Welcome to CAMRIS International

CAMRIS International Solution: Synopsis

Our solution set includes unique technology tools that, when combined with sophisticated analysis, enables the detection, tracking and measurement of content and trends in Open Source Information (OSI). Delivering much more than traditional “news clipping” efforts, OSI mines the world’s unguarded knowledge gleaned from all public channels, anything that contains information, in any language, and from any country - such as broadcast television and radio, printed media such as phone books, newspapers and magazines, and internet discussions in the form of internet publications, web blogs, and chat rooms, and other sources that are “open” (as opposed to “secure” information that is not available in these media sources). OSI also includes “deep web” data sources.

There is a vast volume of information globally; OSI gathering and analysis is one way to help cope with the magnitude of data. The data is archived, and analysts can then draw upon it in response to queries from all levels of government. By capturing and analyzing OSI content, an interested entity – government, research or commercial – can know with the greatest possible certainty what is being discussed by the public and what the tone and sentiment of discussions are. The public may include a society or country at large; or it can transcend national boundaries to include “communities” (such as “youth” or “Europeans” or “European youth”); it can also include identifiable groups within countries, such as “those who get their information from the Internet” or “TV news channels.”

By capturing and analyzing OSI, our solution enables our customers to know more than breaking news, they can understand the underlying sentiment and what opinions are expressed in the open source environment. It also makes it possible to map content and opinions to events. For example, it allows the exploration of whether sentiment expressed in OSI on topics such as the condition of the economy or the validity or usefulness of certain government policies, may be associated with events occurring independently of the open source environment.

CAMRIS currently utilizes subcomponents of the technology to provide foreign media reporting and analysis to government institutions. We are able to deliver targeted, timely and authoritative OSI for analysis, operations and policymaking.

Characteristics and Functions

Our technology solution can capture and store content from many sources and in many languages. Its multilingual data capture system is its core system. We integrate the best available technologies for receiving information from or searching for information in open sources. At this level, it uses a number of best of breed commercial products. Our solution set assembles these combined capabilities into an engine that drives customizable tools for monitoring and analysis. If the capture and storage of OSI content is the core of our solution, then its analytic tools are its nerve center. We draw upon tools to include nonlinear models for monitoring, analysis, and measurement, ultimately for predictions. These tools are built and customized by CAMRIS analysts and scientist.

Our solution is a “learning system” – built on artificial intelligence architecture – with the result that models run by the system continuously capture, search, refresh, test, recalibrate and re-verify. The distinguishing characteristics are therefore:

Nonlinear modeling – when the system identifies relationships and develops new models they are based on the best available nonlinear mathematical approaches
Dynamic systems – the system interacts with the open source environment and learns from that environment
Intercept – the system captures information from the entire open source environment

If required, the system can operate in every major language as well as several local languages and dialects, and forms concepts within the logical structures while also providing transplantations to other languages. The system also stores information to enable trend analysis and that searches back through previous open source information – which may have occurred months or even years ago to uncover patterns and to find other patterns of significance. The system is targeted to monitor and track the state of a “nation” but can just as well monitor and track the “state” of a product or brand.

The system is organized so that the data collected can be analyzed and synthesized by specialists including the development of “alerts” as well as trends. Intelligent tools are provided that act to multiply the analyst ability to monitor and track subject matter. The diagrams below provide a simplified view of how the components of the system operate together.

Features

The data collection system includes collecting multilingual blogs, broadcast TV (both internet TV and broadcast TV), online newspapers as well as selected scanned newspapers, wire services and web site information. This information is stored in a data repository for analysis and synthesis.

Features of the system:

Multilingual open source data collection

Broadcast TV [web, cable, satellite based]
Broadcast Radio
Newspapers [online as well as selected scanned papers]
Wire Feeds
Web sites
Blogs

Monitoring and Analysis

Tools to identify concepts in the data independent of the language
Tools that allow for metadata and concept indexing of the data
Tools that dynamically create information taxonomies and automatically cluster the contents by concepts
Tools to retrieve relevant information by concept and by language
Tools that multiply the analyst ability to monitor and track by learning the analyst queries and doing them in the background
Interfaces that allow other monitoring and analysis tools to be plugged into the system. Such tools include those that allow for the analysis of video frames for people, places and things.

Synthesis

Interfaces to allow for the inclusion of synthesis and representation tools focused on targeted alerts and trends in the open source data.
Graphic support tools
Tools that email and provide other alerting technology

Analytic Services

In addition to basic capture and storage, customized analytic services that are available along with the system include monitoring services, special ad hoc queries and trend analysis.

