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InQuira Eliminates Language Barrier
Language isn't a barrier to sharing knowledge with InQuira 8.1. The latest release from the trusted knowledge management platform allows for easy information search and retrieval between 13 languages.
InQuira began in 2002, resulting from the merger of AnswerFriend and Electric Knowledge, two search engine startups. It was a natural fit, since both efforts focused on natural language searches, like AskJeeves does now.
Shortly after the founding, however, the company's heads decided to take it in a new direction, focusing on commercial markets. From the start, InQuira was a success with enterprise. In 2005, the company shifted again when it acquired Convivian, a Florida-based knowledge management startup. From this it gained a robust information hub for knowledge management tools, and was able to focus on delivering Web access to its tools.
Then positioned as a knowledge management company, not a search company, InQuira saw rapid gains. It added community features and improved its analytics. It also focused on offering a better experience to searchers, delivering results pages that gave thorough answers and links to resources for their questions. Improved analytics showed companies where they needed to provide information. Discussion forums helped them discover information trouble spots early on, by showing what kinds of info people were looking for.
Since 2005, InQuira has seen 40 percent year-over-year growth, says Chris Hall, vice president of product marketing. In 2006, it expanded to focus on the needs of the automotive, banking, and telecommunications industries. It now counts Nationwide, Apple, and Bank of America among its many customers. It currently has over 135 employees and 85 enterprise customers and is privately held.
The market has begun to consolidate for knowledge management companies, says Hall, and vendors are being acquired by larger companies. To survive and compete, knowledge management tools need to be as robust as possible. InQuira combines search and knowledge management into one platform, a solution that's now globally accessible with the 8.1 release, which adds support for 13 languages.
With InQuira 8.1, you can search for information in your native language, but get results from offices around the world. You're no longer barred from that information because of language differences.
InQuira's target customer is a large enterprise with lots of products, or one whose products have lots of complexities. The platform delivers easy access to information about those products, whether the queries come from in-house agents or outside customers. Key industries include high-tech, telecommunications, and financial services, with insurance, U.S. healthcare, and worldwide retail coming on strong.
Delivering answers to thousands of sales people worldwide, InQuira is like a sales microsite. Each of a company's geographies can create its own sites and post briefs to them. Users can subscribe to areas that interest them to get new information. Customers can also create public-facing areas to deliver answers on specific products, as Apple does with the support area of its site.
Installation of the InQuira platform takes between 5 and 14 weeks, depending on the complexity of the job. Inside installations, for example, usually take longer, while Web site offerings are typically quicker. Customers can decide to create microsites around specific products to better deliver answers.
Pricing varies by the job, but Hall says that the entry price for the software itself is typically around $250,000, with the full implementation costing around $750,000. If your global company could use the international access InQuira provides, check out www.inquira.com.
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