Turning RDBMS into a probabilistic inference engine

Autonomy has developed a new product that applies its meaning-based technology to databases.

A self-learning solution, IDOL SPE can automatically make connections in the data that would otherwise need to be interpreted by human beings. According to Autonomy, unlike business intelligence solutions that require building and maintaining complex cubes that operate outside the database, IDOL SPE brings probabilistic inference into existing databases.

Mike Lynch, CEO of Autonomy, described IDOL SPE as company’s second fundamental technology, an addition to its existing technology, IDOL.

The solution leverages results from interactions, usage, and datasets. Software promises to suggest results, even when an exact match doesn’t exist in the database.

The company cited an example of an airline how it can improve the online customer experience and increase sales.

A customer searching for a flight from New York to San Francisco at a date and time when all flights are sold out will automatically be offered an alternative airport such as Oakland or San Jose, rather than returning “no results” to the customer’s search. IDOL SPE infers the result from patterns in the data and its usage without the need for scripts or geographic information.