered free and personalized online demos tailored to the customer's particular needs, plus 30-day eval units shipped pre-configured to the unique requirements of each customer. For Channel Partners with one or more employees who become Thunderstone-Certified Professionals – Thunderstone now offers FREE virtual versions of Thunderstone search solutions that certified personnel can use themselves to provide demos and evaluations for their own customers and prospects. All Thunderstone products come with a one-time, perpetual license which often saves customers 40 percent or more on their initial purchase. Thunderstone customers also enjoy an Investment Protection Program that makes upgrading their search solutions easy, desirable and affordable.

According to Harmon, "We have everything you need to succeed in the enterprise search marketplace. Our online portal has deal registration and lots of useful sales resources. We've created attractive incentives such as SPIFs up to $3,000 on sales of Thunderstone Search Appliances. We make available to Resellers an automated Thunderstone product quote tool you can use on your websites and in your sales-related emails. We provide superior tech support by phone, email and message board. For Channel Partners who choose to have some of your employees trained as Thunderstone-Certified Professionals – we offer FREE virtual versions of Thunderstone Search Appliances, as well as increased product discounts, joint promotional opportunities and the potential to receive market development funds depending on quarterly sales volume."

For the eighth consecutive year the Channel Chiefs were chosen by Everything Channel editorial based on criteria including: policy and program innovations made during the past year, the amount of revenue their company generates through partners, their willingness to speak out publicly on behalf of the channel, and the number of years they have dedicated to channel activities.

"Being named a Channel Chief is one of the most prestigious honors in the I.T. industry. This year's Channel Chiefs list offers tremendous insight into the who's who of the Channel," said Kelley Damore, Vice President and Editorial Director at Everything Channel. She continued, "Top channel executives consistently ensure that the Channel's voice is heard when strategic decisions are being made and continually nurture mutually profitable relationships. We applaud the 2010 Channel Chiefs for their successful partner programs and strategies."

Click here to see additional details about Frederick A. Harmon and the Thunderstone Reseller/Channel Partner Program published by CRN in its February 22, 2010 issue.

About Everything Channel
Everything Channel (http://www.everythingchannel.com), headquartered in Framingham, MA, is a technology marketing and sales solutions company. Through its "Complete Technology Channel Solution," Everything Channel offers the right business tools to accelerate technology sales. From branding and recruiting to marketing and sales, Everything Channel offers technology marketers the unmatched breadth and depth of global brands and market intelligence combined with unparalleled audience loyalty and credibility serving all technology sales channels through an extensive database. Everything Channel provides innovative field sales and marketing solutions to the sellers of technology to achieve measurable and significant results.

About United Business Media Limited
UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetisation of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities – from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists – with integrated events, online, print and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to http://www.ubm.com.

About Thunderstone
As a true industry pioneer – providing some of the world's most powerful, flexible and scalable search solutions since 1981 – Thunderstone Software LLC (http://www.thunderstone.com) has developed hard-to-match expertise in creating high-performance products with tremendous value for governments, NGOs, educational institutions and businesses of all sizes.

Thunderstone has a comprehensive, deep and broad range of enterprise search products that include:

• Thunderstone's TEXIS RDBMS optimized for full-text search
• The Webinator web indexing and retrieval software
• Thunderstone Parametric Search Appliances
• Thunderstone Search Appliances
• Texis Catalog Solutions (Thunderstone's eCommerce search engines)
• Virtual Versions of Thunderstone Search Appliances
• Virtual Versions of Thunderstone Parametric Search Appliances
• Thunderstone Data Services (SaaS; Hosted Search Solutions with licenses to both TEXIS and the Webinator)

Sales contact: Frederick A. Harmon

+1 216 820 2200 ext.105

Media contact: Peter Thusat

+1 216 820 2200 ext.118

December 2009 - Archive

CONTENTS

• Merry Christmas from Thunderstone Software
• Marzipan Recipe
• Quote of the Month
• Subscription/Unsubscription and Contacts

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

Thundersone Software wishes everyone a most joyful holiday, and we would like to extend our special gratitude to the many long-time and new customers who have kept our Thunderstone Professional Services staff very busy this year with your enterprise search-related development, consulting and training projects. We highly value our ever-growing number of productive and friendly working relationships, and we sincerely look forward to more opportunities to serve you in 2010 and beyond.