Monitoring Services

Media monitoring and analysis provides analysts with new tools to sort out how variables and contextual factors influence trends, allow early detection, and also enable the identification of those actions that can be expected to have the greatest impact on the course of events. This is a dynamic learning system, and with ongoing testing and validation it will continuously be refined to give more accurate and more robust interpretation of identified trends.

Special Queries and Analyses

Analytic services differ from other analyses. Survey data provide highly structured and generally reliable measures of specific captured information – whether these are content or opinions – at a point in time. By contrast, our system provides ongoing measures and thus spans time. The system measures in the aggregate and can reflect the entire dialogue or the entire opinion as communicated through open source means. An inherent limitation of the system is that it measures only what is exchanged in open source environments, but it can do this with thoroughness. Customized reports and monitoring dashboards are developed in consultation with users. The form of delivery can range from trend summaries, exceptions, or alerts, to monitoring dashboards to check current levels of key topics or opinions of interest.

The system itself does not yet provide a clear prediction but it does strengthen the analysts’ ability to determine early warning signs in new combinations and as models are strengthened, the system can provide a powerful tool for an analyst to be able to predict with increasing certainty.

Training

Along with the system and the additional analytic services available, high level user training can be provided ranging from a minimal user training to actively participate in system use and analyses, to full training that can enable the user to perform all analytic techniques and to construct new customized logarithms and analysis models. These trainings can be configured for individuals or groups in any country or in the U.S., and they can range from short-term training, to a training package involving our formal training partners that lead to advanced degrees from leading universities.

Options

The system filters can be set to capture some, most or all of open source content. Reliability of results increases as these filters are set to capture as much content as possible. Costs increase proportionately. A low capture filter will capture the most easily accessible information, such as cable broadcast content available from international commercial carries, or newspapers that publish content on the internet. A medium capture filter will include installations of local capture and store and forward devices, such as over the air broadcasts that may be captured locally and feed to the system by means of local store-and-forward servers, as well as tools such as “blog spiders” to “crawl” into web pages and chat rooms and capture content. A complete capture can include local radio waves, and even local flyers and other media that can be locally scanned and forwarded.

Our is not an “off the shelf” system. The system is customized and deployed for a determined period of time with user defined objectives. Costs of deployment vary with the extent of capture, the number of languages, the extent of customized analytic models that are developed, the locations involved, and other variables.

