Interested in implementing an open source search application? We'll show you how easy it is to get started with Apache Lucene/Solr or Elasticsearch - we'll be building working, accurate and scalable search solutions using real data! Suitable for those with some technical background who want to acquire a working knowledge of the options available and best ways forward.

In this workshop you will find out:

• Which open source search engines to consider
• How to engage with an open source project
• How to index data with open source search
• How to create a search interface or API
• How to tune relevance, and scale the system

Who is it aimed at? Anyone with some technical background who wants to see how open source search works in practise - you don't have to be a developer but some programming experience would be useful.

Microsoft made a huge step forward in integrating search into the SharePoint platform. For many, SharePoint 2013 will be one of the best platforms available for enterprise search. If you already are using FS4SP , or have FAST ESP deployed and are thinking about a migration, this workshop will help you:

• Understand how SharePoint 2013 Search fits into a successful enterprise search approach
• Find out what's new in SharePoint 2013 Search
• Discover the planning and implementation challenges of SharePoint 2013 Search
• Supporting input for upgrade decisions -why could it be worth upgrading to SharePoint 2013 Search?
• A hands-on tour of SharePoint 2013 Search in action

Who is it aimed at?  Business Managers and Decision Makers, Project Leads and Project Managers and IT Professionals

The growing use of interactive applications and websites means that an increasing volume of data is being produced. Big Data is about adopting new technologies that enable the storage, processing, and analysis of data that was previously ignore It is also about the adoption of new business processes and analyt approaches that take advantage of that data.

This workshop will give you:

• A thorough, hype-free introduction to the concept of 'big data'
• An overview of the technical, business and cultural trends that are changing the way enterprises store, process and analyse data
• An understanding of how 'big data' technologies complement and/or compete with traditional data warehousing and analytics technologies
• Examples of enterprise deployments of Hadoop and related best practices
• An overview of how search and machine-learning technologies relate to 'big data'

 Who is it aimed at? Anyone with an interest in the concept of big data and its related technologies and how it will affect their business. 

A key driver for change in the enterprise search community is the expectation that search engines should do more than simply deliver ten blue links. A focus on relevance, speed and other quantitative metrics may have worked in the past, but if the user experience isn't right, it's wasted effort. In this workshop we will:

• Explore the fundamental concepts of human-centred design for information search and discovery
• Learn how to differentiate between various types of search behaviour: known-item, exploratory, lookup, learning, investigation, etc.
• Understand the dimensions of search user experience and how to apply them to different contexts
• Explore design patterns and other key resources and their role in solving practical design problems
• Enable delegates to analyse, evaluate and improve the effectiveness of search applications within their own organisation

Who is it aimed at?   Intranet/web managers, information architects, search specialists, developers and managers of search projects, or anyone who either has implemented or is planning to implement a search application and wants to maximise the usability and effectiveness of their investment.