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New AskGordy Application Enables Users to Search ECM Systems with Voice Commands

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We already have voice-command-driven printers and copier/MFPs, now we have a voice-command tool for querying electronic content management (ECM) systems, with the Gordon Flesch Company introducing AskGordy, a virtual assistant that uses artificial intelligence-based search technology to search to electronic content management (ECM) systems.

The company – an office-imaging equipment dealer that’s the number-one Canon dealer in the United States – explains that it’s partnered with IBM to integrate Watson A.I. and natural language-processing capabilities into any ECM platform.

The new AskGordy application is designed to help solve one of the thorniest problems in document management – how to make the exploding volumes of data buried in corporate ECM platforms searchable, accessible, and more useful.

With the new solution, users can search their data sets using voice commands and have results returned to any platform, whether it’s a computer, tablet, or mobile phone.

According to the company, it’s estimated that as much as 85 percent of all data stored in documents is not searchable and is considered “dark data.” AskGordy is the Gordon Flesch Company’s interactive Watson application for bringing dark data to light from any ECM or document-storage repository. The application brings Watson’s Cognitive capabilities to ECM databases and services using Watson Discovery, Knowledge Studio, and other Watson APIs, and addresses the barriers that have stymied others:

  • Support for multiple import sources:  The proprietary front-end ingestion system permits documents from any vendors to be directly processed and indexed.
  • Reduce the need for subject-matter experts: By using speech recognition and natural language processing, Gordy can be trained to find information for any user in massive data sets, much like Alexa and Google Assistant can do via the Internet.
  • Scalability and expansion: the application can process data multiple sources, even if data is expanding at high volumes.

AskGordy is the first and only cognitive system that is platform-agnostic and is accessible to all users. Each query trains the system to become smarter, thus more responsive and aware of the user’s needs and interests, becoming smarter with each use.

According to Jeff Dotzler, vice president of GFConsulting Group, “We’ve been hearing from our customers that they are spending a lot of money on advanced ECM technology, but were frustrated by the fact that they were not able to get the full value of their proprietary data. We were unable to find a cost-effective and powerful tool to help solve that crisis, so we partnered with IBM and built it ourselves.”

The company says it can assess the complexity of any ECM system and develop a custom integration plan to fit any organization’s needs or budget, and that the AskGordy interface can be customized and branded for any organization. More information on AskGordy can be found here.

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