Sophia Search Limited
Encyclopedia
Sophia Search Limited is an Irish software company, founded in 2007.
Sophia builds contextually aware Enterprise Search
solution products, that enable organizations to intelligently discover knowledge from unstructured content based on context so that it can be recovered, consolidated and optimized. (The information may be on the Internet, or stored privately in files in a company or database, or a combination of these.)
The technology works for a range of natural languages and so does not require reconfiguration. There is no external meta-data required: no ontology, no dictionary, no thesaurus, no Resource Description Framework
augmenting and improving other search engines. Using a proprietary set of algorithms, the content enrichment process automatically creates semantic metadata for information.
Sophia is based on a model of Linguistics
(called Semiotics
), the metadata discovered and extracted by Sophia's Contextual Discovery Engine (CDE) is exposed as XML through RESTful web services.
and Saint Petersburg State University
currently maintaining offices in Belfast
, Northern Ireland, and San Jose, California. It also has an R&D base in St Petersburg, Russia. It is privately funded; having raised the largest ever private investment round, via an Angel Investor
(s), in Northern Ireland history.
The name Sophia is taken from the Greek word for Wisdom
can then be leveraged by other tools, such as search and content management systems, in order to radically improve the findability of information. The tool has a key focus on discovery of new information. The Sophia Digital Librarian does not rely on Taxonomies, ontologies, thesauri or any type of background knowledge nor does it require any training. It is built on a model of Linguistics called Semiotics, which explains how humans understand the meaning of signs, symbols and text.
This knowledge can be used to in conjunction with existing search tools, such as MS FAST, Google Search Appliance and Lucene/Solr to search semantically and to significantly improve the findability of indexed content. It can also be used to enrich content held within Content Management Systems (CMS) such as SharePoint, Documentum, and MarkLogic.
Sophia builds contextually aware Enterprise Search
Enterprise search
Enterprise search is the practice of making content from multiple enterprise-type sources, such as databases and intranets, searchable to a defined audience.-Enterprise search summary:...
solution products, that enable organizations to intelligently discover knowledge from unstructured content based on context so that it can be recovered, consolidated and optimized. (The information may be on the Internet, or stored privately in files in a company or database, or a combination of these.)
The technology works for a range of natural languages and so does not require reconfiguration. There is no external meta-data required: no ontology, no dictionary, no thesaurus, no Resource Description Framework
Resource Description Framework
The Resource Description Framework is a family of World Wide Web Consortium specifications originally designed as a metadata data model...
augmenting and improving other search engines. Using a proprietary set of algorithms, the content enrichment process automatically creates semantic metadata for information.
Sophia is based on a model of Linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
(called Semiotics
Semiotics
Semiotics, also called semiotic studies or semiology, is the study of signs and sign processes , indication, designation, likeness, analogy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication...
), the metadata discovered and extracted by Sophia's Contextual Discovery Engine (CDE) is exposed as XML through RESTful web services.
History
Sophia began life as a campus company in the University of UlsterUniversity of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
and Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University is a Russian federal state-owned higher education institution based in Saint Petersburg and one of the oldest and largest universities in Russia....
currently maintaining offices in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland, and San Jose, California. It also has an R&D base in St Petersburg, Russia. It is privately funded; having raised the largest ever private investment round, via an Angel Investor
Angel investor
An angel investor or angel is an affluent individual who provides capital for a business start-up, usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity...
(s), in Northern Ireland history.
The name Sophia is taken from the Greek word for Wisdom
Wisdom
Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one's emotional reactions so that universal principles, reason and...
Products
Its core product, the Sophia Digital Librarian, automatically enriches each document with semantic metadata (such as Topic, concepts, document tags & semantic tags). This MetadataMetadata
The term metadata is an ambiguous term which is used for two fundamentally different concepts . Although the expression "data about data" is often used, it does not apply to both in the same way. Structural metadata, the design and specification of data structures, cannot be about data, because at...
can then be leveraged by other tools, such as search and content management systems, in order to radically improve the findability of information. The tool has a key focus on discovery of new information. The Sophia Digital Librarian does not rely on Taxonomies, ontologies, thesauri or any type of background knowledge nor does it require any training. It is built on a model of Linguistics called Semiotics, which explains how humans understand the meaning of signs, symbols and text.
This knowledge can be used to in conjunction with existing search tools, such as MS FAST, Google Search Appliance and Lucene/Solr to search semantically and to significantly improve the findability of indexed content. It can also be used to enrich content held within Content Management Systems (CMS) such as SharePoint, Documentum, and MarkLogic.
Awards
The company has won a number of awards for its products including:- Logica UK Global Innovation Partner - winner 2011
- KM World Magazine top trend setting - product 2010 & 2011
- Seedcorn Business Competition - all Ireland winner 2009
- Entrepreneurship award - Northern Ireland winner 2007, of Northern Ireland Science ParkNorthern Ireland Science ParkNorthern Ireland Science Park Foundation Limited was established in March 1999 to create a self sustaining, internationally recognised, knowledge-based science park in Northern Ireland offering a commercial and research driven centre for knowledge-based industries...
's £25K Entrepreneurship Award
External links
- Official website
- Official blog
- Sophia's channel on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Sophia's page on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
Reviews
- Semiotics for enterprise search - KMWorld 28 May 2011
- Sophia – finding the needle in the company haystack - Ulster Business 9 April 2011
- Organizing the unknown – applying taxonomy to discovery through Sophia Search - Earley & Associates 31 March 2011
- An Interview with David Patterson - Arnold IT 1 March 2011
- Three-dimensional search - KMWorld 27 October 2010
- New solution empowers organizations to intelligently discover knowledge from unstructured content for efficient discovery, recovery, consolidation and use while reducing the cost of managing information - Marketwire 22 September 2010
- Discover your unstructured content - discovery is a priority! - CMS Wire 22 September 2010
- Artificial Intelligence added to medloom clinical decision support system built on interSystems CACHÉ database - Marketwire 22 June 2010
- Innovation Nation - Ulster Business 19 January 2010
- Don’t just Search your Information, Understand it! - University of Ulster Autumn 2009