Open Source Analysis Services
	CAMRIS International Solution: Synopsis Our solution set includes unique technology tools that, when combined with sophisticated analysis, enables the detection, tracking and measurement of content and trends in Open Source Information (OSI). Delivering much more than traditional “news clipping” efforts, OSI mines the world’s unguarded knowledge gleaned from all public channels, anything that contains information, in any language, and from any country - such as broadcast television and radio, printed media such as phone books, newspapers and magazines, and internet discussions in the form of internet publications, web blogs, and chat rooms, and other sources that are “open” (as opposed to “secure” information that is not available in these media sources). OSI also includes “deep web” data sources. There is a vast volume of information globally; OSI gathering and analysis is one way to help cope with the magnitude of data. The data is archived, and analysts can then draw upon it in response to queries from all levels of government. By capturing and analyzing OSI content, an interested entity – government, research or commercial – can know with the greatest possible certainty what is being discussed by the public and what the tone and sentiment of discussions are. The public may include a society or country at large; or it can transcend national boundaries to include “communities” (such as “youth” or “Europeans” or “European youth”); it can also include identifiable groups within countries, such as “those who get their information from the Internet” or “TV news channels.” By capturing and analyzing OSI, our solution enables our customers to know more than breaking news, they can understand the underlying sentiment and what opinions are expressed in the open source environment. It also makes it possible to map content and opinions to events. For example, it allows the exploration of whether sentiment expressed in OSI on topics such as the condition of the economy or the validity or usefulness of certain government policies, may be associated with events occurring independently of the open source environment. CAMRIS currently utilizes subcomponents of the technology to provide foreign media reporting and analysis to government institutions. We are able to deliver targeted, timely and authoritative OSI for analysis, operations and policymaking. Characteristics and Functions Our technology solution can capture and store content from many sources and in many languages. Its multilingual data capture system is its core system. We integrate the best available technologies for receiving information from or searching for information in open sources. At this level, it uses a number of best of breed commercial products. Our solution set assembles these combined capabilities into an engine that drives customizable tools for monitoring and analysis. If the capture and storage of OSI content is the core of our solution, then its analytic tools are its nerve center. We draw upon tools to include nonlinear models for monitoring, analysis, and measurement, ultimately for predictions. These tools are built and customized by CAMRIS analysts and scientist. Our solution is a “learning system” – built on artificial intelligence architecture – with the result that models run by the system continuously capture, search, refresh, test, recalibrate and re-verify. The distinguishing characteristics are therefore: Nonlinear modeling – when the system identifies relationships and develops new models they are based on the best available nonlinear mathematical approaches Dynamic systems – the system interacts with the open source environment and learns from that environment Intercept – the system captures information from the entire open source environment If required, the system can operate in every major language as well as several local languages and dialects, and forms concepts within the logical structures while also providing transplantations to other languages. The system also stores information to enable trend analysis and that searches back through previous open source information – which may have occurred months or even years ago to uncover patterns and to find other patterns of significance. The system is targeted to monitor and track the state of a “nation” but can just as well monitor and track the “state” of a product or brand. The system is organized so that the data collected can be analyzed and synthesized by specialists including the development of “alerts” as well as trends. Intelligent tools are provided that act to multiply the analyst ability to monitor and track subject matter. The diagrams below provide a simplified view of how the components of the system operate together. Features The data collection system includes collecting multilingual blogs, broadcast TV (both internet TV and broadcast TV), online newspapers as well as selected scanned newspapers, wire services and web site information. This information is stored in a data repository for analysis and synthesis. Features of the system: Multilingual open source data collection Broadcast TV [web, cable, satellite based] Broadcast Radio Newspapers [online as well as selected scanned papers] Wire Feeds Web sites Blogs Monitoring and Analysis Tools to identify concepts in the data independent of the language Tools that allow for metadata and concept indexing of the data Tools that dynamically create information taxonomies and automatically cluster the contents by concepts Tools to retrieve relevant information by concept and by language Tools that multiply the analyst ability to monitor and track by learning the analyst queries and doing them in the background Interfaces that allow other monitoring and analysis tools to be plugged into the system. Such tools include those that allow for the analysis of video frames for people, places and things. Synthesis Interfaces to allow for the inclusion of synthesis and representation tools focused on targeted alerts and trends in the open source data. Graphic support tools Tools that email and provide other alerting technology Analytic Services In addition to basic capture and storage, customized analytic services that are available along with the system include monitoring services, special ad hoc queries and trend analysis. Monitoring Services Media monitoring and analysis provides analysts with new tools to sort out how variables and contextual factors influence trends, allow early detection, and also enable the identification of those actions that can be expected to have the greatest impact on the course of events. This is a dynamic learning system, and with ongoing testing and validation it will continuously be refined to give more accurate and more robust interpretation of identified trends. Special Queries and Analyses Analytic services differ from other analyses. Survey data provide highly structured and generally reliable measures of specific captured information – whether these are content or opinions – at a point in time. By contrast, our system provides ongoing measures and thus spans time. The system measures in the aggregate and can reflect the entire dialogue or the entire opinion as communicated through open source means. An inherent limitation of the system is that it measures only what is exchanged in open source environments, but it can do this with thoroughness. Customized reports and monitoring dashboards are developed in consultation with users. The form of delivery can range from trend summaries, exceptions, or alerts, to monitoring dashboards to check current levels of key topics or opinions of interest. The system itself does not yet provide a clear prediction but it does strengthen the analysts’ ability to determine early warning signs in new combinations and as models are strengthened, the system can provide a powerful tool for an analyst to be able to predict with increasing certainty. Training Along with the system and the additional analytic services available, high level user training can be provided ranging from a minimal user training to actively participate in system use and analyses, to full training that can enable the user to perform all analytic techniques and to construct new customized logarithms and analysis models. These trainings can be configured for individuals or groups in any country or in the U.S., and they can range from short-term training, to a training package involving our formal training partners that lead to advanced degrees from leading universities. Options The system filters can be set to capture some, most or all of open source content. Reliability of results increases as these filters are set to capture as much content as possible. Costs increase proportionately. A low capture filter will capture the most easily accessible information, such as cable broadcast content available from international commercial carries, or newspapers that publish content on the internet. A medium capture filter will include installations of local capture and store and forward devices, such as over the air broadcasts that may be captured locally and feed to the system by means of local store-and-forward servers, as well as tools such as “blog spiders” to “crawl” into web pages and chat rooms and capture content. A complete capture can include local radio waves, and even local flyers and other media that can be locally scanned and forwarded. Our is not an “off the shelf” system. The system is customized and deployed for a determined period of time with user defined objectives. Costs of deployment vary with the extent of capture, the number of languages, the extent of customized analytic models that are developed, the locations involved, and other variables.