MARZIPAN RECIPE

This recipe could be used as part of a 12-course meal known in Polish as Wigilia, or on its own. Wigilia is eaten after sundown on Christmas Eve.

Makes 2 lbs

Ingredients

• 1 lb blanched almonds, finely ground
• 1 lb powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
• 2 Tbsp orange water or rose water (Can be obtained from your local drugstore)
• food colouring and decorations

Method

1. Combine ground almonds, sugar and flavouring in a saucepan. Cook until mixture leaves side of pan.
2. Roll almond mixture on a flat surface to a 1/2 -inch thickness. Cut into shapes, mold, paint with food colouring, decorate, etc.
3. Place on wax paper to dry for 2 hours.

Difficulty: easy.

Time: 1/2 hour plus time to decorate.

Precision: Approximate measurement OK.

Looking for more Christmas recipes? See http://www.thunderstone.com/texis/site/demos/recipe/search.html.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"I just wanted to drop you a quick note to thank you for helping us successfuly implement our 2009 Sleigh-Ready Process Improvement Initiative here at the North Pole. As you know, speed and accuracy have always presented unique challenges in creating and twice-checking Santa's official Naughty & Nice List. This year everything went off smoothly and without a hitch, now that we've deployed the Thunderstone Texis Catalog Solution. Your eCommerce Search Engine easily handled all our important search parameters, including rapidly-changing information from that formerly troublesome Coal-Lump-Recipient Database. Thanks again for your awesome, customer-centric approach to helping us make the season bright."

 

Lead Knowledge Architect
& Personal Assistant to the Chief Elf
Distribution Center at Santa's Workshop

Feedback, suggestions and questions are welcome. Send your email to

October 2009 - Archive

CONTENTS

• Appliances Add OpenSearch Support
• Customer Quote of the Month
• Upcoming Event

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from Thunderstone Software!

"Halloween.
Sly does it. Tiptoe catspaws. Slide and creep.
But why? What for? How? Who? When! Where did it all begin?
'You don't know, do you?' asks Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud climbing out
under the pile of leaves under the Halloween Tree. 'You don't really know!'."

 

Ray Bradbury,The Halloween Tree

NEW OPENSEARCH FORMAT RESULTS IN THUNDERSTONE SEARCH APPLIANCES

All Thunderstone appliances are now capable of producing results in the OpenSearch format. This standardized format makes it even easier for other products to integrate with our Thunderstone Search Appliance.

The most apparent effect of this is the ability to add your profiles to the "quick search" box to the right of the address bar in your web browser, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. Once you have performed a search, the drop-down next to the quick search box will allow you to "add" that profile's search to the list of selectable search engines.

Please see the "OpenSearch Support" documentation on your appliance for more information, or feel free to contact Thunderstone Support if you have any questions.

CUSTOMER QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"Improving search results and removing outdated Intranet content was just the tip of our iceberg. We plan on migrating our Intranet media content, document content and information/news delivery to separate server platforms. Once the new systems are operational we will create separate Profiles on the Thunderstone SBE Appliance and continue providing a single search point for our associates. I am certain we will rely on assistance from Thunderstone Support during these future transitions."

 

Britt Bullock
Web Developer
Arvest Bank

UPCOMING EVENT

Strongsville Rotary Biz Expo
November 10, 2009
4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Walter F. Ehrnfelt Recreation & Senior Center
18100 Royalton Road
Strongsville, Ohio 44136

John Turnbull (CEO) and Peter Thusat (CMO) plan to represent Thunderstone Software as exhibitors at this free Northeast Ohio event sponsored by the Rotary Club of Strongsville. The Expo will feature 50 booths of local companies, as well as light food and beverages. The sponsors request that attendees bring non-perishable food items suitable for donation to the Strongsville Food Bank.

Feedback, suggestions and questions are welcome. Send your email to