Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Semantic Web Industry Review - Progress Report

If you're reading this, you may know that I'm engaged in a Semantic Web industry review based on interviews with the leading industry entrants. Once this phase is complete, I'll reflect upon and analyze my interactions and write up the results. My target for publishing this (free) report is the end of September. Here's where I stand:
Vendors
Aduna - interview being scheduled
Cambridge Semantics - interview complete
Franz - interview being scheduled
Garlik - interview being scheduled
Intellidimension - awaiting initial response
Mondeca - interview complete
Ontoprise - interview being scheduled
Ontos - interview complete
Ontotext Lab - interview being scheduled
OpenLink Software - interview complete
Primal Fusion - special case: pre-launch
Saltlux - interview being scheduled
Sandpiper Software - interview being scheduled
Siderean Software - interview being scheduled
Sindice - special case: pre-launch
Talis - interview being scheduled
Thetus - interview scheduled
TopQuadrant - interview being scheduled
Deployers
Dow Jones Client Solutions - interview scheduled
ITA Software - special case: pre-launch
The Calais Initiative - interview complete
Twine/Radar Networks - interview scheduled
Yahoo!/SearchMonkey - awaiting response

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

A few more deployers for your list: Metaweb (Freebase); True Knowledge; Stealth-Company.com (but in stealth mode, obviously)

David Provost said...

Adam - thank you for the suggestions. I thought about Freebase, but they're in alpha and I'm trying to limit coverage of pre-release or stealth companies. I've made some exceptions to this rule, but now that I'm underway it's difficult for me to justify their inclusion.

Note that among the alpha's, stealth ventures, etc., I've listed, all of them have responded to my invitation. However, some don't want to participate (understandable), some want to respond in writing only (I'd rather have that than nothing), and some are perfectly happy to participate in my interview process. Since there's no particular pattern among this category of early players, and since their input, if any, will need to be reconciled with an easily understood and meaningful report format, and since it's just me on this project, my hands are a bit full at the moment.

As for True Knowledge, if I'd heard of them prior to you message, I've forgotten, and even though they're in beta, I'd still have invited them when I began this project a few weeks ago.

One basic problem I've always encountered when doing an initial review like this is that the first list usually has the most gaps or omissions. I don't know if I'll be writing a second industry review, but if I do, I'll take your suggestions and the others I've received and make a point of extending an invitation to them.

David